Equiinet aims to solve a range of small business problems using network appliances, delivered pre-configured to perform a specific task. SentryPilot is its network security solution, designed to add anti-virus, anti-spam and content filtering tools in one fell swoop.

SentryPilot is actually a small, Linux-based server, but that isn't a major concern as it can be used on any network no matter what the software involved. Moreover, setup and management is all done remotely via a browser, so you never have to go near a Linux command line. Neither should you have to worry about the hardware, although for those who like to know these things what you get is an Intel-based server with a gigabyte of memory and an 80GB hard disk.

A parallel port is provided to add a shared network printer, if you want, and there's a pair of 10/100Mbps Ethernet interfaces enabling the SentryPilot to be used as an Internet gateway. However, if you're already connected all that's required is a cable from one of these to a free port on the LAN. It's then just a matter of powering up the appliance, a process which takes just over a minute, and connecting to it using a networked PC. A wizard is provided to guide newcomers through the initial setup with menu-based tools for more detailed management.

We were expecting the usual open source tools, included with all Linux distributions, to be employed here, but that's not actually the case. Instead developer Equiinet has opted for better-known commercial products on SentryPilot, starting with the popular Sophos anti-virus package.

This can be used to scan incoming e-mail traffic and also stop viruses being downloaded by users browsing the Web. To this end the appliance acts as a proxy server to intercept Web traffic while, on the e-mail front, it can be used with any local or Web-hosted SMTP server, including Microsoft Exchange. Updates to the virus definitions and the software itself can be pulled down from the Sophos Web site (up to every hour for the really paranoid) and suspect files quarantined and/or deleted as required.

Alongside the Sophos anti-virus protection, two spam filtering tools are also provided. The first of these, SpamCop, blocks messages from known "dodgy" addresses while the other, Spam Assessment, is a little more cunning. This tool looks at message content and ranks it against a set of known spam characteristics. Messages with a high score can then be deleted at the server or marked as spam to be dealt with by rules created by users themselves.

Lastly, content filtering is done using the respected N2H2 software which maintains a huge database of categorised sites. Users can be assigned to groups to determine the categories they are allowed to view when surfing the Web, with time-based controls for both Web and e-mail access also available (so you can restrict browsing to lunch hours, for example).

SentryPilot can be up and running in under an hour, while alternative tools typically take a lot longer. The alternatives tend also to be a lot harder to manage. Price-wise it seems a little expensive but bear in mind that you don't need any extra hardware and can protect up to 100 users with SentryPilot. The price also includes updates for all of the supplied tools for a year. Additional cover is priced at £1,500 plus VAT per year or £3,000 for three years.

SentryPilot combines popular anti-virus, anti-spam and web filtering tools in one easy to deploy appliance, addressing the major security concerns of the small business in one hit. It seems pricey but you get effective, branded tools and regular updates for the whole LAN, and it compares well with alternative solutions on functionality, ease of use and cost fronts.