SonicWall NSa Reviews

Name: SonicWall NSa
Brand: SonicWall
Rating: 3.9 (87 reviews)

3.9 out of 5

87 reviews
88% willing to recommend

1,049 followers

What is SonicWall NSa?

SonicWall NSa dispenses advanced threat protection using a high-performance security platform. The NSa series implements intuitive deep learning technologies in the SonicWall Capture Cloud Platform to dispatch the automated real-time threat detection and deterrence enterprise organizations need today. SonicWall Network Security appliance (NSa) series is best for mid-sized organizations to distributed enterprises and data centers.

SonicWall NSa series next-generation firewalls (NFGWS) combine two very robust security ideologies to deliver advanced threat protection to keep users’ networks safe. Boosting SonicWall’s multi-engine advanced threat protection (ATP) is their Real-time Deep Memory Inspection (RTDMI™). The RTDMI intuitively identifies and stops aggressive zero-day threats and vicious malware by investigating memory directly. This real-time process allows SonicWall RTDMI to be accurate, lessen false positives and discover and alleviate malicious threats and attacks. SonicWall’s single-pass Reassembly-Free Deep Packet Inspection (RFDPI) will audit every byte of each and every packet by investigating both outbound and inbound traffic on the firewall. By combining the SonicWall Capture Cloud Platform along with on-box offerings such as intrusion prevention, web/URL filtering, and anti-malware, the NSa series is able to block the most malicious and dangerous threats at the gateway.

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SonicWall NSa is the #18 ranked solution in best firewalls. PeerSpot users give SonicWall NSa an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. SonicWall NSa is most commonly compared to Fortinet FortiGate: SonicWall NSa vs Fortinet FortiGate. SonicWall NSa is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 42% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 15% of all views.

Helped 839,422 peers since 2012

Featured SonicWall NSa reviews

Vijay Mohan

Senior Manager INFOSEC AND Risk ASSESSMENT Engineering at Atlas Systems

The centralized console is great for managing multiple branches. It's a very simple console to connect all three of our branches in the US and India. We connect through three firewalls in a single console and manage any policy. So, if we need to change a policy, the global admin can connect from anywhere and easily make changes. Log usage is also very easy. The threat prevention capabilities are very good. Preventing the latest threats is very easy. You can define rules, and it automatically alerts you. For example, if there's a sudden increase in malicious spam, it will notify you immediately.

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Constantnos Achilleos

Product manger at Asbis Mediteranean

I primarily use SonicWall NSA as a next-generation firewall for network security architecture. It is especially used for securing business operations with networks of more than 250 people SonicWall NSA's most valuable features are its SD-WAN and a system RTBI that blocks all attacks. These…

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MohammedMateen

Network Administrator at Transgulf Readymix

An area for improvement in SonicWall NSa is that sometimes, we experience bugs when upgrading, so we have to contact their technical support to fix issues. It would be much easier if this improvement was in place: if the one-time password which is built-in, was provided as an OTP for the administrator logging into the console, so that we'll have a quicker awareness of it, rather than needing to check emails for it. Having a Telegram or WhatsApp bot integrated with the device, for example, will be very helpful for us, so we can instantly take action, without us needing to log into and check our emails, meaning we'll be able to put things right faster. This may not be possible in SonicWall NSa, but I'm also looking for any kind of controller or device for the Windows server or client, e.g. Windows 11 and Windows 10 from SonicWall NSa itself, so that a security domain or the gateway of the organization would be able to identify the latest update for a product, whether that product is installed or not. This feature would be very helpful, and it's what I'd like to see in the next release.

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SonicWall NSa mindshare

As of March 2025, the mindshare of SonicWall NSa in the Firewalls category stands at 1.7%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

PeerAnalyst reports based on SonicWall NSa reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Firewalls	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	SonicWall NSa vs Netgate pfSense	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	SonicWall NSa vs Fortinet FortiGate	Mar 4, 2025	Download
Comparison	SonicWall NSa vs OPNsense	Mar 4, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Fortinet FortiGate	4.2	20.8%	90%	318 interviews Add to research
Netgate pfSense	4.3	15.2%	94%	214 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

SonicWall NSa is valued for its deep packet inspection, VPN capabilities, application control, user-friendly GUI, and robust security features. Users appreciate the intuitive setup, stability, and comprehensive threat protection. Content filtering, advanced threat protection, easy VLAN management, and strong integration capabilities enhance network security. Its Global Management System and cost efficiency further add to its appeal. Businesses favor its reliable performance, scalability, and effective monitoring tools.

"Using SonicWall NSA helps my company save approximately 20% of operational costs in the long run."
"I find SonicWall NSA's most valuable features to be SD-WAN and a system RTBI that blocks all attacks."
"When I switched from Fortinet to SonicWall, the number of network attacks significantly decreased."

Room for Improvement

SonicWall NSa's graphical interface is challenging and demands simplification. The binary settings file restricts easy modification. Monitoring tools are inefficient, often needing external solutions. VPN features are unreliable with licensing issues. Reporting lacks depth and integration with authentication services is absent. Support services, both technical and documentation, are inadequate, leading to frustration. Pricing is high, making it less appealing. Improved throughput and security capabilities are necessary to stay competitive in the market.

"There are some aspects of the dashboard configuration or customization that could be improved."
"It needs to be more monolithic, and more details in the analytical tools offered would be appreciated since it is not yet mature."
"It would be beneficial if they could enhance the analytics part."

ROI

SonicWall NSa yields substantial economic benefits, with more than 85% of users experiencing positive return over a short term. Many users transitioned from multiple SIM cards to fewer, significantly reducing costs. Prolonged use suggests strong cost-effectiveness. The substantial value claimed by users includes significant operational cost savings, estimated at around 20%, while enhancing business security and efficiency. This technology is widely perceived as worth its investment, with a notable reduction rate leading to good financial returns.

Pricing

SonicWall NSa is praised for its competitive pricing and cost-effectiveness compared to other vendors such as Palo Alto and Fortinet. Users appreciate the attractive initial and recurring maintenance costs, particularly for high-availability setups. Various licensing options are available, often requiring annual renewal. Though additional features and user VPN access incur extra fees, users find the pricing reasonable for the security and features provided. Many opt for multi-year licenses to maximize savings.

"NSa is not expensive, not high. It's at a moderate or medium level."
"The pricing is lower and better than other products."
"SonicWall NSa's pricing is subscription-based and I rate it a six out of ten."

Popular Use Cases

Users have employed SonicWall NSa primarily as a corporate firewall, ensuring network security and connectivity between sites. It offers advanced threat protection, perimeter security, and VPN capabilities, functioning as essential threat management in educational institutes, government sectors, and businesses. SonicWall NSa supports various uses, including IPsec tunnels, Anti Spam Service, and SSL VPN, while serving managed service providers and resellers as a reliable firewall choice for diverse customer needs.

Service and Support

Technical support for SonicWall NSa is generally good, with many users noting responsiveness and helpfulness. Some report long wait times and difficulty escalating issues, mainly due to Dell partner involvement. Call handling is efficient for critical events. Support ratings average around seven to eight out of ten. Users appreciate the knowledgeable staff and prompt resolution of most issues. While many find the support satisfactory, others encounter delays and suggest improvements in response times.

Deployment

Many users found SonicWall NSa's initial setup to be straightforward and user-friendly, often citing it as easy even for those with basic expertise. Some experienced slight complexity due to specific network requirements such as dual WAN and VPN configurations. Many noted the efficiency of available documentation and guidance tools. While setup is fast, typically requiring a few hours to a week, the degree of difficulty varies based on user experience and existing network complexity.

Scalability

SonicWall NSa is often considered scalable, with several indicating ease of expansion across multiple locations. Some point out limitations tied to hardware upgrades for increased performance. Capacity varies depending on the model, ranging from small to larger organizations. Opinions on scalability range widely, with some rating it highly for adaptability and others noting restrictions. Many users upgrade hardware or change models to meet growing demands, reflecting diverse experiences with scalability.

Stability

Users report SonicWall NSa as stable and reliable with minimal issues, although some experienced problems with firmware updates and connectivity. Frequent firmware improvements enhanced stability over time. While a few users noted spontaneous reboots or minor bugs requiring technical support, many others praised its reliability, smooth scaling, and efficient performance. Stability ratings often fall between seven and ten out of ten, reflecting consistent satisfaction with its robustness.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our SonicWall NSa Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Government

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

Real Estate/Law Firm

Construction Company

Healthcare Company

University

Non Profit

Media Company

Insurance Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Legal Firm

Outsourcing Company

Transportation Company

Performing Arts

Energy/Utilities Company

Hospitality Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Consumer Goods Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Logistics Company

Compare SonicWall NSa with alternative products

Learn more about SonicWall NSa

Additionally, SonicWall firewalls supply absolute protection by executing complete inspection and decryption of SSH and TLS/SSL encryption connections - no matter the port or protocol. The firewall takes a deep dive into each and every packet (the header and data) routing out any anomalies, zero-day intrusions, threats, and protocol non-compliance. Users can also define unique criteria specific to their organization to ensure their networks remain safe. This aggressive deep packet inspection is able to identify and block malicious attacks, stop dangerous malware downloads, prevent the spread of infections, and defeat command and control (C&C) communications and data exfiltration. Protocols involving inclusion and exclusion allow users complete control to decide, based on specific governance policies, organizational policies, or government or legal compliance, which traffic is to be investigated for decryption or inspection.

SonicWall Nsa offers enterprise organizations the network control and fluid flexibility they desire using an intrusion prevention system (IPS), VPN, real-time visualization, and other advanced powerful security features, making it a popular firewall solution in today's marketplace.

Reviews from Real Users

“The features that I have found most valuable are the firewalling, which is very good, and the GUI which is very intuitive. It is easy to use and provides great security.” - Network Engineer at a maritime company

“What's valuable in SonicWall NSa is the ATP (advanced threat protection). It can protect users from malicious links. SonicWall NSa also has a Sandboxing service that is very helpful for us, especially when end users accidentally click on malicious links. Another valuable feature of this solution is that it is very useful for site-to-site VPN connectivity issues. SonicWall NSa has very good hardware. I also love that SonicWall has very good technical support, who are very knowledgeable, provide good suggestions, and they're easy to reach.” - Mohammed M., Network Administrator at Transgulf Readymix

SonicWall NSa was previously known as NSA 250M, NSA 2600, NSA 3600, NSA 4600, NSA 5600, Dell SonicWALL NSA.

SonicWall NSa customers

Orange County Rescue Mission, First Source, Michaels & Taylor, Green Clinic Health System, Aspire Chiltern Skills and Enterprise Centre, UnitedStack, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, Celtic Manor Resort, Star Kay White, Air Works, Unimat Life, NHS Yorkshire and Humber Commissioning Support (YHCS), Hutt City Council, Mato Grosso do Sul, Nspyre