Checkpoint Product Line

[bdabral]

Hello there,

I am new to checkpoint firewall and would like to know their product line. I have been working with Cyber Guard and fortinet but not so much on checkpoint (only Fw-1). My new job will involve fair amount of time working with these products hence if someone could briefly tell me thier product line will definately help me to understand the technology and distinguis from difference version/feature. As per my understanding Checkpoint products released in the following order, please help me to correct and add anything that i have missed. Thank you very much

Checkpoint VPN-1/FW-1
Checkpoint 2000? i have seen some doc mentioning about it! does it really exists? how is it different from FW-1?
Checkpoint fw-II? i have seen some doc mentioning about it! does it really exists? how is it different from FW-1 and NG?
Checkpoint FW-NG
Checkpint fw-NGX ..how is it different from NG.

Appreciate your valuable time in helping me

Regards,
Dabral

[Lackie]

CheckPoint VPN-1/FW-1 - This is the main name for all of the versions of their Firewall. There have been different versions in the past years. 4.0, 4.1, NG. Check Point 2000 I believe is another name for 4.1 as it was released around 2000. It is pretty out of date now although there are still a few people using is currently. NG was the newest version from 4.1. I belive it is also known as NG AI or FP1. IMO, this version was pretty buggy as it was a pretty big step from 4.1. They then released FP2 and then FP3. They increasingly got more stable with their newest versions and even moreso with the hotfixes for them. Check Point then changed the naming scheme again and released NG R54 and right after it, NG R55. R55 was pretty stable but they needed to keep on moving on to bigger and better things. The newest release is NG AI R60 or it's also called NGX. It's pretty close to R55 in appearance but from my understanding, the code is pretty different and there are a number of new advancements in features.

I have never heard of Checkpoint FW-II. Maybe you heard or meant FP2?

[bdabral]

Thank you Lackie, It greatly helped to confirm what i had deduced myself from the net. I guess the fw-II might be abbreviated by some meaning VPN-1/FireWall-1 Management II on certification.

Cheers
Dabral

[Sergej]

Here is my personal experience with Checkpoint products versioning:

4.0 == 4.0
2000 == 4.1 updates are available in form of ServicePacks 1-2 per year (available on UserCenter), HFA (Hot Fix Accumulators) (available only trough CSP Certified Support Provider) and Hot Fixes (available only trough CSP). Some minor functionality upgrades available via SP (e.g. VPN NAT traversal), HFA and HF.
NG == 5.0 hence instead of ServicePacks FeaturePacks came. Contains a lot of bug fixes and a lot of new features. HFA goes public. Now they are available from UserCenter. Original full ISO images of SPLAT and Windows versions of products gone from Usercenter (but still available by special requests on time limited FTP accounts from CSP or Checkpoint)
NG_FP1 == NG_R51 == Next Generation Feature Pack 1
NG_FP2 == NG_R52 == Next Generation Feature Pack 2 (SmartDefense feature set was introduced)
NG_FP3 == NG_R53 == Next Generation Feature Pack 3
NG_FP4 == NG_R54 == NG with Application Intelligence (R54)
NG_FP5 == NG_R55 == NG with Application Intelligence (R55)

FeaturePacks are available in form of additional packages (you can install it on the top of existing firewall) or in for of slipstreamed distributives (this is good for fresh installs)
NG_??? == NG_R55W - Special version with introduction of Web Security (but some other features limitations, e.g. absence of FloodGate/QoS support)
NG_CI == NG_R56 - Special version with introduction of integrated ContentIntelligence - integrated Computer Associates Antivirus (Response to FortiGate UTM Unified Threat Management/Mitigation appliance initiative)
NGX == 6.0 == NGX_R60 New long awaited release
NGX_R60A - special build wit support of NGX_CI (no support for windows on enforcement point) (good article http://secureknowledge.checkpoint.co....do?id=sk31337)

[Sergej]

Originally Posted by bdabral

Thank you Lackie, It greatly helped to confirm what i had deduced myself from the net. I guess the fw-II might be abbreviated by some meaning VPN-1/FireWall-1 Management II on certification.

Cheers
Dabral

fw-II can be related to old "VPN-1 Accelerator Card II" (VAC+ analogue in Cisco PIX) http://www.checkpoint.com/techsupport/news.html#vpn1ac2 http://www.checkpoint.com/press/2000...om.100300.html

[bdabral]

Thank you Sergej, appreciate your time. Its really a good and orderly info.
Cheers
Dabral

[chillyjim]

Originally Posted by Sergej

Here is my personal experience with Checkpoint products versioning:

[...]
NG_FP4 == NG_R54
NG_FP5 == NG_R55
[...]

R54/55 is more commonly know as NG AI (NG With Application Intelligence)

R55(R56?) CI == Check Point Express/CI

NXG starts at R60 and add a boat load of management features (many of which are hidden from the average end-user) on the SmartCenter (aka management server) side as well as firewall features.

R61 should be out before end of Q1, I believe the target is end of January, but don't quote me on that.

-jlh