Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) Reviews

Cisco AnyConnect is valuable for our organization as it secures remote access to resources, enabling colleagues to work from anywhere. Its importance grew during the shift to more remote work, like during COVID.

As an end user, what I like most about Cisco AnyConnect VPN is its reliability and stability.

One improvement could be ensuring better backward compatibility. Occasionally, I have faced issues where older versions didn't work seamlessly with the latest VPN version, requiring a downgrade for compatibility. Otherwise, the auto-setup feature is convenient, and speed/resource usage hasn't been a problem.

I have been using Cisco AnyConnect VPN for several years, depending on the projects I'm involved in.

I would rate the stability of the solution as a ten out of ten.

We haven't had any scalability issues with Cisco AnyConnect VPN. Five people use it at our company. The usage of Cisco AnyConnect varies with projects – sometimes more, sometimes less. 

I have used OpenVPN alongside AnyConnect for the past two years.

The initial setup was straightforward and took me about ten minutes to deploy the solution. The deployment process for Cisco AnyConnect is straightforward. I downloaded it from the organization's homepage, following the provided version and manuals. Configuration files and information are usually sent through a separate channel for security. Once downloaded, I set it up, and it has been running on my PC since, without any hassle. No team is needed for deployment and maintenance. The instructions are clear, and it is not a large or complex task.

I would recommend Cisco AnyConnect VPN to others. Overall, I would rate the solution as a nine out of ten.

We use the solution to controls the VPN tunnel between people outside connected to the internet into the office network. This is done by prompting them for a username and password for security.

Some of the main features of the solution are it has the ability to integrate with our Active Directory to allow each user to have one less password to have to remember and it has great functionality.

There is one very specific improvement that could be done regarding users logging in. When a user logs in with an expired password we did not know that the password reset function would prompt them for a new password and this system was able to be deployed on this solution. For 10 years, every 30 days, the salespeople who did not want to go inside and reset their password at the 29-day mark, would call me up and have me reset their password for them to gain access. Additionally, it would be beneficial to have at the level that I am at, the ability to sign in to this solution before you log in to the Windows environment without having to upgrade the license. This should be included in the full packages. 

Alternatively, when Cisco notices customers do not have this feature turned on they could call up its customers and inform them they do not have it turned on and could walk them through how to do it. It turned out to be just two lines of code to accomplish the task. In our case, during any of the interactions with Cisco over the years, they could have just mentioned to us this feature that would have real value-added to your employees. We do have a CCNA in-house and he did not realize that he could turn that feature on very easily. The white paper was probably available, but since our network administrator did not know about it, he never suggested setting it up. 

In an upcoming release, there should be better reporting capabilities, this is something that is available in premium packages, or if you were to get a Cisco ISE. Essentially, the upgraded reporting shows a live version of what is going on, but it does not show you historical information unless you hook it up to a SCIM, Cisco ISE, or Cisco ACS. This should be included in all packages and you should not have to upgrade or purchase other solutions.

I have been using this solution for approximately 10 years.

When it comes to the stability of the solution it is stable, functional, and it just works.

We plan to increase our usage when our employee base increases.

I would rate the scalability of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client a ten out of 10. 

Currently, on a day-to-day basis, there are approximately 85 users using the solution but we have 221 registered users that could use it at any given time.

The support could be more proactive in their recommendations. I noticed that the Cisco support agents tend to leave customers to do what they need to do in many ways, and you can choose how you want to do it. However, it would be great if they could proactively be involved in best practices and let other customers know how most people are doing it.

Previously we had a standard Cisco VPN client, but it was not as functional as it did not have the ability to tie into the Active Directory.

The initial setup was pretty simple. However, we did have onboarding support assist us with it. Our network administrator at the beginning of an install will always call Cisco support to get the expert on the phone. They provided us with white papers on how to do the setup allowing any setup moving forward is done correctly the first time. We did also purchase the premium support, for which there was no additional fee for the installation guideance.

Our in-house team did the implementation with their premium support tech agent on the line through a WebEx. The during of the implementation took approximately two hours. 

We have a network administrator to do any maintenance that is required for the solution, but once we set it up, there really was no maintenance needed. However, we did attach an SSL to link it and set up a DNS entry to allow our users the ability to go to a specific entry instead of just typing in the IP address with the enhanced security.

We pay for an annual subscription. Additionally to the subscription, we thought in order to connect this solution to the Active Directory we had to purchase a Cisco ACS, Access Control System. It turns out we did not actually need it.

My advice to those wanting to implement this solution is you could purchase the license for this solution and set it up with your ASA directly without having to purchase a Cisco ACS.

I rate Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client a nine out of ten.

We use Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to connect to the office network from the general internet. So whenever anybody works remotely, it is used to connect to the office network.

Compared to other products, it is reliable and easy to configure, and the Cisco Firewall can last for many years.

It is a reliable solution, and the users face no problems or errors. It also connects quickly, and the SSL security is excellent.

I wouldn't want anything to be improved per se. It is reliable without any errors, and the configuration is easy. However, when different configurations need to be completed, we need to get in touch with Cisco Technical Assistance Center because we don't have enough documentation on the website.

In terms of additional features, it would be good to have some improvements to the quality of service. For example, if somebody on your VPN wants to have a Google meeting or WebEx call, they should be given priority traffic.

We have been using this solution for three years.

It is a stable solution.

It is a scalable solution. Almost everyone at our organization uses Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, so about 200 to 300 users.

The technical support is very good.

Positive

I would rate the setup process a six out of ten. It was manual work, and though the configuration was easy, we still needed to understand it. But overall, It was a fair experience.

Regarding cost, we had to purchase the Cisco CON-SNT and AnyConnect licenses separately. We purchased a three-year package because it was comparatively cheaper than the one-year package.

It costs around 80,000 Indian rupees for a hundred licenses, so approximately $1,020 USD. I rate the price a six out of ten, but we get value for the price.

I rate this product a nine out of ten.

I use the solution to connect to a VPN for remote work. 

The solution provides seamless connectivity to the VPN without delay when you have a good internet connection. 

The solution should not rely on tokens from the mobile application for logins. If you don't have your phone handy, you can't log in. Email notifications or another single sign-in method would resolve this issue. 

I have been using the solution for three years. 

The solution is stable with no technical issues. 

The solution is scalable to a wide range of users. Our company has 3,000 users and many worked remotely during Covid without any issues. 

Our internal IT support team handles most issues but the solution's technical support is good when needed. 

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward. 

The solution was implemented in-house. 

When researching options, it is important to assess compatibility, the number of users, and the time it takes to implement a solution.

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

I mainly use AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for remote connectivity.

There are some issues with connectivity and latency that should be improved.

I've been using this solution for five to six years.

This solution's stability is good.

This solution is scalable.

It can be difficult to connect with Cisco's help desk when we have an issue, which wastes time waiting.

The initial setup is straightforward and can be done without the assistance of an external team. However, it does take some time to install.

This solution gives you double security because it uses both hard and soft tokens. I would give this solution a rating of eight out of ten.

We need Client software installed on our laptop. The Client has to be configured with the VPN server IP address. When it connects, it will provide a private IP address. It will ask for the location, and credentials will be checked on the server if the server is created with the Active Directory. It will check if you are authorized. If you are, you will be authenticated, and you will get connected to the VPN.

The best feature is the Cisco IPsec. That is the encryption. It's providing integrity for your data. 

You can use it from anywhere. You just need to have the Internet. That is the best part, the availability.

The initial setup is very simple. 

It is a stable solution. 

You can scale the product.

Every time you need to key in the credentials, it'll generate an OTP, and you need to check the OTP and need to key in the OTP. It's work to connect to VPN. That could be improved.

If you're just turning on your laptop, it should connect automatically without keying in the credentials. There should be an option to right-click and enable the VPN to connect. There might be some inherent risk, however, there must be a way to have it easier and to connect while keeping the process safe.

We've used the solution for around three or four years at this point. 

Based on my experience, the solution has been stable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. It is reliable. 

Cisco AnyConnect can be configured on the Cisco ASR or VPN Concentrator. There, you can have multiple contacts you can create. It is scalable.

More than 1,000 people use the solution currently.

I have never been in contact with a Cisco engineer. 

The solution is easy to set up. It's not complex or difficult. Configuring it and everything might only take about one to two hours. 

We do have to pay a yearly licensing fee. I am unsure of the exact costs. 

We are a Cisco gold partner.

I'm not really sure which version of the solution we're using. 

It is a good option for people. I would recommend the product.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

We have around 500 employees working all over Qatar as well as outside - in India and Egypt. And they use to connect to our corporate network with this product.

The posturing is working well.

We have network access control. It's nice to have and easy to manage and easy to add routes, et cetera. We can easily add the route over the VPN whenever we have a new network.

The setup was simple with a little bit of assistance. 

It is easy to scale.

The solution is stable. 

It has a good web interface. 

Initially, we had an issue with the posturing, however, now it's improved. A lot of improvement can happen on this still as well. Right now, the posturing that we can do is only over the Windows update. We are considering the services. We cannot assess whether that particular update is installed or not.

The implementation can be difficult and time-consuming without help. 

We'd like the product to be cheaper. 

I've used the solution for maybe two and a half years now. 

The solution is stable so as long as we don't have any restart happening or any power interruptions.

The solution can scale. You simply add licenses. It's easy.

We have about 500 users on the solution. 

We request support from a local vendor many times. We have not lately used Cisco. The vendor is quite good. However, they are very busy, however. If we ask them for immediate support, we cannot get them. That's likely due to the fact that they're the only good technical vendor for Cisco here in Qatar.

We are using Cisco AnyConnect as well as OpenVPN.

The setup was easy. We had vendor support. The vendor support was good. The local vendor was good here. 

We spent around a week finalizing the deployment.

We have a local partner or local vendor here in Qatar. They helped us with the implementation. 

You are charged per user, unlike, for example, Fortinet. With FortiClient, you can add as much as you want. 

I can't speak to the exact cost, however. We have a procurement team that handles that.

I'm a customer and end-user.

We recently updated the solution maybe three months ago. We are on the newest version. 

It's a good solution. That said, considering the current market, it's a bit more costly than other solutions.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. I'd rate it higher if the implementation was easier and the cost was lower. 

We use Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for posture, that is, checking the security tools on the endpoint desktop, such as the antivirals or the Windows firewall, and the version of the operating system.

I have found the posture function to be the most useful feature.

The clientless posture can be improved or enhanced. The deployment of upgrades can be improved as well.

I've been working with it for more than 10 years.

I'd rate the stability at eight out of ten.

I'd rate Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client at nine out of ten for scalability.

Cisco's technical support is the best, and I would rate them at ten out of ten.

Positive

Complicated scenarios are difficult to deploy. On a scale from one to ten, with one being the most difficult, I'd give a rating of between two and three for the initial setup.

We used Microsoft SCCM to deploy the agent, which was already deployed at the customer's organization. We had two to three team members who worked on the deployment, and the deployment took three months.

We provide 24/7 maintenance of the solution to our customers depending on the SLAs.

We are in the North African region, and Cisco products are expensive for us. On a scale from one to ten with one being very affordable and ten being expensive, I'd rate the price at eight.

Overall, I would give Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client an eight out of ten.