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Technical Details
- SSL and IPsec VPN Services
- 8 port 10/100 switch with 2 Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports
- Memory: 512 MB; Maximum Firewall throughput (Mbps): 150 Mbps
- Packets Per Second (64 byte): 85,000
- Maximum 3DES/AES VPN Throughput: 100 Mbps
- SSL VPN User Sessions: 2 Bundled/25 Max
- Content Security (Anti-virus, Anti-Spyware, File Blocking): Not available
Product Details
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Product Description
The Cisco ASA 5505 Adaptive Security Appliance is a next-generation, full-featured security appliance for small business, branch office, and enterprise teleworker environments that delivers high-performance firewall, SSL and IPsec VPN, and rich networking services in a modular, "plug-and-play" appliance. Using the integrated Web-based Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager, the Cisco ASA 5505 can be rapidly deployed and easily managed, enabling businesses to minimize operations costs. The Cisco ASA 5505 features a flexible 8-port 10/100 Fast Ethernet switch, whose ports can be dynamically grouped to create up to three separate VLANs for home, business, and Internet traffic for improved network segmentation and security. The Cisco ASA 5505 provides two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports, enabling simplified deployment of Cisco IP phones with zero-touch secure voice over IP (VoIP) capabilities, and deployment of external wireless access points for extended network mobility. The Cisco ASA 5505 also provides significant expandability and investment protection through its modular design, similar to the rest of the Cisco ASA 5500 Series, offering both an external expansion slot and multiple USB ports that enable the addition of services in the future.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Pros:
* Very stable. Many home and even business grade Firewalls will occasionally start acting up and have to be rebooted, but the ASA is completely solid.
* 8 port switch w/ 2 PoE ports is great for things like IP Phones and Wireless Access Points.
* AnyConnect SSL VPN with 2 client licenses included is a great value. This lets me access my home network from work, despite them requiring a proxy server.
* Supports Spanning Tree and Rapid Spanning Tree, allowing you to build redundant uplinks to STP compatible switches.
* 256 MB RAM and 128 MB of flash is plenty of Memory for future software.
* Tons of VPN options - Straight IPSec, DMVPN, L2TP, SSL, AnyConnect, etc. The IPSec VPN is support on the iPhone, so it's pretty cool to be able to access my home network from my phone.
Cons:
* High learning curve, especially if you don't have previous experience with Cisco PIX or routers. Even using the Java-based ASDM, it can take a few hours of training to find your way. Also, ASDM is not compatible with the latest version of Java (you'll get an 'unconnected sockets' message).
* Only supports 1 internal VLAN with default license. This is fine for most setups, but disappointing since the Cisco routers will do at least 2 VLANs. It prevents, for example, having separate VLANs for voice and wireless, or creating a DMZ.
* No built-in Wireless option. Check out the 870 or 1800 routers if this is important. Adding a Wireless AP is easy though, especially with the PoE ports.
* No support for DHCP reservations. I like to configure Servers and Printers this way, and can't find any good reason Cisco wouldn't support it like they do on their routers and Layer 3 switches.
Summary - A great value as a SOHO Firewall and VPN Appliance. The ASA 5505 is priced the same as the PIX 501 was, but adds 2 PoE ports and SSL VPN Capabilities. The biggest drawbacks I can see are the high learning curve, no built-in Wireless, and lack of DHCP reservations. Before purchasing, you'll probably want to take a look at the 870 series routers since they may be a better choice depending on your requirements.
* Very stable. Many home and even business grade Firewalls will occasionally start acting up and have to be rebooted, but the ASA is completely solid.
* 8 port switch w/ 2 PoE ports is great for things like IP Phones and Wireless Access Points.
* AnyConnect SSL VPN with 2 client licenses included is a great value. This lets me access my home network from work, despite them requiring a proxy server.
* Supports Spanning Tree and Rapid Spanning Tree, allowing you to build redundant uplinks to STP compatible switches.
* 256 MB RAM and 128 MB of flash is plenty of Memory for future software.
* Tons of VPN options - Straight IPSec, DMVPN, L2TP, SSL, AnyConnect, etc. The IPSec VPN is support on the iPhone, so it's pretty cool to be able to access my home network from my phone.
Cons:
* High learning curve, especially if you don't have previous experience with Cisco PIX or routers. Even using the Java-based ASDM, it can take a few hours of training to find your way. Also, ASDM is not compatible with the latest version of Java (you'll get an 'unconnected sockets' message).
* Only supports 1 internal VLAN with default license. This is fine for most setups, but disappointing since the Cisco routers will do at least 2 VLANs. It prevents, for example, having separate VLANs for voice and wireless, or creating a DMZ.
* No built-in Wireless option. Check out the 870 or 1800 routers if this is important. Adding a Wireless AP is easy though, especially with the PoE ports.
* No support for DHCP reservations. I like to configure Servers and Printers this way, and can't find any good reason Cisco wouldn't support it like they do on their routers and Layer 3 switches.
Summary - A great value as a SOHO Firewall and VPN Appliance. The ASA 5505 is priced the same as the PIX 501 was, but adds 2 PoE ports and SSL VPN Capabilities. The biggest drawbacks I can see are the high learning curve, no built-in Wireless, and lack of DHCP reservations. Before purchasing, you'll probably want to take a look at the 870 series routers since they may be a better choice depending on your requirements.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
I'm using this device in my home network, replacing a Linksys WRT54G. It's great, and packs the functionality of 3 expensive pieces of gear into one box (fully-functional switch, low-end router and VPN concentrator/firewall.) The best next-level comparison would be something like the Cisco 891 integrated services router, which is about triple the cost. I thought I'd write this to balance out some of the very negative reviews and clear up some confusion.
PROS:
- Single-box solution that's a big step up from the Linksys devices
- 8 10/100 switchports, 2 with PoE in case you happen to have IP phones or switches that support that standard
- Supports a subset of routing features that other IOS-based Cisco routers use
- Tons of VPN options, allowing you to set up site-to-site or client-based connections to the network
- Basic config out of the box is extremely simple, and the unit ships with a sinple NAT-and-DHCP style setup tailored for use with broadband providers
- If you don't like the command line, Cisco ships a reasonably good Java-based GUI that also lets you pull statistics from the device
- Excellent throughput, solid performance so far. New models ship with 512 MB of flash to accomodate the new firmware and GUI packages.
CONS:
- Unless you purchase or have access to a maintenance contract (SMARTnet) from Cisco, you're not entitled to software upgrades or warranty support. Once you buy this from a reseller, you'll get access to the Cisco support site to get what you need. Same goes for hardware -- 90-day warranty without a contract, so make sure you unbox it and burn it in right away to sniff out DOA devices!
- Lacks a 1000BaseT port for the uplink - the Cisco 891 is the next step up that has this if you're lucky enough to have Metro Ethernet-level connectivity
- This Is Not A Linksys SOHO Router! Unless you're familiar with Cisco gear, the IOS command line and the way you configure a Cisco device, it can be a challenge to set anything up beyond the basics. The GUI is OK, and the CLI is not very hard to learn once you read the manual and get used to the way Cisco thinks w.r.t IOS configuation statements. Just don't expect plug-and-play the same way you would for a device you purchase from Best Buy, and spend a little time getting used to it.
- Many features are locked out via a software license. Cisco is very smart and sells the base device at a low price point. If you want full DMZ support (>2 fully connected VLANs) and VLAN trunking, you need to upgrade to the Security Plus license, which costs as much as the initial hardware investment. :-) The same applies if you want to increase the number of VPN users, the type of VPN clients supported, and other advanced features. Just keep this in mind if you want to have a DMZ accessible from both the inside and outside interfaces or have to funnel more than one VLAN over a single WAN link (think data/IP phones.)
TIP: For those who aren't familiar with the Cisco IOS or want a really quick-start configuration, I found a great guide that will (a) get you going, (b) illustrate the multi-layer configuration process for those unfamiliar with IOS, and (c) give you an idea of what the ASA's capabilities are: http://atc.go0se.com/?p=747
Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a more capable firewall and router for home, doesn't mind the lack of gigabit Ethernet, and is willing to invest the time needed to get it working properly.
PROS:
- Single-box solution that's a big step up from the Linksys devices
- 8 10/100 switchports, 2 with PoE in case you happen to have IP phones or switches that support that standard
- Supports a subset of routing features that other IOS-based Cisco routers use
- Tons of VPN options, allowing you to set up site-to-site or client-based connections to the network
- Basic config out of the box is extremely simple, and the unit ships with a sinple NAT-and-DHCP style setup tailored for use with broadband providers
- If you don't like the command line, Cisco ships a reasonably good Java-based GUI that also lets you pull statistics from the device
- Excellent throughput, solid performance so far. New models ship with 512 MB of flash to accomodate the new firmware and GUI packages.
CONS:
- Unless you purchase or have access to a maintenance contract (SMARTnet) from Cisco, you're not entitled to software upgrades or warranty support. Once you buy this from a reseller, you'll get access to the Cisco support site to get what you need. Same goes for hardware -- 90-day warranty without a contract, so make sure you unbox it and burn it in right away to sniff out DOA devices!
- Lacks a 1000BaseT port for the uplink - the Cisco 891 is the next step up that has this if you're lucky enough to have Metro Ethernet-level connectivity
- This Is Not A Linksys SOHO Router! Unless you're familiar with Cisco gear, the IOS command line and the way you configure a Cisco device, it can be a challenge to set anything up beyond the basics. The GUI is OK, and the CLI is not very hard to learn once you read the manual and get used to the way Cisco thinks w.r.t IOS configuation statements. Just don't expect plug-and-play the same way you would for a device you purchase from Best Buy, and spend a little time getting used to it.
- Many features are locked out via a software license. Cisco is very smart and sells the base device at a low price point. If you want full DMZ support (>2 fully connected VLANs) and VLAN trunking, you need to upgrade to the Security Plus license, which costs as much as the initial hardware investment. :-) The same applies if you want to increase the number of VPN users, the type of VPN clients supported, and other advanced features. Just keep this in mind if you want to have a DMZ accessible from both the inside and outside interfaces or have to funnel more than one VLAN over a single WAN link (think data/IP phones.)
TIP: For those who aren't familiar with the Cisco IOS or want a really quick-start configuration, I found a great guide that will (a) get you going, (b) illustrate the multi-layer configuration process for those unfamiliar with IOS, and (c) give you an idea of what the ASA's capabilities are: http://atc.go0se.com/?p=747
Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a more capable firewall and router for home, doesn't mind the lack of gigabit Ethernet, and is willing to invest the time needed to get it working properly.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I've used everything from ipchains on a bsd server, to sonicwall, to netscreen, to the ASA. The ASA is very powerful, and features a friendly intuitive interface for new users (ASDM).
The integrated switch and power-over-ethernet ports are a great bonus.
The integrated switch and power-over-ethernet ports are a great bonus.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
ASA 5505 one nice product but complex for most users.
PROS:
8 port switch w/ 2 PoE ports - for IP phones or POE Wireless Access Points.
10 IPSEC Connections already built in - don't have to buy additional licenses like... Read more
8 port switch w/ 2 PoE ports - for IP phones or POE Wireless Access Points.
10 IPSEC Connections already built in - don't have to buy additional licenses like... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jonathan M. Schwartz
All Seals Broken
I just received this product from Amazon. Upon inspection of the actual product package I noticed that all the original Cisco seals were broken. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Loo
Excellent hardware. Not for the faint of heart
I purchased this device after trying a number of consumer grade products over the years. Since this is NOT a wireless "router", I also added a separate wireless access point to... Read more
Published 8 months ago by John B Edwards Jr
Cisco provided the best customer service I've ever had!
I'm adding this review because I was very nervous about buying this product because somebody had previously commented that they received absolutely no customer service from Cisco. Read more
Published 8 months ago by DavidPaul Doyle
DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT FROM AMAZON
The product failed after only 8 months of operation.
Called Cisco. They refuse to support the product and will not even talk to the customer because it was purchased... Read more
Called Cisco. They refuse to support the product and will not even talk to the customer because it was purchased... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Lawrence Byng
Excellent Sercurity Appliance
I bought this ASA security device to setup as a VPN access point using RSA authetication. I was my first CISCO device and the device or firmware is very powerful. Read more
Published 18 months ago by cylon6
Excellent
Though the box is not for novices and it requires some network savvieness...it great. The default config out of the box works for the most part. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Nat
NO WARRANTY AND PRONE TO FAILURE!!!!!!!!!!
This is the second ASA 5505 I have had die on me. The first one powered on once and then promptly died. Read more
Published 19 months ago by enen
Great for small business
i don't think that there is a better security device, at this price, for a small business. This appliance is NOT for amateurs. Read more
Published 20 months ago by S. NEGRON
Maintenance Nightmare
At the time I order this product the currently released Cisco ASA version was 8.3 around June 2010. The product arrived with Cisco ASA version 7.2 installed which is quite old. Read more
Published 22 months ago by I.M. Opine
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