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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN's customer service is praised for responsive, knowledgeable support, despite occasional delays and outsourced assistance issues.
Sentiment score
5.8
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall's customer support is mixed, with some users praising it and others citing long wait times.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
4.2
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN needs better pricing, easier setup, enhanced security, improved documentation, flexible licensing, user-friendly interface, and advanced features.
Sentiment score
5.2
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall needs user-friendly design, better integration, improved support, enhanced features, flexible licensing, and seamless functionality.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is highly scalable and integrates well with other Cisco products, suitable for various sectors.
Sentiment score
7.0
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall provides scalable and flexible solutions, easily expanding clusters and integrating hardware to handle large user bases.
 

Setup Cost

No sentiment score available
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is costly but valued for reliability, quality, and comprehensive features despite a complex licensing model.
No sentiment score available
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
9.0
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is generally reliable and effective, though some users encounter occasional bugs and suggest improvements for reliability.
Sentiment score
9.0
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is highly stable, performing well during attacks, though some users report minor configuration and log management issues.
 

Valuable Features

Sentiment score
8.2
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN offers ease of management, enhanced security, scalability, cloud integration, reliable failovers, and strong technical support.
Sentiment score
8.3
High-value features include traffic control, centralized security, user-friendly interface, excellent support, advanced connectivity, scalability, and comprehensive DNS security.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
2nd
Ranking in WAN Edge
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
90
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (5th)
Forcepoint Next Generation ...
Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
10th
Ranking in WAN Edge
12th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (24th)
 

Featured Reviews

MOHAMEDELSHERIF - PeerSpot reviewer
Good centralization and manageability for edge routers but quite expensive
The setup is quite straightforward and the solution is easy to deploy. Deployment time depends on the size the customer or enterprise. Each customer has its own use case so it is difficult to give a time estimate. In any case, the work is straightforward with no obstacles or challenges.
OusaidAbaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides decent protection for the LAN but complicated interface
We had some licensing issues with its web filtering capabilities. That's why we migrated our web filtering to Cisco Umbrella. Moreover, the interface is complicated. It's difficult to locate all the necessary menus and functions. For example, one of the many issues is with SSH. Even now, we haven't successfully opened the port to connect using SSH mode when we want to change the configuration. It's like a black box—not very open to changes and customization. It's simply not easy to configure. There are other problems, too. For example regarding Forcepoint's Websense component. We had a lot of problems managing the web settings within Websense. That's why we migrated to Cisco Umbrella for cloud-based web filtering. It's not that Forcepoint is inherently bad. The issue is that it's not user-friendly. It is not easy to use. The developers need to redesign the interface (GUI) for better management. It is very difficult to manage. For example, simple actions require too many clicks compared to FortiGate or Palo Alto. That's the main problem.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
43%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
5%
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco SD-WAN?
When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
The product pricing is high. Fortinet is cheaper than Cisco. I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall?
There is a need to make payments towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The product is not expensive.
What needs improvement with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall?
My experience with this Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall wasn't very pleasant due to its complexity. For example, the firewall loses some features when working in a cluster, which is a huge chal...
 

Also Known As

Cisco SD-WAN
Forcepoint NGFW, Stonesoft Next Generation Firewall, McAfee Network Security Platform, Intel Security Network Security Platform
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
816,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.