ZyWall USG 1000 provides basic UTM functions such as a firewall, intrusion detection and prevention engine, anti-virus, web content filter and anti-spam, as the first level of protection. It then goes a bit further with features such as both an IPsec and an SSL VPN, IM and P2P application management and blocking and a user aware policy engine that can set bandwidth or network access based on user login.
We found setup and deployment to be quite straightforward. The initial setup can be done through the web-based GUI once the appliance is connected to the network. At first login the GUI launches a setup wizard that guides through the steps necessary to get the product running in the network, as well as getting a basic configuration.
After the wizard is complete the web-based management console is opened to the dashboard. The console itself was a little confusing at first but we quickly became comfortable with it after navigating around a bit.
The USG 1000 allows for some very customisable policies and many can be configured to be quite granular. This flexibility allows for complete control over various groups or users that have different needs. It also features the ability to use endpoint security policies to ensure machines on the network meet the necessary criteria.
Documentation provided included a quick-start guide that provided a brief outline of how to connect the appliance to the network and access the web GUI. A user guide provided complete, in-depth look at how to configure and use all of the features. This also included many screenshots, diagrams, examples and step-by-step instructions.
ZyXel offers no cost phone and email technical support to all customers.* There is also a large support area available on the website that includes product documentation, firmware downloads, product resources and a knowledgebase.
At a price just over £3,100 we find ZyWall USG 1000 to be great value for the money. It provides a lot of flexibility and user-based policy options, with a solid UTM backbone.
*In the US. Contact regional offices for local support details.