WatchGuard has shipped a new collection of tabletop firewall appliances offering enhanced performance, management, and security functionality.
Suitable for use in work-from-home environments, the Firebox T25, T45, and T85 are all ideal for distributed environments like retail outlets, restaurants, and hotels where speed and safety matter but space is tight, according to Brendan Patterson, WatchGuard’s vice president of product management.
“The compact form factor really does help in those locations,” he says.
Like other WatchGuard firewalls, the new models come with three security package options ranging from the entry-level Support plan to the more feature-rich Basic Security Suite and top-tier Total Security Suite. Unlike earlier tabletop-sized Firebox appliances, however, the new ones offer centralized management through the WatchGuard Cloud administration console at all three levels. WatchGuard Cloud supports the vendor’s other products, Patterson notes, resulting in less work and lighter training burdens for overworked technicians.
“You don’t have to teach your staff, ‘here’s how you manage the firewall. Here’s how you manage our access points,'” he says. “It’s all in one interface.”
All of the new firewalls also come with zero-touch provisioning functionality that lets administrators deploy and configure devices, upgrade firmware, and apply policies remotely after activation, as well as built-in SD-WAN.
Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, a first for tabletop-sized Fireboxes, is available too. WatchGuard’s Wi-Fi 6 implementation features concurrent radios that allow businesses to run surveillance cameras and other IoT gear over high-range 2.4 GHz connections and videoconferencing software over high-bandwidth 5 GHz.
All three security packages include VPN support. Additional capabilities in the Basic Security Suite include DNS and spam filtering and antivirus software. Total Security subscribers also get sandbox malware detection and WatchGuard’s ThreatSync service, which lets firewalls and endpoints share and collaboratively respond to real-time threat information.
The Firebox T25, which is available with or without Wi-Fi, is designed for use in small office/home office settings with five or fewer users. The unit delivers up to 3.14 Gbps throughput, can accommodate 10 branch office VPNs, and has five 1 GB ports.
The Firebox T45, which is intended for use in small and branch offices with up to 20 users, comes in three SKUs, one with Wi-Fi, another with built-in Power over Ethernet, and a third with neither option. The product provides up to 3.94 Gbps of throughput and supports 30 branch office VPNs. Like the T25, it also comes with five 1 GB ports.
The Firebox T85, finally, is meant for use in small and midsize environments with up to 50 users. The unit comes with eight 1 GB ports, dual PoE+ ports, and support for 60 branch office VPNs. Throughput tops out at 4.96 Gbps. A slot on the rear of the device lets users plug in an optional SFP+ fiber expansion module or a 4G/LTE module for failover wireless connectivity when primary internet service is unavailable.
Licensing comes in fixed one-, three-, and five-year terms, as well as on a pay-as-you-go basis through WatchGuard’s MSP-friendly FlexPay program. “If they’re billing and working with monthly contracts with their customers, we can align with that,” Patterson says.
