The 8e6 R3000 and Enterprise Reporter is a superb product. The feature-rich appliance was easy to set up and performed well. The setup procedure is typical of more advanced appliances. Once a keyboard and monitor are connected to the appliance, a wizard guides the user through setup. Once the initial configuration is complete, policy development is quick and easy thanks to the intuitive web interface.
The documentation is clear and walks the user through initial configuration in great detail. The user guide, an indexed pdf file, describes policy configuration, network settings and customisation in an easy-to-read style with many screen shots and examples.
Performance was excellent and, in addition to URL and content filtering, included spyware, phishing, instant messaging and peer-to-peer protection. The tool can be used in conjunction with other 8e6 products such as the Threat Analysis Reporter. Also, there is the capability of archiving large amounts of information in the optional storage repository.
The device sports more than 90 different content categories making it one of the most flexible products of its type. These categories include all of those one would expect (illegal drugs, pornography, gambling), plus several others such as explicit art or comics. Additionally, there is a mobile client to use with notebook computers. One of the product's more useful features is its ability to lock a user out of the internet after a pre-configured number of attempts to access forbidden sites. This prevents users from attempting to bypass the device by trying different sites repeatedly.
The support site is strong and includes all of the resources you would expect. Users can also get help by phone or email. The support site contains quite a bit more than we are used to seeing, however. For example, there is a section on end-of-life and how obsolete products are supported, along with a list of those products. Clicking on a discontinued product produces a complete description of its discontinuation.
The pricing range goes from about the middle of the pricing spectrum for up to 1,000 users to a very reasonable price per user at 5,000 users. For its value, power and flexibility we rate R3000 and Enterprise Reporter our Best Buy.