We use Cisco IOS SSL VPN to connect to our servers. Our local IT team and vendors use the solution to connect to our servers.
Group IT Manager at Direct Remit Limited
A stable and easy-to-deploy solution that can be used to connect to servers
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable, and once we connect, we don't face any issues and can do our work."
- "Cisco IOS SSL VPN doesn't support the configuration of multiple VPNs."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable, and once we connect, we don't face any issues and can do our work. We also have integrated a multifactor authentication called Cisco Duo.
What needs improvement?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN doesn't support the configuration of multiple VPNs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco IOS SSL VPN for three years.
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Cisco IOS SSL VPN
December 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around five users are using Cisco IOS SSL VPN in our organization. The solution is extensively used as our vendors continuously use it on a daily basis. I use the solution when I'm outside the office.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The solution was deployed in our organization through an in-house team. Cisco IOS SSL VPN's deployment was quite fast. However, deploying Cisco Duo took some time because the vendor had to call us, and then we had to arrange to share the password on a phone call.
Initially, we received an email from the vendor mentioning the URL of our server. The domain and the port were mentioned, and then we had to allow that in our network. Once we allowed it in our network, we had to install Cisco's client. They had given us a link for downloading it. After downloading it, we had to deploy it on whichever PCs were responsible for connecting to the network.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment with Cisco IOS SSL VPN because it comes with a lot of security and networking bundled in one package.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN comes with a cost-effective subscription. For example, we got around 25 licenses with the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I am using the latest version of Cisco IOS SSL VPN.
A normal person with some networking knowledge can deploy and maintain Cisco IOS SSL VPN because it's not that complicated.
Cisco is one of the best solutions as far as routing and networking are concerned. Cisco still has some configurations to be done using the command line interface (CLI). That is a challenge if you are not familiar with CLI. The GUI interface is quite simple, and it's evolved from what it was earlier. It's good from the security point of view that you need to do those configurations using CLI.
Overall, I rate Cisco IOS SSL VPN an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
An excellent brand with good support
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco certainly has a really strong support team."
- "In addition to Cisco, we work with other solutions on behalf of our customers, such as Fortinet for FortiGate, but this latter solution can achieve the same results at a lower price."
What is our primary use case?
We use the latest version. Even with us using the latest version, the 40, Cisco FirePOWER, is the new generation for ASA, with a set up SSL VPN, as well.
What is most valuable?
We consider Cisco to be one of the best brands in the network. Many people appreciate the good service of Cisco and we make much use of its router switches.
As there are many people who work with Cisco, this translates into the availability of more engineers to lend support.
What needs improvement?
In addition to Cisco, we work with other solutions on behalf of our customers, such as Fortinet for FortiGate, but this latter solution can achieve the same results at a lower price.
FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license.
Other brands, such as Fortinet and even Juniper, do not charge a fee for the very good training they provide, but Cisco does.
Cisco should make itself available at a discount, if not for free.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco IOS SSL VPN for more than 10 years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are two types of VPN, one of which is SSL and is part of call remote access for users of laptops who wish to connect with the company network. This one is very popular.
The second we refer to as site-to-site VPN, which is used for connecting one seminar to another. It could involve the branch office connecting to the data center via the internet or one company connecting to another. This would require the setting up of an IP tunnel. We employ this widely, such as in a bank, or financial or government institution.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco certainly has a really strong support team.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are mainly talking about an enterprise level solution, so we do not do too much on the cloud, although I do make use of the new Palo Alto VPN cloud, also known as Prisma VPN.
What about the implementation team?
There are not too many people involved in the deployment and maintenance. For example, in my previous company in the bank, we had around 80,000 employees. We support six VPN boxes, each capable of supporting this number times 5,000.
At the time, not everyone was in need of a VPN but, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have doubled the capacities to accomodate more people.
As such, one can say that there are only a few people who comprise the support team, the number consisting of three or four. Not too many people are needed since it will not break easily.
We are talking about monitoring capacity and some regular maintenance, such as the OS upgrade. RMA is the prescribed response in the event of device failure. Not much is needed besides this and it is reflected in the size of the teams.
As there are many who are familiar with these solutions and use them, this translates into more engineers working on them, thus making it easy to get support.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In addition to Cisco, we work with other solutions on behalf of our customers, such as Fortinet for FortiGate, but this latter solution can achieve the same results at a lower price.
FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license.
Other brands, such as Fortinet and even Juniper, do not charge a fee for the very good training they provide, but Cisco does.
Cisco should make itself available at a discount, if not for free.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
In addition to Cisco, we work with other solutions on behalf of our customers, such as Fortinet for FortiGate, but this latter solution can achieve the same results at a lower price.
FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license.
Other brands, such as Fortinet and even Juniper, do not charge a fee for the very good training they provide, but Cisco does.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco is a well known brand which provides good service and many people have familiarity with it, including businesses.
As Cisco IOS SSL VPN is a good solution, but comes with a cost that is higher than all others, I rate it as a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco IOS SSL VPN
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco IOS SSL VPN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Researcher at University of Sao Paulo
Simple to use, easy to install, and useful for working from home
Pros and Cons
- "It is very simple to use, and it allows me to get into the university's network from my home, which is very useful for me."
- "When many people are using the internet at home, which is usually right after dinner, this type of service is a little bit hard to use. The internet becomes quite slow, and sometimes, I have to stop using this application. I am not sure if this issue is because of the application or my internet provider."
What is our primary use case?
I am a researcher, and I am doing my master's in administration. To do the research on the web, I need to get into the database of some sites. As a researcher, to get the most content or see all of the content of the sites, I need to access these sites through my university's network. That's why I use this VPN. If I use my internet connection at home, I would have different access to the data.
How has it helped my organization?
It allows me to use and access the entire content of the site. I can access any kind of content from home for my research. Before the pandemic, I used to use the VPN in my house just at night, but now, I am only working from home, and I use it every day for eight to ten hours a day. It has allowed me to work from home.
What is most valuable?
It is very simple to use, and it allows me to get into the university's network from my home, which is very useful for me.
What needs improvement?
When many people are using the internet at home, which is usually right after dinner, this type of service is a little bit hard to use. The internet becomes quite slow, and sometimes, I have to stop using this application. I am not sure if this issue is because of the application or my internet provider.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have an internal IT support team. I contacted them just once in two years. They were very helpful and great. They are doing a great job. They have an internal site with all the information, which was very useful in resolving the issues on my own.
How was the initial setup?
It is very easy to install. I used the information available on the university's site to get it working on my machine. It took 10 to 15 minutes.
What other advice do I have?
I am completely satisfied with the solution. I would rate Cisco IOS SSL VPN an eight out of ten. It is a good solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Consultant at Velocity Technology Solutions
Reliable and secure with a quick setup process
Pros and Cons
- "It is stable."
- "The product costs a lot of money."
What is our primary use case?
Currently, we are working from home, so we don't need to go to the office. Therefore, we need a way to connect to the company and for that, we need to use Cisco VPNs.
What is most valuable?
From a data security point of view, the solution is very good. We get good connectivity. Our privacy is protected. No one can come in and disturb the data.
The product has been easy to install. The process is very quick. You just enter your username and password in order to connect and start using it. It's very user-friendly.
It is stable.
What needs improvement?
I'm not well-versed in VPNs. However, this solution does make me feel like I am secure.
The product costs a lot of money.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for the past two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's quite stable. We haven't come across many glitches on the system.
How are customer service and support?
I've never had to contact technical support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they would be.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm not sure if the company has ever used a different VPN previously.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is very simple and straightforward. We just downloaded a script. The standard operating procedure was all there, and we just followed the steps. It was easy to download to our machines to begin using it.
The deployment and fast. Downloading and installing it takes about 45 minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My understanding is that this product is a bit more expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We're customers and end-users.
I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm using.
I'd recommend the solution to others as it is safe and secure and makes it easy to connect. Even in environments that have low data or slower internet connection, it works well.
I'd rat the solution nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director at Rakuten
Immediate deployment, excellent software, and highly stable
Pros and Cons
- "I have found that Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable."
- "The company sets the policies for the default location, and destination, which the VPN connects. If there is a problem with one of those locations, which happens sometimes when I travel I need to have an option to select a different available location. Currently, I am unable to see that from a user's point of view."
What is our primary use case?
I use it for dialing into the corporate network.
What is most valuable?
I have found that it works well. I am able to connect it to the corporate network. I can also access it outside of my corporate network, so it does both.
What needs improvement?
The company sets the policies for the default location, and destination, which the VPN connects. If there is a problem with one of those locations, which happens sometimes when I travel I need to have an option to select a different available location. Currently, I am unable to see that from a user's point of view.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this virtual private network for the past six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found that Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is scalable and we have more than one thousand users.
How are customer service and support?
I have not had to use technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy and straightforward. They give you a link to download the application. You download from the link and installation takes place immediately.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN Is a good solution. They use an open SSL framework and VPN. The software is excellent. I would rate Cisco IOS SSL VPN a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Integrated with SSO and MFA and helps with mobility
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco IOS SSL VPN is integrated with domain controller, SSO and MFA."
- "The solution needs to integrate password-less technology so that you don't have to remember passwords each time that you log in, which is otherwise tedious. We should be able to log in as long as our system is connected to the internet."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for mobility and remote access.
What is most valuable?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is integrated with domain controller, SSO and MFA.
What needs improvement?
The solution needs to integrate password-less technology so that you don't have to remember passwords each time that you log in, which is otherwise tedious. We should be able to log in as long as our system is connected to the internet.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable but takes time to troubleshoot.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable, but scalability depends on your licensing. My company has about 10,000 users for Cisco IOS SSL VPN.
How are customer service and support?
We work closely with the tech support team whenever there is an issue. They are very supportive and cooperative. They are fantastic in terms of skill.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The tool's installation is complicated and depends on how you want to do it. Our environment needs to support a large number of users. We had a complicated design. Product troubleshooting is difficult. The overall deployment took three to five months to complete.
What other advice do I have?
You need a stable infrastructure for the tool's deployment if you have many users. You need reports to be ready before the deployment. I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sr. Solutions Architect, Consulting Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Good integration capability, performance and support team
Pros and Cons
- "The customer service and support are the best. When it comes to support, Cisco is the best vendor ever."
- "The Secure Plus Connect product could be improved with many enhancements in any price license, especially for licensing. Cisco could simplify the licensing; it could make it easier to order and use the features."
What is our primary use case?
We're using it as part of the RingCentral solution with the Firepower 4000 firewall.
What is most valuable?
I appreciate the security, performance, and integration with the VyOS BYOD (bring your own device) solution.
What needs improvement?
The Secure Plus Connect product could be improved with many enhancements in any price license, especially for licensing. Cisco could simplify the licensing; it could make it easier to order and use the features.
The UI could be improved for the licensing part.
Additionally, Cisco could integrate global traffic balancing features into the new firmware for the firewall, which would be beneficial for administrators.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with it for the past three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the ability to expand at seven out of ten because it's mainly the pricing and licensing during large deployments. In some cases, scalability may lead to a higher cost, which can be challenging in my country.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and support are the best. When it comes to support, Cisco is the best vendor ever.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used two other vendors during my experience and work: SFI and Forcepoint.
Cisco is better from a technical standpoint, but Forcepoint is less expensive and is currently penetrating the Egyptian market.
Forcepoint One is a cloud-hosted product that includes a DNS layer, cloud firewall, and all the features of Cisco VPN.
When I compared the two products, I found that Forcepoint is a good value for the price, considering the resources it offers.
How was the initial setup?
If I'm setting up the branch firewall and managing connections, devices, or VPN, it's quite simple. Especially for me, with 20 years of experience, it's straightforward.
My experience makes it easy for me. I'm already an expert engineer.
So, if you're familiar with the product, it's pretty simple to use.
The deployment model depends on the case. The government and public sector often prefer on-prem solutions to maintain complete control.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors.
Although the cost may be higher, the value is high with this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution for enterprise businesses. Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Solutions Architect at Terrific Tech
It is stable and we find it easy to work on
Pros and Cons
- "It's a very stable solution and I'd say it works perfectly."
- "I think the administration can be improved to include web interfaces."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to connect to our LAN, so that our users are able to access the necessary applications that are designed to be used on-premise. We predominantly use Cisco products and we find it very easy for us to use.
What needs improvement?
I think the administration can be improved to include web interfaces. And I also feel that the deployment of the clients can be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past six years now on premise.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a very stable solution and I'd say it works perfectly. The only issue may be ensuring that connectivity between the Cisco Firewall and the access directory should be maintained.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have about 450 up to 750 users connected to the VPN. I don't see us increasing the number of users because we are trying to migrate some of our applications on the cloud, and we use cloud VPN.
How are customer service and technical support?
We work directly with local Premier Partners for Cisco, and they help us in terms of scoping the solution and checking our implementation. So I think that's how we contact Cisco support indirectly. But we also have instances where we contact Cisco directly, should we need other support, but it's really very rare. Most of the solutions features work perfectly.
How was the initial setup?
Most of our configurations are done by our Cisco Premier Partner, but it's relatively easy to set up Cisco SSL VPN.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would say the price is high in terms of other solutions, but I believe it's worth the price for enterprise customers. The stability matches the pricing. So I would say it is a bit expensive, but I think it is worth the price.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I will rate this solution a nine.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: December 2024
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