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it_user1359756 - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner/President at TeamLogic IT of Oklahoma City
MSP
Easy to manage, performs well, and the pricing is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The cloud-based interface makes it easy to manage."
  • "The weakest point is the technical support because they are difficult to get into contact with."

What is our primary use case?

We are a managed service provider and the primary firewall that we sell and maintain is Sophos XG. It is also used in the company.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that it is a next-generation firewall.

The fact that it is integrated between endpoints and the firewall, and then the firewall and a central Sophos operation center, is very good.

The cloud-based interface makes it easy to manage.

The integration with the Intercept X approach means that Sophos XG can do things that none of the others are doing.

What needs improvement?

The main area that needs improvement is the documentation.

Sophos needs to be a little better at communicating with partners about changes, issues, patches, and so forth. 

The weakest point is the technical support because they are difficult to get into contact with.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the Sophos XG series for three years.

Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution has been very stable and it's a good product, otherwise, I wouldn't be using it.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support team is knowledgeable and they are good, although it is very hard to get a hold of them. You sometimes have to wait in queue for over an hour to speak with somebody. To me, that is the most frustrating thing about Sophos.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use another similar solution prior to Sophos XG. Since the MSP business started, it has been our primary firewall product because of the pricing and support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex, as is setting up any next-generation firewall today. You have to know what you're doing with firewalls in general, although beyond that, it isn't as bad as some of the firewalls that I have seen.

The deployment typically doesn't take longer than a few hours or a day, depending on the type of client and what it is that we have to do.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The Sophos pricing, in general, is better than SonicWall, Fortinet, WatchGuard, or anybody else. Because of the partner program, the pricing I get is extremely good compared to what I would get from any of the others.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have evaluated several firewall products and I think that Sophos is better in terms of ease of use, performance, and pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I would highly encourage others to evaluate Sophos and adopt it. I've discovered that compared to other products, it is easier to manage and I think that it operates better.

Overall, I think that they've got a pretty complete set of features and they seem to be on a really good path. My only complaints are about the documentation and the availability of technical support. 

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Lead Advance Engineer at IHCC
Real User
Very easy to use but bugs find their way through their security
Pros and Cons
  • "What I like about his program, is that it is easy to use and easy to manage."
  • "The program is rather expensive."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of this program is for antivirus and security purposes.  

What is most valuable?

What I like about this program is that it is easy to use and easy to manage.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes we experience difficulties with our server and that is usually due to a bug. Somehow bugs seem to find their way through Sophos' security. The issue is usually resolved when we contact technical support. In the next version, I would like to see an improvement in this. The developers should test everything after any update to ensure that bugs don't come though with the update.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Sophos XG for three years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I've used FortiGate before and I would say that Sophos is just as stable, both being around 70% as stable as other products on the market.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. We have 300 to 400 antivirus end users, and our company has around 1,000 users. We do have plans to increase usage because we are growing our projects around the world to countries like the US, Germany, Pakistan, India, UAE (Dubai) and Egypt.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is okay. Whenever we call them with an issue, they come to us and resolve the issue. Sometimes they take time, but I still think it's good. I will rate the technical support eight out of ten.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We only use Sophos because it can integrate with other product like FortiGate and we can easily connect the two programs. This makes the program scalable and easy to use. Many other products on the market are not compatible with each other and that is why we chose Sophos. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was rather complex but we had no issues with the deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We bought a license for three years and we will renew it but I think the price is too high. If it could be less expensive, more end-users or partners will be able to afford it.

What other advice do I have?

It is a good product and I will definitely recommend it. I rate this product a seven out of ten. In the next version I would like to see an advanced level and not only a basic level. Nowadays it is a very useful feature to be able to upgrade.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
CIO at Nuotek Limited
Real User
Provides ease of management and good out-of-the-box reporting
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Sophos XG are the ease of management and good out-of-the-box reporting."
  • "The solution should have the ability to be up to date with the most recent threats."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Sophos XG are the ease of management and good out-of-the-box reporting.

What needs improvement?

Sophos XG requires a bit more restarting than Cisco. The main difficulty is to keep up with the current threats. The solution should have the ability to be up to date with the most recent threats.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution an eight out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XG is not a scalable solution. Depending on what you want to do, you choose the right model. You cannot buy one model and upgrade it to provide higher capacity. This is true for all firewalls, where you price it up according to current plus a percentage for future capacity. Most of our clients for Sophos XG are small to medium-sized companies.

How was the initial setup?

On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution’s initial setup a nine out of ten.

What about the implementation team?

In most small to medium-sized companies, the solution's deployment takes about a day. However, planning and setting up the architecture might take longer than that. Especially in live environments, you do everything in advance and don't leave a lot to chance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Sophos XG is a reasonably priced solution.

What other advice do I have?

The solution has the ability to customize user-defined entries for more control over what you can actually set. With Sophos XG, you can use your own definitions or point to another service that uses slightly customized definitions.

Users have a tendency to go for the cloud version of Sophos XG. Over the past year, prices have unfortunately gone up with anything related to the cloud, and it's probably increasing overhead costs. The problem with the cloud is that it can be costly if you don't properly control it. You also risk ending up with nothing if you can no longer afford to pay the monthly cost.

I would recommend Sophos XG to clients who want it or specifically request it. I don't have anything against using the solution.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Implementer
PeerSpot user
Mohamed Abozied - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at Alsafy
Real User
It protects against attacks, is simple to install, and has good technical support, but it could be more secure
Pros and Cons
  • "Sophos XG is very useful, it does many things."
  • "While it is a secure solution, I believe it could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

Sophos XG is used to handle my network and traffic.

It can control our employees' network behavior and prevent many attacks and other threats from outside of our company.

What is most valuable?

Sophos XG is very useful, it does many things.

It is secure.

What needs improvement?

While it is a secure solution, I believe it could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for almost one year.

We received the latest update one or two months back and it was great.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XG is scalable.

We have 1,000 internal employees and nearly 4,000 external employees. However, Sophos Firewall only operates within an internal network or within a single company, so is used for nearly 1,000.

We plan to increase the usage in the future.

How are customer service and support?

We communicate with support frequently. Many times, we encountered hardware technical issues in the previous version, and they replaced the device for us. We have contacted them numerous times for this purpose. They resolved this issue for us.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

We have IT teams and managers, to help maintain this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing fees are paid monthly.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Sophos XG a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ricardo Quintero - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure/Telcom Coordinator at Schnellecke Group AG & Co. KG
Real User
Top 10
The price is right and it's easy to manage, so it's a good fit for our current needs
Pros and Cons
  • "Sophos XG's price is right, and it's easy to manage. It's a good fit for our current needs at the moment."
  • "Sophos XG's user interface has some room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We're using Sophos XG within one business unit for security. We use it for the firewall and mapping some services.

What is most valuable?

Sophos XG's price is right, and it's easy to manage. It's a good fit for our current needs at the moment. 

What needs improvement?

Sophos XG's user interface has some room for improvement. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We started using Sophos XG in June of this year, so it has only been a few months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I think Sophos XG is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XG is scalable. We have about 600 users here in Mexico, and everyone is behind this solution. I think it's possible we might increase usage, and we've discussed this with our corporate office in Germany. We could decide to go with another product, but we might expand Sophos if it performs well.

How are customer service and support?

Support is one area where I have some issues. Sophos support isn't that good. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In some companies where I've worked, I used Fortinet and ASA with FirePOWER from Cisco. In some places, I used Meraki with the MX and the Advance Security licensing. I have some issues with other technologies. Last year, they had Sophos UTM on the devices, but there was an opportunity was to switch our clients to Sophos XG and try out the solution.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Sophos XG is too easy. It took about two hours. The only part of the solution that I deployed was the firewalls. It's something I do all the time in my business unit, so it was quick. We have two people responsible for deployment and maintenance, including me. 

What about the implementation team?

I had some support from a partner.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

A Sophos XG license costs approximately $45,000 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Sophos XG nine out of 10. Our experience so far has been good, but maybe we'll come across another solution that's at the same or a higher level.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1509573 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Engineer at a engineering company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Easy to deploy and configure, good documentation, and works as advertised
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very easy to configure and straightforward. The firewall rules are straightforward. It works great out of the box. It has been working as advertised, and I haven't had any issues with it."
  • "Its user interface is a little bit slow."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for our VPN and firewall. It acts as our firewall for the external portal into our network.

What is most valuable?

It is very easy to configure and straightforward. The firewall rules are straightforward.

It works great out of the box. It has been working as advertised, and I haven't had any issues with it.

What needs improvement?

Its user interface is a little bit slow.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a couple of weeks.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has been up and running for probably three weeks and hasn't had any issues. I didn't have a lot of time on it yet to make a good call about that, but so far, so good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It scales for our purposes. We're a very small office. We have 25 users on the system. We're an engineering consulting company, so all remote users are accessing our network

It is being used quite heavily, and I don't see any need to increase its usage at all at this point.

How are customer service and technical support?

I didn't have any direct interaction with Sophos. Their online documentation is very good. It is much better than Cisco.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

It was a replacement for Cisco ASA Firewall. Our Cisco licensing had expired, and it was very expensive. Sophos XG is a lower-cost solution for the same thing. It was also easier to configure.

How was the initial setup?

It was very simple. It took a couple of hours.

What about the implementation team?

We had a partner, and they did the initial setup and walked us through it. Our experience was very good.

Its maintenance is very simple. You need less than one administrator for its maintenance.

What was our ROI?

I expect to see ROI in a year or two.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its licensing cost is around 700 bucks a year or something like that. It is 100 bucks a month at the most. It seems to be standard licensing with no additional costs.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to go through the Sophos demos. They are very good, and they walk you through configuration and use cases. Their online documentation is very helpful in not only configuring it but also selecting a proper model to deploy.

I would rate Sophos XG an eight out of ten for ease of use and cost.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user633438 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information security specialist at a non-tech company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Enables us to trace any user and pinpoint any vulnerability or malicious software
Pros and Cons
  • "We are able to trace any user and pinpoint any vulnerability or any malicious software. We are able to synchronize between the local and active directories so we can catch users easily through their login names and IDs."
  • "There needs to be a way that we can distinguish between educational institutions on Youtube and other Youtube videos. You can do this on Fortinet. Basically, they can block all other Youtube videos besides those that are from educational institutions. With Sophos, you either allow for all Youtube videos or none at all. They need to allow for more specification on different websites."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for application control and web filtering. We also use it as a VPN point, and we use it on other occasions for tracing and reporting about usage and high application rates.

How has it helped my organization?

We are able to trace any user and pinpoint any vulnerability or any malicious software. We are able to synchronize between the local and active directories so we can catch users easily through their login names and IDs.

What is most valuable?

The reporting on the solution is excellent.

What needs improvement?

There needs to be a way that we can distinguish between educational institutions on Youtube and other Youtube videos. You can do this on Fortinet. Basically, they can block all other Youtube videos besides those that are from educational institutions. With Sophos, you either allow for all Youtube videos or none at all. They need to allow for more specification on different websites.

They only have one single location for training videos. They must offer them elsewhere as well. When the site goes down, everything stops, and you can't access the videos when you need them, so they need to diversify that. It's limiting.  

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is excellent.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. We could only handle around 5,000 users but even when we reached 3,000 users, Sophos only consumed around 24% and 40% of Prime usage. 

How are customer service and technical support?

The solution's technical support is not the best. When I take a step to open a case with Sophos support I can't understand them at all; I can't understand their accent. I always appreciate if they can communicate with me through e-mail instead, which makes it much easier. 

Many cases take a long time to be resolved. Some cases they seem to ignore or don't reply to for a long time so I have to remind them that the case is still open before they will respond. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. The implementation took about a day. There were only two people needed for deployment.

What about the implementation team?

We had a consultant assist with the setup. They were very good.

What other advice do I have?

We use the on-premises deployment model.

I would rate the solution nine out of ten. It's a very good firewall. It helps a lot with protection, and every organization needs a firewall to ensure they are protected.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Mikko Mäki-Valkama - PeerSpot reviewer
System Specialist at Databros
Reseller
Top 5
Provides comprehensive protection against a wide range of cyber threats
Pros and Cons
  • "One feature of Sophos XG that I found incredibly beneficial for threat prevention is its endpoint protection."
  • "There could be some room for improvement in its pricing since my clients usually feel like the product is on the expensive side."

What is our primary use case?

Sophos XG has greatly strengthened our network security and threat management. Its integrated EDR capabilities and seamless integration with firewalls, along with additional services like their NOC services, provide a comprehensive solution. With all these features working together, it is a complete package that ensures robust security for our clients.

What is most valuable?

One feature of Sophos XG that I found incredibly beneficial for threat prevention is its endpoint protection. It monitors all activities on our devices and effectively blocks any harmful files from infecting our machines. It has been a game-changer in preventing troubles for our customers.

What needs improvement?

While Sophos XG is a great product overall, there could be some room for improvement in its pricing since my clients usually feel like the product is on the expensive side.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Sophos XG for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Overall, the solution is stable, and we rarely encounter glitches. Any issues that arise are usually related to Microsoft updates rather than the Sophos software itself.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability of the solution as an eight out of ten. The clients I work with who use Sophos are typically small enterprises.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have worked with other firewalls like Cisco and Fortinet over my 20 years of experience. Comparing Sophos to other solutions, I have seen significant improvements over the years. While it may not have been the easiest or best software three years ago, it is continually getting better with updates. Overall, Sophos is moving in the right direction, becoming more competitive with its counterparts.

How was the initial setup?

Installing Sophos XG is straightforward and typically takes around one hour for configuration, excluding the physical setup. Usually, only one person is needed to complete the installation and configuration process. It is quite easy to maintain it.

What other advice do I have?

There was a time when our network faced a sophisticated malware attack that bypassed traditional security measures. However, with Sophos XG in place, it quickly detected and mitigated the threat before it could cause any damage. The seamless integration of software and hardware ensured there were no vulnerabilities or gaps in our defense.

The interface of Sophos XG is user-friendly and suitable for new users. It is continually improving, with updates addressing any issues promptly. 

Deploying Sophos XG has led to noticeable improvements in network performance. 

Overall, I would rate Sophos XG as an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.