Cisco 3105 Network Security/Firewall Appliance

The Cisco Secure Firewall 3100 Series represents Cisco’s mid-range security line built to protect evolving networks with practicality and performance. The Cisco 3105 model is designed to support hybrid work environments and zero trust architectures, delivering robust threat prevention while preserving a strong return on investment for growing organizations. This firewall appliance combines advanced security features, flexible deployment options, and centralized management to safeguard users, devices, and data across on-premises data centers, branch offices, and cloud-connected environments.

• Advanced threat prevention for today’s network: The 3105 offers a comprehensive suite of protections, including a stateful firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), malware protection, and URL filtering. It’s designed to block known and emerging threats at the network edge, reducing the risk of breaches and malware infiltration before they reach endpoints or sensitive assets.
• Zero Trust and identity-aware security: Built to enforce least-privilege access, the 3105 inspects traffic across multiple segments and continuously validates trust for users and devices—whether they’re in the office, at a branch, or remote—so security follows the user, not just the location.
• Hybrid work readiness with secure connectivity: This appliance supports secure remote access and site-to-site VPN, enabling employees to work securely from anywhere while maintaining policy-driven control, encryption, and granular access to applications and resources.
• Scalable performance for growing networks: Optimized for mid-sized enterprises and growing branches, the 3105 handles increasing sessions, concurrent connections, and complex policy sets with predictable latency and reliable uptime as your network footprint expands.
• Centralized visibility and streamlined management: Integrates with Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center and the broader Cisco security portfolio to deliver unified policy creation, threat intelligence, analytics, and simplified operations across multiple devices and locations.

Technical Details of Cisco 3105 Network Security/Firewall Appliance

• Product family: Cisco Secure Firewall 3100 Series
• Model: Cisco 3105
• Form factor: Rack-mountable security appliance designed for compact data center and branch deployments
• Security features: Stateful firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), malware protection and optional sandboxing, URL filtering, DNS security, application visibility and control, VPN support (site-to-site and remote access), encrypted management, and zero trust-ready policy enforcement
• Networking: Flexible Ethernet interface options with support for segmentation, VLANs, QoS, and scalable routing features to suit diverse network topologies
• Management and orchestration: Centralized policy management through Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center; integrated threat intelligence feeds, real-time dashboards, and audit-friendly logging for compliance
• Licensing and updates: Licenses cover core firewall and threat prevention capabilities with optional add-ons for enhanced threat protection and VPN features; regular firmware updates provide new protections and performance improvements
• Deployment and reliability: Designed for high availability with potential redundancy options and resilient hardware features to minimize downtime during maintenance or failure scenarios
• Security posture alignment: Supports zero trust deployment patterns and segmentation strategies to minimize lateral movement and contain breaches
• Environment and compliance: Built to meet enterprise-grade security standards and integrate with Cisco security analytics tools for ongoing governance and risk assessment

how to install Cisco 3105 Network Security/Firewall Appliance

Installing the Cisco 3105 is designed to be straightforward for trained network professionals. Begin by confirming your required licenses, securing power and network connectivity, and preparing the network topology that will support zones such as internal trusted networks, DMZ, and external WAN connections. Place the appliance in a suitable rack location with adequate airflow and connect it to power and network segments according to your design.

Power on the device and establish initial access using a dedicated management workstation on the same management network. Access the built-in setup wizard or use Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center for a centralized deployment. Authenticate with the initial administrator credentials and proceed to activate licenses, update the firmware to the latest stable release, and apply recommended security baselines.

Core configuration steps typically include creating security zones and interfaces, defining firewall policies that enforce traffic control between zones, enabling IPS and other threat prevention features, and configuring VPN gateways for remote access or site-to-site connectivity. Implement zero trust principles by tying policies to user identities and device posture, ensuring access is granted only to the resources appropriate to each user or device.

With policies in place, set up logging, monitoring, and alerts to capture security events and performance metrics. Regularly review dashboards in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center to refine rules, optimize threat protection, and verify that configurations align with your security and compliance requirements. For environments that extend into the cloud, consider integrating with Cisco Secure Cloud Analytics or related services to extend visibility and control across on-premises and cloud resources.

Ongoing maintenance includes applying firmware updates, refreshing threat intelligence feeds, performing routine backups of configuration data, and validating high-availability configurations if you’ve deployed redundant hardware or automatic failover. Training for security staff and periodic tabletop exercises can help your team maintain readiness and ensure that policies stay effective as your network evolves.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the Cisco 3105 best used for? The Cisco 3105 is ideal for mid-sized enterprises and branch offices that require robust firewall protection, zero-trust capabilities, and flexible VPN options while maintaining manageable complexity and cost. It is well-suited for protecting hybrid networks that span on-premises resources and cloud-based services.
• Which licenses are required? Core firewall and threat prevention features come with base licensing, with optional add-ons for advanced threat protection, expanded VPN capabilities, and cloud-based threat intelligence. Licensing details depend on the deployment footprint and Cisco agreements.
• Can it support zero trust architecture? Yes. The 3105 supports zero trust through identity-aware policies, segmenting resources, and continuous verification of users and devices, enabling least-privilege access across on-site and remote environments.
• Is remote access VPN supported? Yes. The appliance provides secure remote access VPN and site-to-site VPN, delivering encrypted tunnels and policy-driven access control for remote workers and partner sites.
• How do I start deployment? Begin with a network assessment, define security zones, ensure licenses are in place, and use Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center or the built‑in setup wizard to configure policies, VPNs, and monitoring. Regular software updates are recommended to maintain protection.
• What kind of support and resources are available? Cisco offers comprehensive documentation, technical support, and community resources. Your reseller or Cisco account team can assist with deployment planning, licensing, and migrations from legacy firewall platforms.