Juniper Networks 7-Port - 256MB Firewall Security Appliance (SSG-5-SH)

We ordered this device to establish VPN connectivity with one of our partners, but we didn't go through with that project and ended using this device as a router replacement, which turned out to be a nightmare to configure.

Didn’t work. Couldn’t reset. defective item.

The Juniper SSG 5 is, in many ways, an upgrade to the Juniper/Netscreen 5GT series. That is, it incorporates more RAM, more CPU and more ports - and is thus is capable of running the latest JuneOS flavors with very advanced deep-inspection capabilities. Other than having to ask my ISP to flush the ARP cache on the link, the device connected immediately and is performing very well. It is pretty common for ISPs to assume there will be one device, forever, connected to their line. So if you change devices (which can be any device, in this case a hardware firewall) you likely need to contact your ISP and get things sorted. At least that was my experience. FYI -they associate one MAC address with the assigned DHCP address, and it resides in the ARP cache on my DSL service DHCP servers. The firewall is end of life (EOL) but if you read carefully, it is supported until 2016. This means you can get an industrial-strength firewall, which supports anything you can imagine including VPNs, stateful inspection, content filtering, etc., for roughly half of list price. And as their MTBF is like 40 years, it is safe to say this is a steal if you seek a real firewall by an established, long-standing US company committed to enterprise security. This is no pseudo firewall, folks. Juniper is a major player in COs (telco Central Offices) and huge enterprises and goes toe to toe with Cisco. The wizard works fine, so simplistic set-up is possible assuming the ISP issue is not at play (see above). Else, the GUI is pretty easy to navigate but it is worth saying - this is not a device for a novice. You need to have a good understanding of the principles of firewalls or you will likely be frustrated. Again, for basic secure (NAT-based) firewall use, the "wizard" will get you running in no time. For digging in and getting all of the features into play you may need some help. Highly recommended due to the price/performance ratio.

Great router at a great price. Bought it for building VPN tunnels to AWS VPC. Worked right out of the box. So why not 5 stars? It suffers from a horrible UX/UI experience with the web GUI. Clumsy and hard to use. I just don't get why they don't spend more time on the interface. The real frustration came when I wanted to reset to factory defaults. Forget it you can't do it without a special console connector/cable which it does not come with. I get wanting to protect users from themselves but the reset process is ridiculous. I was never able to accomplish it..

Unit was in good working order as advertised. The unit has been is service for 2 days and I am very happy with the purchase. The firewall configuration had not been reset which could possibly cause security issues for the previous owner. Other than that I am very satisfied with the purchase.