Re: Watchguard or ISA Server/Forefront

Both Watchguard and ISA are good products with many overlapping features. I have used both and would say both work well. I would first suggest, looking at the features of each, and seeing which one meets your needs better. Then, if both do, look at price. And if that does not help, go with the thing you are familiar with, it will help reduce possible security issues related to configuration mistakes.

One thing to note. The Watchguard is first designed as a packet filter and second as an application filter. ISA is the inverse. Generally, on larger projects, I would place a Watchguard/Checkpoint/Cisco/etc firewall on the outer perimeter of the network, and behind it I would place an ISA server to handle application layer services (I.e. proxying, caching, url filtering, virus scanning, authentication, etc).

My $0.02,
Adam Stasiniewicz

"Aitch" <aitchsjunk@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:A2CC8B5F-3947-40B2-B6B6-965B509D810D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I hope that this is the right place for this :-

I work at a small charity in London. We have one adsl connection into a Watchguard Firebox which feeds two servers on separate domains. One server (A) is running Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003, the other (B) Windows Server 2008 and no exchange. Both networks have Symantec Endpoint Protection and Server A has Symantec Mail Security Microsoft Exchange. Server A has approximately 50 PCs and Server B has approximately 25. All PCs are running XP. We currently use Office 2000, soon to be replaced by 2007. Server A is used exclusively by staff, Server B is used exclusively by mostly young clients (18 - 25).

I want to upgrade our security, I won't tell you how old the Firebox is, and I have been told that I have four weeks to get this done - before the end of the financial year. I would like to get advice on whether to go for a new Watchguard or go down the Forefront route on a new box, though I am led to believe that I might have to go with ISA Server first.

I will happily provide more information if needed. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Aitch

.

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