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For the home user, the ISB Pro800turbo is overkill. As nice as it is, a $400 investment is still hefty and needs to be justified by providing benefits that a home user simply cannot take advantage of. However, in that case, the ISB Pro800 lacking the second WAN port and costing $100 less is certainly something to look into. In case there are no more than four PCs including internet appliances connected to it there are even less expensive devices available including simple standalone firewalls that can be used to shield eixsting networks. Keep in mind, here, that the performance increase in internet connectivity is huge and that the gain in overall webpage accessibility and decoding of scripts cannot be achieved by getting a faster PC, regardless of whether it is 500 MHz or 1 GHz increase in CPU speed if the firewall is the limiting factor. Granted, Windows XP has built-in firewall capabilities, however, I personally feel safer behind a dedictated device built for nothing but this exact purpose and when it comes to advanced security features like VPN, there are no further questions which is the better and safer solution.

The justification of a device like the ISB Pro800turbo is a completely different story if the switch is used in a small to medium corporate or business environment. The flexibility of the device and its capability to not only host 253 clients but also to supply the necessary access speed by means of buying a second cable or broadband connection are intriguing features offered only in devices about 3-4 times more expensive. Add the impressive speed of the firewall and a 5 years warranty and the ISB Pro800turbo kicks some serious ass. Further add the 10 licenses of Symantec RaptorMobile and the costs of the hardware falls through the cracks compared to the overall value you get.

All in all, the ISB Pro800 and the turbo are worth every cent of their purchase price provided they are placed in an environment that can take advantage of their features. On the other hand, you get a VW body with the suspension and equipment of a Porsche, even though the engine may be castrated but they still offer a huge amount of headroom. Even for less demanding environments, I would still suggest to look at the NexLand homepage, after all, some $10-50 more for the firewall may buy a substantial improvement in the internet connectivity without compromising security.

Another consideration here is the average life span of network devices. CPUs and mainboards are becoming almost archaic after 6 months and within a year they are usually obsolete. This "aging" issue does not apply for network components as long as they are good quality. As an example, the SMC BTD9332 Ethernet adapters I bought for some $50 about 4 years ago still go for roughly $70 if one can even find them. Regardless of whether I want to keep them or sell them, they would, after 4 years still rank at the top of their class, which is inconceivable for any CPU, mainboard graphics card or storage device. In other words, Network components are a long term investment, and that justifies spending a little more for better quality.

Bottomline, the ISB Pro800turbo almost makes me reconsider our policy of not giving Editor's Choice Awards.

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