SonicWall NSv Reviews, Competitors and Pricing

Kenneth Eygenraam

Solutions Architect at Quartet Service Inc.

Feb 2, 2023

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Useful customization, beneficial security controls, and reliable

Pros and Cons

"The customization of firewall rules provides great value to our customers as it allows them to lock things up in the way that they desire. When it is used for internal access, with a VPN in place for remote workers, the firewalling services provided by Azure, such as the default services that can be turned on, are applied. However, the use of a software-based virtual firewall gives us greater flexibility in introducing security controls for customers who are publishing applications that are publicly accessible from the public cloud. This virtual firewall provides an additional layer of security and more extensive security control options to ensure the protection of our customers' valuable information and assets."

"It has been brought to our attention by a few customers that they are dissatisfied with the fact that our virtualized service is only offered as a subscription option on the cloud. However, it is worth noting that many other similar services are also offered through a subscription model on the cloud and not through perpetual licensing. It is unclear why these customers would have an issue with this subscription service when so many others are utilizing similar methods."

What is our primary use case?

We are implementing SonicWall NSV for customers with public-facing servers or services on Microsoft Azure.

What is most valuable?

The customization of firewall rules provides great value to our customers as it allows them to lock things up in the way that they desire. When it is used for internal access, with a VPN in place for remote workers, the firewalling services provided by Azure, such as the default services that can be turned on, are applied. However, the use of a software-based virtual firewall gives us greater flexibility in introducing security controls for customers who are publishing applications that are publicly accessible from the public cloud. This virtual firewall provides an additional layer of security and more extensive security control options to ensure the protection of our customers' valuable information and assets.

What needs improvement?

It has been brought to our attention by a few customers that they are dissatisfied with the fact that our virtualized service is only offered as a subscription option on the cloud. However, it is worth noting that many other similar services are also offered through a subscription model on the cloud and not through perpetual licensing. It is unclear why these customers would have an issue with this subscription service when so many others are utilizing similar methods.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used SonicWall NSV within the last 12 months.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of SonicWall NSV is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From our experiences with deploying firewalls of various sizes, the customers who have used the SonicWall NSV have not encountered any limitations or reached their maximum capacity. However, as some of these customers are utilizing the solution for public-facing portals and applications, it is possible that their usage and demand may grow in the future, potentially leading to scalability issues. Nonetheless, up until now, the solution has performed as expected and met the needs of our customers.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of SonicWall NSV is not as straightforward as the SSL VPN appliances, but it's not that difficult.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SonicWall NSV an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner