Cisco SR520 Review and Configuration for in front of a UC520

So I took the SR520 I've had out of the box it has been in for a couple of weeks and started to play with it.  My reason for getting it was

#1 to add a new toy to my lab and

#2 To setup an SSL VPN since that feature is not supported on the UC520.

So here is the topology I accomplished.

 

I have a SR520 connected to the Internet, with a UC520 and a 3560 POE switch behind it.

The first thing I found when opening the box was that it was typical Cisco.  No quick start guide or real documentation of any type.  The UC500 at least came with a CD with a quick start guide on it.  Note to Cisco - SMB folks like instructions or even piece of paper with where to find them would be nice.

Was I concerned that I couldn't find any instructions in the box?  Heck no.  I've always been one to play first, break it and find the instructions later.

SO I played around a bit, found a configuration guide online. reset it back to the factory defaults and got it working.  For those of you wondering what configuration guide, the SR520 configuration guide happens to be the CCA1.8 configuration guide.  That makes sense right?  Here is a link. It actually is pretty good as far as getting basic connectivity up. http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/net_mgmt/cisco_configuration_assistant/version1_8/quick/guide/English/UC500SR500.html

I understand it is a new product.  It took a while for UC500 documentation to be put up as well.

Below are my highlights from the CCA Guide.

The SR520 is preconfigured with a IP address of 192.168.75.1 and if you are placing it in front of your UC520 put a static ip of 192.168.75.2 on the WAN interface.  NAT is preconfigured for SIP to send these packets to the UC520 at that IP if you use an out of the box config.

Default sr520 login: cisco

default password for the SR520: cisco

CCA1.8 enhancements for the SR520

Once you have basic connectivity up for the SR520 and your UC520 I reccomend you create a community.  This way you can manage both devices from one instance of CCA.

Once you open up your SR520 in CCA you will see SSL VPN configuration now available as a new feature.

I checked out Firewall and DMZ features and sadly they are exactly the same as the UC520.  From the commandl ine you have the very robust Cisco security feature set, but not nearly that power from this GUI.

Since the SR in SR500 stands for Security Router and this is a product aimed at Small and Medium Businesses, I expected more from the GUI as far as Ease of advanced security feature setup.

Cisco has a much better GUI in the SDM that is available for the ISR routers.  That feature set in a GUI should be incorporated here.

The GUI for the SSL VPN is more feature filled. 

I think Cisco has done a nice job here. 

I've put a couple of screen shots below.

To summarize my thoughts on the SR520 . . .

It is a nice, very powerful little router for the SMB, How much you enjoy installing it will depend on how comfortable you are at the command line ( shopuld you need to do advanced security configuration). If you have Cisco experience I think you will like it but will miss being able to use SDM( If you like SDM).