need a business router recommendation

[Cancer12]

Hi I work with an insurance business and its time to install a new router, the old one is getting up in years. I've tried googling but have found its hard to find any concrete recommendations on new routers. We'd like it to be fast, reliable, with wireless and the ability to restrict internet access for certain websites for certain users. Can anyone recommend anything to me or point me to where I should be looking? Thanks

 

[avos]

Do you have an idea on what type of price point you are looking at?

I've been installing Sonicwall NSA220s and 2600s at most of the small businesses I work with that wanted content filtering, SSL VPN with LDAP, or any sort of gateway anti-virus/intrusion prevention.

They aren't cheap though and the support contracts are kind of ridiculous. Also Sonicwall has some of the most annoying wireless products I've ever run across. Usually if the client needs wireless as well I just set them up with an Ubiquiti AP.

It is getting harder and harder to justify them though as broadband speeds keep increasing. Even the NSA220's have trouble with a fairly standard 50/5 business internet connection. Their TZ line is all but worthless these days.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

What do you have now and what does the network look like? (Number of clients, servers, features and services being run by the router, etc.)

Does the client have any specific requirements (VoIP? VPN?) that they don't currently have deployed but would like to implement on the new system?

How big is the insurance business physically? (Are they likely to need wireless repeaters, that sort of thing?)

What is your role? Are you a pro netadmin and this is a client of yours? Are the you "office computer guy" because you know how to use MS Word? Are you the cousin's uncle's boyfriend who "knows about computers?" Who will end up supporting this and what's their level of technical skill?

How long do they expect this setup to work? 3 year lifespan? 10 year lifespan?

A little Atom server running pfsense and a couple of consumer WAPs in access-only mode would probably do the trick for cheap, but the more info you can give us, the better.

 

[kevnich2]

I wouldn't say tz line is dead at all. I have a tz215 and 150mb FIOS connection and it handles it without any problem. The router for the OP though entirely depends on what his needs are. Every company is different.

What router do you currently have an what issues are you having with it?

 

[avos]

I wouldn't say tz line is dead at all. I have a tz215 and 150mb FIOS connection and it handles it without any problem. The router for the OP though entirely depends on what his needs are. Every company is different.

What router do you currently have an what issues are you having with it?

Are you running that with any of the security services turned on? Even their webpage which usually aims high on the specifications don't rate the tz 215 for 150mb FIOS. The 215s usually choke on me at about 40mb with Gateway AV, anti-spyware, and IPS turned on.

But yes. Business requirements need to be planned out first before deciding what is needed.

 

[Cancer12]

Thank you, I should have specified.

Current network is AD with Server 2012 Essentials with a single server. Currently the router is an old Sonicwall tz170 (I believe, can't check right now). Approximately 13 users. We don't need VPN, I've been slowly transitioning everyone to use Office 365 for most things. But it might be nice. We want to begin content filtering the employees, allowing them access to only work specific web sites. The line to the building is 50/10. The area is fairly large, but at the moment we have no constant needs for the wireless, it just needs to be present. We want the device to have a gateway firewall, intrusion prevention, etc.

As for my role, I'm paid to support everything. I used to do this with several more companies, but now its more of a side job.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Thank you, I should have specified.

Current network is AD with Server 2012 Essentials with a single server. Currently the router is an old Sonicwall tz170 (I believe, can't check right now). Approximately 13 users. We don't need VPN, I've been slowly transitioning everyone to use Office 365 for most things. But it might be nice.

Nothing crazy then.

If you're migrating to cloud based solutions like Office 365, you probably don't want to have a lot of gear around to admin.

We want to begin content filtering the employees, allowing them access to only work specific web sites.

Ah. The ask.

Have you looked into cloud-based web filtering? I'm assuming it either relies on a proxy setting pushed out via AD, or some kind of local agent on the machine, but it might be better than setting up a local filter, especially if you have people working offsite using company hardware that you also want to control.

The line to the building is 50/10. The area is fairly large, but at the moment we have no constant needs for the wireless, it just needs to be present. We want the device to have a gateway firewall, intrusion prevention, etc.

The basics, then. Any prosumer or enthusiast class router would probably do fine with a dozen or so web surfing users. Flash the firmware with dd-wrt or Tomato (or Merlin-ASUSWRT if you buy an ASUS router) if you want more features, but... I think you could buy almost anything.

Is the TZ170 not meeting your needs in some way? I mean, the old wireless tech is a little weak, but overall the specs read like it'd still be a decent router for your needs.

 

[Cancer12]

The tz has been fine, but its getting to be really old and I like to keep the hardware up to date.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

The tz has been fine, but its getting to be really old and I like to keep the hardware up to date.

Fair enough.

How are your Linux chops? Do you need a support agreement? (pfsense + BYO router)

Otherwise, I guess go with what you know.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833339179

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833339271

look like they're in the same market space as the TZ170 was.

 

[Cancer12]

I've been looking at the WatchGuard XTM 330, any thoughts on that? It seems to have everything we need.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Never used on of that brand, so I can't say anything specific. The reviews for their stuff in general seem pretty good though.

 

[Cancer12]

Update.

I was conversing with a watchguard sales rep earlier today and she sent me the data sheet. The MTBF of the Watchguard XTM 33 is 33 129,955 hours @ 104° F (40° C ), while the 330 is 51,644 hours @ 77° F (25° C). This seems to be an incredible difference between the two. The UTM throughput of the 33 is 100mbps, half that of the 330, but still double our inbound line. I'm assuming its because the 330 consumes twice the watts.

It seems an easy decision to me, especially considering the reduction in price.

 

[cubby1223]

Do you have an idea on what type of price point you are looking at?

I've been installing Sonicwall NSA220s and 2600s at most of the small businesses I work with that wanted content filtering, SSL VPN with LDAP, or any sort of gateway anti-virus/intrusion prevention.

They aren't cheap though and the support contracts are kind of ridiculous. Also Sonicwall has some of the most annoying wireless products I've ever run across. Usually if the client needs wireless as well I just set them up with an Ubiquiti AP.

It is getting harder and harder to justify them though as broadband speeds keep increasing. Even the NSA220's have trouble with a fairly standard 50/5 business internet connection. Their TZ line is all but worthless these days.

I've usually seen problems with sonicwall routers, maybe I've just experienced the cheap ones. Basically they are not powerful enough to handle the anti-virus and slow the internet down to a crawl for the users, if they can get connected out at all. At one business I unfortunately don't have the authority to replace their brand new sonicwall, the internet connection grinds to a near halt for a few hours every day, where the previous simple linksys router ran the connection fast and reliably for everyone. It's a major disruption.

Other places have had the cheaper Zywall routers and the internet also would be spotty and randomly dropping connections until I go in and disable the anti-virus.