Conclusion:

I really wanted to love this product and had hoped that since it has been out for about a year most of the bugs would have been worked out of the app by now. Its not quite there. But I feel like it is really close and Bitdefender tech support seemed genuinely interested in helping me get these wrinkles ironed out and making the system better going forward.



I would like to see some features added in the future; like the ability to configure notifications on your phone. Currently the logo is always shown, I would prefer this only shows when there is a new notification that needs my attention. They indicated they would consider that for future releases. I would also like to see the ability to get external IP addresses for devices connecting to your network. The opening screen to the app provides a graph of traffic for the last 24 hours and below a list of what devices had what percentage of the traffic. Say for instance you see your NAS is the biggest user, but you know you haven't accessed it remotely or performed a backup, it would be nice to confirm what IP addresses have hit it so you can better determine if something is awry.

So let's review again what this BOX offers: you get all of your network devices protected regardless of the OS they use, you get VPN (Private Line) for your devices that travel, remote management of some devices, and if you want you can download and install Bitdefender products directly to your devices if applicable. I installed Bitdefender Total Security on one device just to test it out. With the current promotion to get the box for $99 with one year of protection, this seems like a great deal. A year of VPN service will at a minimum run you $50. And it only gets more cost effective if you have dozens of devices like I do on my network.

In the end, the Bitdefender BOX earns the Bigbruin.com "Great Idea" and "Good Value" awards!



Pros:

» Great idea and very cost effective solution to secure an unlimited number of devices.
» Bitdefender is well regarded in the security arena.
» Tech support is unusually helpful if you have issues.
» Ability to maintain previous static IP address is a huge plus.
» Ability to secure devices that can't be secured via traditional means.

Cons:

» Installation and app performance could be smoother.
» The occasionally slow notifications and app glitches make you wonder if you are fully protected.
» No official support for Kindle products.

Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.