AlphaShield X2 Professional Firewall

Examination:

With the minimal differences between the Home and Professional AlphaShield products, both do look exactly identical. On the front of the product are three LEDs for indicating inbound traffic, outbound traffic, and connection status. There is also two buttons for connecting and disconnecting the network. On the back of the device is the Cable/DSL port, auxiliary port, status switch, and PC port. There is also a connection for its 9V AC adapter. The Cable/DSL port is meant as the WAN interface for traffic, while the PC port is for the LAN. The auxiliary port on the AlphaShield is not protected by the hardware firewall, and is meant for dedicated devices that do not need security protection. Such devices could include VoIP products among others. The switch on the unit is for toggling between manual, auto, and lock modes. In manual mode, there is a logical disconnect timer for 15 minutes of inactivity, and in this mode the IP address will be retained. In automatic mode, there is no disconnection for inactivity. Lock mode is similar to manual mode, however, after 15 minutes, the IP address will be released.

Other features for the AlphaShield Firewall include AlphaGAP Technology, IP Stealth Technology, Real-time Packet Authorization, and Dynamic Configuration Technology.