This device incorporates
several features in one box.
It has real flexibility, with
fully adjustable and customisable
policies, port configuration, and
management screens. It also offers
several different report types,
which make finding clear information
about attacks or network
activity easy. Reports can also be
created according to a schedule
set by an administrator and saved
on the device for review later.
The appliance is very simple to
deploy, set up and use. This is a
single unit containing everything
needed to protect a network. It
sits inline between the router and
firewall. After a quick configuration,
the unit is up and running,
instantly protecting the network.
The web interface is very simple
to navigate, with a dashboard of
real-time network activity on the
main page. Through the wellorganised
web interface, an
administrator can find easy access
to reporting engines and policy
adjustment. Although not much
configuration is necessary, if a
policy needs to be changed or
adjusted, the manuals make this a
quick and easy task.
We found the IPS 5500 to be a
strong box under pressure. It
remained solid under almost all
our testing parameters. However,
when it was under extreme attack,
the box would overload and make
the web interface freeze and the
management computer would
have to be rebooted. We were
able to bypass the appliance using
Core Impact and penetrate the
protected network.
The device comes with many
different types of manuals and
documentation, as well as a very
simple-to-use quickstart guide
that claims the product can be up
and running smoothly in about 30
minutes, which we found to be
just about right.
If any questions do arise during
deployment and setup, there are
references to different guides
included in the quickstart manual.
All documentation is very clear
and concise, with very useful
diagrams and topologies included.
This device has many types of
support. Top Layer has a standard
support centre that can be
reached between 8am and 8pm
(EST) by telephone. However,
there is an option to upgrade
support by joining their Web
Integrated Support Environment
(WISE) that provides not only
online support, but also 24-7
telephone support.
The device comes with a pretty
serious price tag. However, for a
medium to large-sized network, it
is a good buy. We found that
because of the ease of use and
deployment, this device actually
will save money by not requiring
extensive care and management.