The R3000 is a superb product. The appliance was easy to set up, performed well, is well documented and is feature rich. Set-up is typical of more advanced appliances. Initial configuration is performed by connecting a keyboard and monitor to the appliance. From there a wizard guides the user through set-up. Once initial configuration is complete, policy development is quick and easy through the intuitive web interface.
Documentation is clear and walks the user through initial configuration in great detail. The user guide is an indexed PDF file and describes policy configuration, network settings and customization in an easy to read style complete with numerous screen shots and examples.Performance was excellent and included, in addition to URL and content filtering, spyware, phishing, instant messaging and peer-to-peer protection. The product can be used in conjunction with other products, such as the 8e6 Threat Analysis Reporter and the 8e6 Mobile Client. Additionally, there is the capability of archiving large amounts of information in the optional storage repository (the NEXSAN InfiniSAN).
The R3000 sports over 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, etc.), plus several others such as explicit art or comics. Also, there is a mobile client that you use with notebook computers. One of the more useful features of the product is its ability to lock a user out of the internet after some 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 expected resources. Users can obtain support by phone or email as well as on the website. The support site contains quite a bit more than we are used to seeing, however.
The pricing range for R3000 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. We found it to be an excellent value, and for its value, power and flexibility we rate the R3000 our Best Buy.
