UPDATE: Part 3 – The Setup, Part 4 – Definitions and Rules, and Part 5 – SSL VPN are now available.
Now that we’ve discussed acquiring a Sophos UTM license and downloading the ISO, it’s time for the install.
This process is extremely straightforward assuming the hardware of choice is compatible. Should any questions arise, concerned users should reference the Hardware Compatibility List for Sophos UTM v9. My base machine will be a discarded Dell I picked up from a local high school. I’ve replaced the hard drive with a 500 GB Seagate. I also added in three additional gigabit NICs. They were recognized right away during the install, and I’ve had no issues in the short while that the UTM has been up and running.
Once the appropriate hardware has been acquired and set up and the ISO has been burned to a disc, the installation can begin. Boot up the machine, insert the installation disc, and reboot. Assuming the bios is correctly configured to allow for booting from external media, the following screen should appear:
(Note: All the screenshots within this post are from a VMware install, not a hardware install, but the process is the same)
Hitting enter will initiate the install and bring up the next screen. Selecting ‘Start’ will initiate the automatic hardware detection.
On my first installation attempt, this led to a hiccup in the process where not all of my cards were detected. I rebooted, selected ‘Support,’ backed out to the Introduction screen, and then clicked ‘Start’ which resulted in a clean installation. I’m not sure exactly what happened, so if anyone that happens to read this encounters the same problem, please feel free to share in the comments.
It’s not a bad idea to note the intended purpose for each NIC (ie: external WAN, internal LAN, wireless, etc). This can save some troubleshooting headaches later on in the set up phase. When the hardware detection is finished, a list of all will be displayed, so check to make sure there are no red flags or missing components.
Assuming everything checks out, the next two screens deal with keyboard layout and time zone. Users will then be asked to select a NIC through which to access the WebAdmin interface. I’ve chosen to use the NIC which interfaces with my internal network. Obviously, avoid using one that will connect to the WAN. Manually set the IP for the admin interface.
Finally, Sophos has included the option to only use OpenSource software packages. Going this route will leave only a basic installation of Linux on the other end of the install. In order to actually use Sophos UTM, all capabilities must be installed. The disc will be formatted and the installation will begin. The entire process should take less than fifteen minutes, depending on the hardware, of course. The following screen indicates that the installation has completed without any problems.
Note the IP and port (same IP as was set during the installation process). Reboot the system (make sure to remove the installation disc) and make sure the OS loads correctly:
At this point, the UTM is ready for configuration. That will be covered in the next post!
