Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides answers to the most commonly asked product questions. Select your product below in order to jump to that section:

Where can I download Astaro Software and manage my licenses?
All Astaro software and the license management area can be found in MyAstaro.

Which hardware platforms can be used with the Astaro Security Gateway software solution?
Users are able to use any Intel-compatible server or PC that meets the following minimum recommendations: Intel Pentium III 900 MHz, 512MB RAM, 10 GB hard disk drive and above.

Are printers counted as a user with Astaro Security Gateway software licences?
Yes. Every device which has an IP address and is protected by the Astaro Security Gateway is counted as a “user”.

Which services/modules get load-balanced in a HA/Cluster?
The following modules/applications are load balanced:

• Network Security: IPSec VPNs, Intrusion Protection
• Web Security: Antivirus for HTTP and FTP , URL Filtering
• Mail Security: Antivirus for SMTP and POP3, Antispam for SMTP and POP3

Packet Filtering and Email Encryption are not load balanced.

Is it possible to mix Astaro Security Gateway appliance types in clusters?
Although technically feasible, we do not recommend using different appliance types within a cluster. This is because the lowest performing unit will limit the overall throughput of the whole cluster.

Is it possible to apply an Astaro Security Gateway hardware license on Astaro Security Gateway software and vice versa?
No. Astaro’s hardware and software products use different licensing models and are not interchangeable.

Will the Astaro Security Gateway continue to function when the maintenance has expired?
Yes. As long as your subscriptions have not expired, the security applications will continue to function. However, they will not receive any pattern updates and will be therefore vulnerable to new threats within days.

Why does Active-Active High Availability need subscription licensing as opposed to Active-Passive High Availability?
With Active-Active High Availability, you are able to concurrently use your subscription services on all appliances in contrast to Active-Passive High Availability. You therefore require an active license for each subscription and unit.

Is it possible to upgrade from a small hardware appliance to a larger appliance?
No. There is no standard upgrade path for hardware appliances. However, you are able to easily increase the performance of your hardware appliance by adding another similar unit and running both as a cluster. You are able to cluster up to a maximum of 10 units.

Is there a home use license available and how do I get one?
Home use licenses are available via MyAstaro and include all subscriptions at no cost. Home user licenses are limited to ten users/IP addresses.

Do I need the Email Filtering module if I would like to have Email Encryption?
No. The Email Encryption module can be used independently from other subscriptions.

Which virus scan engines are available in Astaro Security Gateway?
Astaro Security Gateway uses open source as well as commercial virus scan engines. Although the virus scan engines work concurrently, they are completely independent from each other and therefore offer protection rates not found in any other UTM solution.

Which operating systems/network systems does Astaro work with?
Astaro Security Gateway interoperates with all network, server and client systems that might be connected via standard Ethernet interfaces.

Is the performance of hardware appliances sufficient for complete protection?
Astaro’s hardware appliances are based on sophisticated Intel-compatible network systems, providing complete protection for the number of users recommended.

Can the Astaro Security Gateway 110 be upgraded to an Astaro Security Gateway 120 appliance?
No. There is no standard upgrade path for hardware appliances. Please contact your certified Astaro partner for individual promotions.

Are system updates automatically downloaded and imported?
Yes. In contrast to many other solutions, Astaro Security Gateway is able to automatically download and import not only pattern but also firmware updates.

Is it more worthwhile to invest in hardware appliances rather than software?
When it comes to installation simplicity, repair services and optimal hardware design, hardware appliances offer many advantages in contrast to software. However software appliances might be a better alternative if you would like to use a preferred hardware option.

How do I find the right sized ASG model for my company?
Your certified Astaro partner will be able to provide you with detailed sizing guidelines.

Does the ASG offer a router function or do I need an additional router?
Astaro Security Gateway offers comprehensive router functionality including dynamic routing protocols such as OSPF, hence avoiding the need for additional routers in most cases.

What do I need a Proxy for?
The Proxy is able to completely decode and re-encode each packet sent from a sender to a receiver. They are able to not only scan the complete packet, but also replace or change any header information (like IP addresses) or any part of the content, hence allowing the extraction of malicious components only.

Can administrator roles have different user rights?
Astaro Security Gateway currently offers two administrator roles with different rights: the standard administrator with unlimited rights and the auditor with read-only rights for certain components and reports.

What does the 90 day warranty include?
Starting with the activation of the license key, the customer receives 90 days of software warranty. During this period, customers can use Astaro software services and web-based technical installation support free of charge.

Why is maintenance so important and why shouldn’t products be sold without them?
Astaro maintenance services not only offer valuable technical support, but also instant hardware replacement services. Pattern and software updates are also included, which are a pre-requisite for protecting your network against the latest types of threats.

With Email Encryption, can users employ S/MIME and OpenPGP simultaneously?
No. If you configure both S/MIME and OpenPGP for an individual user, emails sent by this user will be signed and encrypted using S/MIME by default.

Can users change OEM or appliance licenses into software licenses or use with other machines?
Please contact your certified Astaro Partner or reseller for more information on licenses exchanges.

Is it possible to mix Astaro Security Gateways and Astaro Web Gateways in a single network?
As an elaborated Unified Threat Management product, Astaro Security Gateway will satisfy the requirements of most network environments. To meet special performance and security requirements, however, it is possible to mix both the Astaro Web Gateway and Astaro Security Gateway in a network.

Is it possible to upgrade from an Astaro Web Gateway to an Astaro Security Gateway?
No. Astaro Web Gateway is designed as a web security product and cannot be upgraded to the Unified Threat Management functionality of Astaro Security Gateway.

Are there additional modules or subscriptions available for Astaro Web Gateway?
Astaro Web Gateway is designed as a web security product and comes with a special web subscription. Further subscriptions or options are not available.

Is it possible to apply an Astaro Web Gateway hardware license on a Astaro Web Gateway virtual appliance and vice versa?
No. Astaro’s hardware and software products use different licensing models. They are not interchangeable.

Will the Astaro Web Gateway continue to function when the maintenance has expired?
Yes. As long as your subscriptions have not expired, the security applications will continue to function. However, they will not receive any pattern updates and will therefore be vulnerable to new threats within days.

Is it possible to upgrade from a small hardware appliance to a larger appliance?
No. There is no standard upgrade path for hardware appliances. However, you are able to easily increase the performance of your hardware appliance by adding another similar unit and running both as a cluster. You are able to cluster up to a maximum of 10 units.

Is there a home user license available for Astaro Web Gateway?
No. The Astaro Security Gateway home user license contains the web security features found in Astaro Web Gateway. Astaro Security Gateway home use licenses are available via MyAstaro.

When should I use Astaro Web Gateway?
Astaro Web Gateway is designed for customers who would like to keep their existing firewall solutions and require comprehensive web security and a high performance solution.

Does Astaro Web Gateway support Astaro Report Manager?
At this time, Astaro Web Gateway does not support Astaro Report Manager.

How much does Astaro Command Center cost?
Astaro Command Center is free of charge and can be downloaded via MyAstaro.

How many appliances can be managed by Astaro Command Center?
With Astaro Command Center, you can manage up to several hundred devices distributed within a global company network.

Can Astaro Security Gateway hardware, software and virtual appliances be managed by Astaro Command Center?
Yes. All types of Astaro Security Gateway appliances can be managed by Astaro Command Center.

How does Astaro Command Center alert about threats?
Astaro Command Center offers various views for alerting about threats, including the high level dashboard as well as detailed list views.

Is it possible to use Astaro Report Manager with products from other manufacturers and how much does it cost?
Astaro Report Manager does support many third party products. Price for a one-time license start at 795 Dollar.

What is a system identifier and when do I need one?
A system identifier includes unique system information like hardware components, MAC addresses and others, used to unambiguously identify the Astaro Report Manager server. It is needed for generating a licence key for that specific system.

Are there licensing fees for the SSL VPN Client?
No. The SSL VPN client is delivered free of charge with every Astaro Security Gateway appliance.

How many concurrent SSL VPN tunnels can be established?
For Astaro Security Gateway software, the number of concurrent SSL VPN tunnels is limited by the number of licensed users. For Astaro Security Gateway hardware, the limit is not set by license (except for the ASG110 model) but rather through the performance of the appliance model. Please contact your certified Astaro partner for more information.

Are VPN connections also counted as users?
Yes. Each protected device, either connected directly or via a VPN tunnel to the gateway, is counted as a user.

Does Astaro Secure Client also support WLAN and UMTS?
Yes. The Astaro Secure Client supports a broad range of WLAN and UMTS devices and allows monitoring and configuration of many devices directly from within the client GUI.

Are VPN connections restricted within the license size?
For VPN connections, the same restrictions apply as for any other users/IP addresses used with ASG software appliances.

Where can I find more general and technical information?
More technical information can be found via the following resources:

• Astaro Knowledgebase: http://www.astaro.com/kb
• Astaro Up2Date Blog: http://up2date.astaro.com

Further collateral and all Astaro software downloads can be found in MyAstaro.

Is there an online demo available?
Yes. We currently have an online demos available for Astaro Security Gateway and Astaro Command Center:

Where can I find sales documentation such as presentations, price lists, competitive analysis etc?
This information is available through your certified Astaro partner