NetScaler Reviews

• Load Balancing: Why? Availability/Performance: Those are the core features of the product and the main reason for the purchase of an ADC in my company. These features bring a lot of resources that improve the experience of the users.
• NetScaler Gateway: Why? Availability/Security: We delivered more than 200 applications thru Xenapp. This feature give us the possibility to deliver the applications anywhere. Currently, 30% of access is made through our NetScaler Gateway (Internet connections).
• Global Server Load Balancing: Why? Availability: Bring us the possibility to load balance our ISPs links, delivering DNS responses thru available ISP providers.
• Reverse Proxy/AAA Authentication: Why? Availability/Security: Many local websites/applications are now available through the internet, with NetScaler acting as reverse proxy, and through AAA authentication in order to authenticate only necessary users.

We are replacing the necessity of any kind of load balance software/components (like Microsoft NLB, SAP Web Dispatcher, DNS Round Robin) and begin to centralize all Load Balancing necessities in the same NetScaler Hardware.

The product provides some templates to integrate with applications like MS Exchange, MS SharePoint, SAP Enterprise Portal, and others. However, the last update for these templates was 2013 (lots of applications are running on versions newer then 2013).

We have used this solution for four years.

We deployed this solution in a two-node cluster. In the beginning, we struggled to make it work properly. We also felt a lack of documentation for complex environments like ours. After some time and with external help, we make it work as it was supposed to function.

I did not encounter any issues with scalability.

I would give technical support a rating of 7/10.

The initial setup was complex. Usually, NetScaler implementations are made using the HA feature. We adopted the cluster feature. We noticed that there was a lack of knowledge from the community and Citrix support in this area. Our complex environment of network made the initial setup more difficult.

We evaluated F5 and Brocade.

Be careful in the choice of a partner to implement this product.

My clients use it for load balancing. 

The tool needs to add a feature where we can access the network policy access manager. 

We are a distributor of Citrix NetScaler for nine years. 

You need to just upload the installation script. The deployment time ranges from minutes to days. 

I would rate the tool a nine out of ten. 

We're using NetScaler for compression and optimization features.

Most of the functions are user-friendly and great. We also have mobile features that are simple but effective.

There are some drawbacks, such as using EUG for certain configurations. It could definitely be improved. Moreover, compression features could be better since it uses too much CPU and is not very effective.

In terms of additional functionality, the capture feature could be improved to make it easier to use, and schedules could also be better for me.

I have been using this solution for eight years. 

There are nine users in our organization using this solution. It is a stable solution within this capacity. Sometimes we faced bugs, but in general, it hasn't affected the general usage.

If you use the latest version, it is quite a scalable solution. I would rate the scalability of NetScaler an eight out of ten. 

We've had poor experiences with customer support partners in the past two years. If some company changes, it's a bad thing. The customer support is not good for us. It is not helpful as well as have very slow response time. 

The initial setup is actually very simple.

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I would definitely recommend using the solution.

We mostly use VPN and enroll the NetScaler.

The most valuable feature is the SSL VPN.

The SLB could be better, and they should improve it. We want to see REST proxy and WAF capabilities in the next release.

We have been using this solution for three and a half years. It is deployed on-premises.

It is a stable product, and I rate the stability an eight out of ten. In addition, we have not faced any complications with the hardware.

I rate the scalability an eight out of ten, and we have no issues. We have 3000 people using Citrix NetScaler, and our business people use it daily.

I rate the technical support a six out of ten. We have some support delays and do not get solutions on time, which can be frustrating. In addition, their technical support does not understand our issues.

Neutral

The initial setup is a bit complicated. We used a third-party consultant for the setup. I rate the setup an eight out of ten.

The licensing is more expensive than others, and I rate it a seven out of ten.

I rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Citrix ADC is primarily used for load balancing exchange and other internal IT systems.

It is simple for both IT specialists and customers. With other products, we cannot leave the customer untrained. We can leave the customer during the early stages using Citrix ADC.

The stability of Citrix ADC needs to be improved.

The technical support could be improved. They do not respond or assist customers in a timely manner.

I have been working with Citrix ADC for approximately eight years.

It is typically deployed on-premises, but it is occasionally deployed on a hybrid cloud.

There have been many crashes since the last build.

Citrix ADC is easy to scale.

Technical support is different in every situation. In one case it went very well and quickly other cases it took longer.

Technical support could improve, but it is possible that my issue was complicated.

I am also working with F5, Kemp, Barracuda, Cisco, and NGINX.

Loadbalancer.org is less complex than Citrix. In some cases, our customers do not have an engineer on staff who can support this device.

These customers have a large number of Linux engineers but don't have the money. We suggested using Loadbalancer.org and other open-source tools. Many customers are of different sizes and have different budgets.

The installation is simple for both manual configuration and automatic deployment.

Our company is partners with Citrix and F5 BIG-IP.

I would rate Citrix ADC an eight out of ten.

It is mainly used for virtual desktop delivery for remote access. We are also using it for load balancing and SSL VPN.

The load balancing and VPN features are most valuable. AAA authentication is also valuable. 

They have specific integration with the product line for application virtualization and desktop virtualization.

Its GUI should be improved. Its CLI is powerful, but GUI needs more features.

I have been using this solution for almost eight years.

It is stable.

They have the software bundle licenses. If you want to add more users, capacity, or throughput on the bandwidth, you can add licenses, and it'll get upgraded.

They also have scalability options with virtualization, and you can use those options as well. Normally, we decide on a particular model depending on the number of users and the use case.

They have different models. An entry-level model supports up to 5,000 users. A mid-range model can support up to 10,000 users, and a high-end model can support up to 40,000 users in the box in HA configuration.

I've contacted them many times. In case of a problem or error, you can raise a support ticket online. Normally, we upload the log. After they analyze the log, they are able to identify the root cause and provide support. In case of a severe issue, they also do a remote session to analyze the issue. They are very helpful.

It is pretty easy and straightforward. A new setup takes maybe a couple of hours.

I would recommend it depending on the use case. If you have a use case for an application controller for load balancing, web application firewall, or virtual infrastructure, you can straight away go for this solution.

I would rate Citrix ADC a nine out of 10.

I like app flows and custom flows. They integrate with multiple flows.

Citrix ADC is a complex product, and it takes time to understand these things. But the documentation is poor, and the deployment is difficult. Integration could also be better because what I find is that you cannot easily integrate the panel in the second sector. What I have found is that in the last index, there is a limitation when getting validated. Technical support could also be better.

I have been working with Citrix ADC for about six months.

My impression is that they are okay but have room for improvement. Technical support is not excellent, but not that bad either. In some cases, in some calls, we got the answer upfront, or one was given later. But most of the time, we have to do a follow-up call.

The initial setup was complex for me.

I would recommend this solution to potential users because most are working from home in today's scenario. 

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Citrix ADC a seven.

We use the NetScaler ADC in three primary use cases. The first is to provide load balancing services for our internal applications. The second is for Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) to provide data center resiliency and failover of our externally accessible services, as well as proximity-based access. The third is for the Unified Gateway to securely provide external access to some of our key applications. We deploy VPX appliances running in our VMware environment.

The GSLB feature allows us to move services between data centers. We can do this in either a planned or unplanned manner. We have experienced service provider outages at our primary data center and GSLB will kick in to automatically modify DNS records to point to a secondary data center (active/passive). We also make use of GeoIP information to point clients to the closest data center for accessing applications.

The features I find most useful are 

• Load Balancing
• GSLB
• Unified Gateway.

I love being able to terminate connections to the boxes and look at all of the packet headers to determine which way I want to send the traffic next. GSLB provides amazing ability to do active/active or active/passive deployment of services. Unified Gateway allows me to provide secure external access to applications for suppliers and customers while requiring Multi-Factor Authentication.

The main areas for improvement would be around documentation and support. If a feature can be used in two or three ways, show that feature being used in all of those ways. Documentation seems to only cover the primary use case and leaves you to either run through trial and error or consult the user community. In terms of support, I have never actually had them solve any of my issues. I have always solved them myself and then provided the resolution to support.

I would rate the NetScaler a nine out of 10. It is a fantastic platform to work with and the features/functionality are top-notch. The only ding would be for the documentation, but the user community is fantastic.