Cisco Secure Firewall: Firepower 1010 Appliance with FTD Software, 8-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Ports, Up to 650 Mbps Throughput, 90-Day Limited Warranty (FPR1010-NGFW-K9)

Everything about it is amazing. Difficult to setup but worth it

This FTG software on the 1000 series or 1010 firewall is a complete mess. Cisco was not ready for this FTD NGFW 2 years ago and after buying one and configuring it - it is a complete mess. I have been doing ASA firewalls since they came out - used many and have set several 5500 firewalls with FTD and FMC and all the other options including ASA with ASDM. This firewall and the software is crap - Cisco will not help you because they can't - they don't even know - I spent hours on the hook to no avail except maybe later with a new release it will work properly. No, I sent it back.Too bad - Cisco used to be trustworthy and standup for their products - no longer.

Number one, go with the ASA software with ASDM user interface. The web based interface is clumsy and took me a long time to get comfortable with it. It’s response time is poor as well.The router performance slightly slightly exceeds that of my ASA-5506, but does not offer the performance improvement that I had expected. I’m not running any crazy access rules or doing any premium filtering … which leads me to……. the cost of premium services, like url filtering.This model kind of reminds me of the purchase of a laser printer. The printer is very expensive, but the cartridges quickly negate any savings in the hardware and cost you much more than the printer hardware.In a similar fashion, this Cisco device is feature rich, only if you are subscribing to all of the premium services. Just one of the annual subscriptions exceeds the cost of the security appliance itself. Carefully check the features you need and compare to what Cisco includes with this product. The “toner cartridges” are grossly over priced, making this product unsuitable for SMBs. They simply can’t afford it.The only other complaint is that it takes those device forever to boot up.

The Product seems to be well constructed. However, there was very little literature that accompanied the item on connections and set up. The Cisco Website was extremely confusing. The licensing and service was extremely difficult to setup. The request for a call back had a 2 week delay, and the Phone call was of a poor quality. I was fortunate in that I had an extremely helpful IT team at the Hospital, which aided me, even though they were confused at certain times. I would return this item if you cannot log onto the the device, and just purchase it again. It seems to be an excellent device, it is just that the Website and support are difficult to work with. Cisco Licensing is expensive, and the Web Videos are not for novices.

For it small size, the Cisco 1010 packs a lot of security features into this white box. A feature include malware protection, URL filtering, to great defense, and policy based ACLs

First, I have 30+ years in IT, mostly in security, network management and system administration. Retired now, I have a home network protected by a Cisco ASA-5505 firewall. Thinking that it would be a good idea to upgrade (the 5505 was End-Of-Life) I ordered a 1010 firewall. The first one was DOA. I sent it back and re-ordered (first mistake). The second one worked, but was delivered with firmware v6.4, while the current firmware was v7.25. I contacted Cisco, who said I needed to set up a Smart Account. I set that up using a personal email (second mistake). Cisco doesn't like personal email. So, I tried to change the email, but Cisco doesn't let you do that. So, I set up a separate Smart Account using an business email (third mistake). Now I had two accounts, and Cisco could not figure out which one to use. This was followed by opening two Service Requests (SR) requesting that they sort this out. This process took about 30 days and about 65 emails. At one point I had to hang up a telephone conversation with an "engineer" whose English was so bad as to be non-understandable.After 30+ frustrating days, they finally solved the Smart Account issue, and I was told I was "good to go". I went to software.cisco.com to download the firmware, only to be greeted by a popup telling me that I needed a "support contract". I contacted Sales, who told me they only sell support contracts to businesses. If it was a personal installation, I would have to contract one of their sales partners. I called a Sales Partner, who said they would be happy to sell me add-ons, but could not arrange for a support contract.So, I've had the the 1010 for about 40 days, and it's only function to date has been to heat my office. My recommendation is to avoid Cisco like a rat carrying the black plague. They care NOTHING about customer service or facilitating your purchase. Sure, if you want to spend a few million dollars, they would probably fall all over you. But if you just want a SOHO installation, they are completely indifferent.Not sure yet what I will finally do. I'm looking into Fortinet and maybe some other firewall providers. I'm going to continue to try to get the current firmware, an effort that makes cleaning the Augean stables a walk in the park. In the meantime, my recommendation is "STAY FAR, FAR AWAY FROM CISCO".

I have used Cisco products in the past and being familiar with the older ASA platform decided to give the new FP firewall a try. Seems like a decent enough firewall, however if you need remote access VPN, DO NOT BUY THIS FIREWALL unless you are prepared to drop a bundle of cash on AnyConnect licenses. The base license provides ZERO, None, Nada, RA VPNs. Cisco has always had a reputation for high license costs, and AnyConnect Plus is no exception. The minimum license count you can buy is 25, at nearly twice the cost of the firewall for a perpetual license (plus you need a support agreement), so if you only need one or two RA VPNS, that is a very high cost per seat. I returned this Firewall and went with a Fortinet FortiGate, which does include a few RA VPNs in the base license, but it looks like I will lose $100 in the transaction. Cost of a lesson learned I guess.