Noise level - XGS 107

Question

Hello, 
 I&rsquo;ve got a client with a very quiet office where we have installed an XGS 107. Even though it is in the closet, they can hear a whining noise from it that winds up every couple of seconds or so, and then down again. I can hear it as well. It is a very low volume, but penetrates somehow, if that makes sense. In a server room or behind a heavy door it probably would not be noticeable. 
 
 This is my first XGS unit so I don&rsquo;t know if this is normal. I do know that I never heard this sound from any of the XG units I have deployed. 
 my questions are; 
 
 had anybody else noticed this noise? 
 
 What is the likely source? I can&rsquo;t tell if it is a fan or HDD. I would suspect that any drive is solid state, which would leave just fan. 
 
 Is this normal? Might there be any settings I could tweak to reduce noise? Possibly need an enclosure of some sort to dampen the noise? 
 thanks.

PMParth · Accepted Answer

Hi everyone, 
 We have received individual reports of XGS 87 and 107 units on which the fan speed exceeds our approved benchmarks and so creates additional noise. 
 After further investigation, we have identified that this is an isolated issue which does not affect all customers with these models. Should you be experiencing louder than expected fan noise on your XGS 87(w) or XGS 107(w), please contact Sophos support. 
 As previously mentioned , some increase in noise is to be expected due to the addition of a fan on the entry-level desktop models allowing Sophos to achieve best in class price per protected Mbps for its customers via increased networking and security processing capabilities. Significant acoustic lab testing was conducted, on XGS desktop platforms at idle and low load conditions, and the noise levels were comparable to a laptop or PC. However, this issue has caused some irritation for some of you, and for that we apologize. 
 We have had excellent feedback on the new XGS Series so far and we take each and every issue raised here on the community very seriously. 
 The product team is happy to hear from you, should you have any questions or need further information. 
 Sincerely, 
 Sophos Firewall Product Team

PMParth · Answer

Hi everyone, 
 With the introduction of the new XGS Series hardware appliances, we added a dedicated network accelerator to the existing Xstream architecture for application acceleration. This new architecture includes a Network Processing Unit (NPU) in addition to the main CPU on every model and helps to achieve significantly improved performance over the XG/SG models. 
 Obviously, a platform with two processors requires changes to the thermal management of the appliance and this change is more noticeable of the lower end desktop devices. 
 Appliance with Fan vs. Fanless 
 
 As more heat is generated, it is no longer possible to have the fanless models we previously had in the entry-level Desktop units 
 A unit with a fan will always have a higher noise level that its fanless equivalent. 
 This would represent a noticeable difference for customers who have previously used other Sophos Desktop models &ndash; see below:

XGS 87 
 Noise level (avg.) (Typical / Max Operation)

31/40 dBA

XG 86 
 Noise level (avg.)

0 dBA (fanless)

Reported Issues Addressed During Early Access Program 
 On the first pre-production Desktop models, we had the occasional report of higher-than-expected noise levels. 
 This was addressed during the Early Access Program and the improvements made were: 
 
 changing to a better fan curve and effective BIOS configuration 
 
 Customers and partners testing the units confirmed that they were satisfied with the improvements made. 
 This is a normal part of the pre-production hardware testing and evaluation. 
 Design Considerations 
 In designing the hardware appliances, we reflected certain considerations to achieve the parameters we need, e.g., for future FIPS certification 
 
 FIPS 140-3 level 2 compliant devices require a specific build that makes the heat distribution more challenging 
 Fan selection is very carefully considered based upon quality and expected lifecycle criteria to achieve the required MTBF results for the intended use of the appliances 
 
 Best Practices for Desktop Firewall Deployment 
 When deploying your device in an office, retail or other environment, you should follow these best practices (see XGS 87/107 Operating Instructions for further detail): 
 
 The appliance should be either placed on a stable horizontal surface, can be mounted to a rack or you can hang it on the wall by using the optionally available rackmount kit. 
 A product with a metal chassis will be louder if placed on a metal surface which can cause additional vibration and so increase noise levels.
 
 Choose a surface which is more sound absorbent.

Deploy the device with the absorbent rubber feet provided. 
 The device should be placed in an area with sufficient ventilation and airflow to ensure optimal cooling, e.g., a ventilated closet. 
 Air vents on the appliance should not be obscured by placing them against the side /wall of a closet as that will restrict the airflow and cooling. 
 If placed in an area with poor ventilation or in a closed closet, the ambient operating temperature of the environment may be greater than the ambient temperature of the room, leading to an increase in the frequency of fan use. 
 It is best not to place the appliance on a desk directly next to employees 
 
 Pitch/Noise Quality 
 The quality of our hardware appliances and customer satisfaction are of the highest importance to us. 
 Whilst an increase in the noise level is to be expected on the XGS Series appliances vs. previous models, any reports of noise of an unexpected or irritating pitch will be further investigated as this is naturally undesirable, particularly in a Desktop unit.

Noise level - XGS 107

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