Tempting, but I need to know more about the technical side of it. It seems heavily marketed toward oblivious consumers.. I want some detailed technical information which doesn't seem available, so I am inclined to preorder it so I can pick it apart for us. http://www.bitdefender.com/box/?icid=NA_box_homepage_banner This device seems to be bridging off of your existing wireless router, and diverting traffic with a static or possibly acting as an adhoc network? I really want some technical details, I wonder who we can contact to get here to answer some of the backend questions? Another thing, since I use ASUS Wireless Router w/TREND, imagine if I could actually pass traffic through Trend AND BitDefender? WIN. I need to find this out, especially if I can then pass it through Untangle as well without adding latency or loopback. Edit: Well it only supports 10/100 networks.. That's a huge fail right now. I'm moving up to 150/150 within 2 months already. I cannot believe they wouldn't release this with a Gbe NI. Absolutely remarkable oversight...
Support phone number on this page http://www.bitdefender.com/support/connect-bitdefender-box-to-your-router-1360.html
That link itself explains more. Bit Defender is acting as DHCP server, disabling DHCP on your home router, and likely working adhoc. Also the instructions for the Apple devices, seem to indicate Bit Defender can function with a bridge/transparent UTM, and is adjusting priority/distance to accommodate. I will call them over the weekend when I get time, now I am intrigued by this.
It's an extra layer which won't slow down your computer. Also, some users might use this Bitdefender thingy and just run MSE on the computers. There's definitely a market for this.
Nice idea to have a home UTM with the bit defender engine but the speed limited port and the yearly subscription puts me off it. I hope other companies release similar products soon so that we can get one at a better price with better spec and features.
$199 for the hardware + one year subscription seems steep, but once "Box" is available the street price may be lower. As for the ongoing subscription it's not clear if this is only for the Box or if it includes client protection? If you also get to load Bitdefender on the networked clients that would make it a very affordable solution.
Good questions, and we need answers. Price wise, the box is antiquated out of the gate.. I am not sure why they didn't bundle it with better hardware, and a Gbe network card.. 10/100? Really? Give me a break. $199 isn't bad, most UTM subscriptions are much more, especially since this covers 'all' of your devices. Unfortunately Bit Defender isn't answering my direct technical inquiries. Right now, ASUS router with Trend Micro UTM is a much better deal because that includes 'lifetime' Trend. You can get a super ridiculously powerful ASUS RT-AC87 for around $225ish street price, which includes the most powerful router in the world AND Trend UTM without a subscription. So Bit Defender needs to explain to us why they are using 10/100, and why it's a great deal?
This is dead in the water for me with only 10/100 support. I have either a 150/150 or 300/300 connection coming in within 90 days, far surpassing the capabilities of this. I know a lot of people on Comcast/Fios/Google that surpass this. It seems ignorant as hell to release a 10/100 product in 2015...
I would have to agree with you on this as well. You go out and buy the cheapest entry level netbook these days and even those come with Gigabit network cards. That is definitely saying something about the hardware within this Box. With the dated hardware similar to that of routers nearly 10 years ago, this seems to be priced higher then I could imagine. If they had put adequate hardware in this, it could have had some real potential for the consumer market and would have had the potential to generate more profit for Bitdefender in the long run.
I can't imagine $200 for that dated junk. Asus Rt-AC87 has quad cores, and plenty of ram, w/lifetime Trend, and is $250-$280 range. Granted 'Box' includes thin client AV's for desktops, but that's still pricey for dated hardware. VERY disappointing. Also, support seems hideous. I have tried 5 times to reach out to Bit Defender to discuss this device, and never heard back.. Good idea. Bad implementation.
I have a very different view on this. The device 10/100 speed only applies to the router functionality. If your just sticking it in front of an existing router, it doesn't have that limitation. To expect a high end router and the security features at that price point is asking a lot. Not to mention that street price might end up being a fair bit lower.
10/100 would restrict the lan to 100, when lans should be functioning at Gbe these days. My entire home is Cat6a, and I expect Gbe between devices with priority pipes. Remember, if the interface is 10/100, it means EVERYTHING passing through it would be stepped down to 10/100, so yes -- sticking it in front of a router effectively knocks your entire network down to 10/100.. It's simple logic - your entire network is only as fast as the slowest gear in your infrastructure (switch, modem, router, or otherwise). It's NOT that much more to put a 10/1000 into one of these, they saved a dollar or two a unit? That's lame. Also you can't do a modern security device like this without a Cavium, or effective processor. I think they cheaped out on the hardware, and it's going to kill the product. Based on the reviews so far, it appears our fears were warranted, it lacks performance. Also no GUI? Really? CONS Poor performance as stand-alone router. Difficult to differentiate devices in network browser. Couldn't deploy local antivirus protection in testing. No Web interface.
Yeah, I noted that. it wasn't clear what was meant by "poor performance as a standalone router". I am interested to know more about how it will integrate into an existing LAN with a wifi router. Will it install between the modem and the wifi router and be fully functional? - it's not clear. I can't find any diagrams showing component configuration. I also can't find any updated info on when it will ship.
Vague isn't promising. ITUS was too vague, I cancelled my order, and rolled with Sophos UTM instead - which has been perfect. How hard is it to provide details on a network appliance?
I see no activity here (maybe there's another thread about Box?) Read comments here, read several reviews all mediocre, and many directed at too costly for what you get. I was all set to go with Sophos UTM, then got a notice BD Box device was free and subscription was $100 for the year, with a 30 day money back guarantee. I took the plunge. So far I like BD Box. I have an airport router, and an iphone so the setup was easy, and I get data about Box on my iphone, and BD has a webpage for managing the device, and for the $100 fee they also give you access to DL and install their 2016 av on your computer(s) win & mac no extra cost. My internet connection is 50 mbps and so far I'm not seeing slow down in internet traffic. Plus it does not interfere with av I have installed, eg Trendmicro on win10 laptop, nod32 on this clunker. So far I'm not finding any significant "cons" to complain about. I also expect that since they are giving the Box away right now, BD has something better coming soon, but until then, this seems ok. Plus I didn't really have a spare pc to use for Sophos UTM, or was too busy (or lazy) to go pick one up from a friend. Getting the BD Box for free seemed like a no-brainer (I've done dumber things...)