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I have a network running 100 users with pc and 20 SIP phones. I also have 3 servers runnign an extranet on a 100GB leased line.

My primary device is a ZyWall 35 and I have decided that this device is a bottle neck and a limit to performance.

What device should I look at as an upgrade? I have no idea where to start and already bored of slick salesmen who know nothing.

Gavin
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Aside from the obvious: you can build a linux/bsd router box that can do this for next to nothing. I've heard great things about the netscreen 25's but they stopped selling them:

The NetScreen-25 is end of sale, and in its place, we recommend the SSG140, the SSG320M, or the SSG350M, high-performance security appliances that offer LAN/WAN connectivity for regional and branch office deployments.

I've had good luck with Netscreen's in the past, though the Jun-os stuff is hella different if your used to ciso and work in the CLI a lot. Their web gui is pretty slick though.

skitzot33
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    The netscreens use ScreenOS, not Jun OS. – Cian Oct 15 '09 at 11:11
  • +1, I really like the Netscreen/SSG and they work well with QoS for VOIP. I don't now if the SSG140 will support a full 100m connection though (maybe 75). – Doug Luxem Oct 15 '09 at 13:38
  • I've had good experience with the J-series routers, which is idential hardware to the newer netscreens but running JUNOS rather than ScreenOS. JUNOS is easier to use than ScreenOS in my experience, but I've only used ScreenOS on a small ADSL router. Highly recommend Juniper kit. – David Pashley Oct 15 '09 at 13:54
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I've had a lot of good experiences with pfSense which is a BSD based distribution. It has been very stable with uptimes of >9months before reboot for infrastructure maintenance.

I've tended to use it where I've had multiple networks and needed to setup complex NAT/routing between them obviously with firewalls and logging.

Joel Mansford
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If you like your Zywall.. the next model up? Alternatively, look at SmoothWall - be aware that I am biased, I work for SmoothWall, but not in the capacity of "know nothing sales droid" so you're safe ;)

Tom Newton
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  • I liked the community edition of smoothie. (and I'm not a sales droid) – Joseph Kern Oct 15 '09 at 12:56
  • Joseph: You may be interested to hear that SmoothWall Express (aka community edition, aka smoothie GPL) is going to be seeing an alpha of version 4 soon... lots of new fun stuff there :) – Tom Newton Oct 15 '09 at 13:29
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For that size of company I can recommend Watchguard Firewalls.

I have very good experience with those boxes, they are very easy
to setup and working without major glitches. Also their support and
customer care is very great.

Take a look at the Firebox® X Core™ e-Series on their site.

Phil Swiss
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