The Firebox M440 is the latest next-generation firewall offering from WatchGuard. The M440 is a true enterprise-grade UTM device, with massive throughput and some of the best all-in-one capability in its class. In addition to all of its built-in UTM features, the Firebox M440 can be expanded through licensing to bring to the table advanced malware detection and analysis capabilities as well as DLP functionality. Out of the box, it comes with tons of built-in templates and a host of other features to make the IT administrator's job easier.
To kick off our testing, we began by removing the device from its box and installing it in our rack using the supplied hardware. Once we did that, we followed the quick-start guide to create an account on the WatchGuard website to register our device. After retrieving our license, we connected it to our test network and finished setup though a web browser. Here, we configured the WAN interface, set the administrator password and installed our license. All of this was performed through the built-in webpage, which made setup a breeze. After we finished the initial configuration, we were redirected by the wizard to the device homepage.
We were extremely impressed with the amount of effort that must have gone into the design of the Firebox M440's interface. After logging in, we were quickly greeted by a heads-up page with all of the goings on in our network. The learning curve for the Firebox was minimal and we found ourselves breezing through the setup of the device for our test bed. We installed a firmware update and then updated all of the web filtering and malware signatures to completely finish integrating the device in our system.
Overall, we were very pleased with the ease of use of the device. Charts, graphs and visualizations are not in short supply on the Firebox, which was another big plus. In addition to its ease of use, we were also pleased with the M440's performance. Even with all security features enabled, it can still achieve 1.6GbE throughput, and 10GbE QSFP+ interfaces come standard to facilitate this. An outstanding feature is WatchGuard Dimension, which comes with the purchase. It lets admins view all of the charts, graphs and data from every WatchGuard device enterprise-wide.
Along with the device, we also received a paper quick-start guide in the box. This was well written, included pictures where appropriate and proved helpful through the initial setup.
The WatchGuard Firebox M440 is truly an excellent choice for a UTM device. Overall, it is easy to use, expandable and it offers very good value for the price. Its high security and great performance come at a premium price, but it is well worth it. We select this as our Recommended UTM product. - SP
