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reviewer1483797 - PeerSpot reviewer
Service Delivery Engineer - Network Security Lead at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Simple to use, simple to manage, and simple to administer
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the Intercept X. It is the advanced features that are used for malware detection, and antivirus."
  • "Sophos can definitely improve with the interoperability between solutions."

What is our primary use case?

This firewall is part of the security solution that is implemented in medium-sized enterprises.

We are using it for endpoint and user security for laptops and mobile phones.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the Intercept X. It is the advanced features that are used for malware detection and antivirus. It's similar to antivirus on steroids.

It's simple to use and has a simple interface. It's generally straightforward and configuration-wise, it's not complex. 

It's a very simple product to use and that's why you find it is used mostly in small to medium-sized enterprises. They don't have the manpower that a large organization can have, in terms of the skilled workforce when it comes to cybersecurity. They just need something that is simple to use, simple to manage, and simple to administer, but effective at the same time. That's the main selling point for Sophos.

What needs improvement?

I have not used their SD-WAN product or the SD-WAN feature, so I don't know how scalable the SD-WAN is. But, I hope just that the SD-WAN is up to par with FortiGate.

The integration is an area that can improve a bit. One of the other solutions that I have used that is highly interoperable is Fortinet. It's easy to integrate with other products. 

Sophos can definitely improve with the interoperability between solutions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for a year and a half.

We are using the latest version.

Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
March 2025
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. I've not had any issues with it.

In terms of bugs, I've not had any bugs, or I've not encountered any bugs when deploying Sophos or administering Sophos products. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, it's very scalable because they have different sized firewalls for different requirements or different specifications. 

It is also able to do high availability, so it's very scalable.

Currently, in our organization, we have coverage with Sophos Intercept X Endpoint Protection. We have 49 employees. We plan to continue to use this solution.

We are currently subscribed to a three-year product and will be using it for a duration of three years.

How are customer service and support?

I have not had any cases where I had to log technical support, but I believe it would be fast enough in case I needed to reach out to them.

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

We are also using Fortinet FortiGate Firewall. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very simple.

For a normal deployment with basic configuration in a  medium-sized enterprise, it can take a day and a half.

If it's a complex network design then it might be three to four days.

It only requires one person to deploy and maintain this solution.

What about the implementation team?

We used an implementor and an integrator, but usually, I do it by myself.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The features in Sophos XG are the same features you would find in Palo Alto or Fortinet.

What other advice do I have?

I just like it the way it is. I wouldn't recommend any changes to it, because what they have is working and it's working very well. It is a product that I definitely recommend to others.

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
ICT Manager at toril community cooperative
Real User
A fast, agile, and stable solution that is easy to deploy and manage
Pros and Cons
  • "Orchestration of the firewall is the most valuable feature. It is a fast and agile solution. It is good with protection. It is also very easy to deploy and manage, and its user interface is easy to use."
  • "They can lower its price. It is very expensive. We are looking for a less expensive solution depending on our budget. They can also improve it in terms of firewall protection."

What is most valuable?

Orchestration of the firewall is the most valuable feature. It is a fast and agile solution. It is good with protection. It is also very easy to deploy and manage, and its user interface is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

They can lower its price. It is very expensive. We are looking for a less expensive solution depending on our budget. They can also improve it in terms of firewall protection.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very agile.

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

We didn't have any other similar solution previously.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to deploy.

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

It is very expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Sophos XG a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Support Executive at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Simple, stable and secure with regular timely updates
Pros and Cons
  • "The simplicity and timely updates."
  • "The interface could be simplified and diagnostic system graphs improved."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case is as a firewall, failover management of the internet lines. We have over 50 people using the product on 200 devices and we use it on a daily basis. I'm an IT support executive and we're a customer of Sophos. 

How has it helped my organization?

We are using sophos XG as the firewall for our offices, so any connections going outside of the office go through it. We are also using VPN clients and especially during the lockdown, it was very helpful.

What is most valuable?

I like the simplicity of the solution and the timely updates. It works well. 

What needs improvement?

The interface could be improved by simplifying it and making it much smarter. I would also like to see an improvement in the diagnostic system graphs. They could be modified to provide individual graphs. The present page has all graphs in a single page and it slows things down and takes more time to refresh and load. 

Additional features they could consider including in any update would be symbols and tools. They could also include URL groups and all Office updates, the regular things that people do on a daily basis. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for the past year and a half. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't yet tried scaling, that will take another six months. I'll be in a better position to answer then. 

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is fine overall.

How was the initial setup?

I've now configured three times and although it gets easier, deployment is a little complex. We had some issues with the company, unrelated to the product, more to do with the licensing procedures in India which could be simplified. Deployment only took about half an hour and the solution doesn't require any maintenance. 

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

Licensing costs are generally set for three years. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

PaloAlto, FirtiGate

What other advice do I have?

Before installing this product it's worth taking some lessons from the website which also provides some support. It's almost better than the technical support which is offline. If you have a good vendor with hands-on experience that's also helpful for first time deployment. After you've implemented once, it's easier the second time. 

I would rate this solution an eight out of 10. 

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
reviewer1439775 - PeerSpot reviewer
VP of Operations at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Stable, easy to setup the rules, versatile, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of this solution is the flexibility of it, it's pretty versatile."
  • "The UI needs improvement because it can be a little weird at times."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of this solution is as the main company firewall.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of this solution is the flexibility of it, it's pretty versatile.

Also, the firewall aspect in terms of setting up rules. They worked pretty well.

What needs improvement?

The UI needs improvement because it can be a little weird at times.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Sophos XG in the last twelve months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable. We haven't had any real issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't know if this solution is scalable. We haven't explored this area yet.

As we grow, we plan to increase usage.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

Initially, the setup was a bit complex.

It was complex because we were coming off of a different setup. It was just getting used to the software, but it's not too bad.

We require one and a half staff members for the deployment and the maintenance. They seem to do a pretty good job of updating it and keeping it current.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented ourselves. We did not use a vendor or integrator.

What was our ROI?

We're military contractors, and the cybersecurity compliance aspect of it has been the most helpful.

We know how the networks operate from our end, even though we are relatively green. We don't what we are comparing it to.

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

We prepaid in advance to get the max discount.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Sophos XG an eight 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
Technical Department Manager at Direcbusiness Technologies, Inc.
Real User
Has good VPN features and capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "We get good usage out of the features. It has enabled us to gain popularity. It has great features."
  • "The VPN features and its capabilities are great."
  • "We had a difficult time assigning IP addresses to specific MAC addresses."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for monitoring our web access, providing authentication and for security purposes.

What is most valuable?

We get good usage out of the VPN features and its capability; it is a great feature.

What needs improvement?

In terms of improvement, one of the features we are having a hard time getting a hang of is MAC addressing, like when we assign IP addresses to a specific MAC address. That is something that can be improved. For the next release, I think, it should have better feature integration.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for seven years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. We use the product for around 70 to 100 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support that we used was great.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was pretty straightforward. The setup took around one to two weeks. 

What about the implementation team?

We did all of the deployment by ourselves and we use one person for maintenance.

What was our ROI?

I think, for the XG, I think the MAC addressing. We were having a very hard time assigning MAC addresses with specific IP.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We haven't chosen any other product, besides Sophos.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Sophos XG an eight 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
LauriLaanenurm - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and Security Engineer at Datafox OÜ
Real User
Simple implementation, useful synchronized security, and helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability of Sophos XG is very good. However, there have been some issues with other weaker models because they are limited in hardware in resources."
  • "Sophos XG could improve the connectivity with Microsoft 365 or Azure Active Directory(AD). It doesn't work directly as other solutions do, such as Fortinet FortiGate. The client needs a separate AD server which is a problem."

What is our primary use case?

Sophos XG can be deployed on-premise and on the cloud.

We use Sophos XG as a network firewall for many use cases, such as offices, residential, and data centers. 

What needs improvement?

Sophos XG could improve the connectivity with Microsoft 365 or Azure Active Directory(AD). It doesn't work directly as other solutions do, such as Fortinet FortiGate. The client needs a separate AD server which is a problem.

There is no endpoint software for Linux systems, only the server version runs on Linux.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for approximately fours years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Sophos XG is very good. However, there have been some issues with other weaker models because they are limited in hardware in resources.

How are customer service and support?

We had an issue, but after speaking to the technical support, I understood it was a problem with Sophos, not a firewall problem, but with the endpoint that was related to the encryption of the disc. The problem is if you have a computer controlled by Azure at the same time as Sophos, then there may be some incompatibility problem between them because both of them are trying to control the computer and the encryption of the hard drive.

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

I have used other firewall solutions, such as Fortinet Foregate and Check Point.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Sophos XG is simple, but Cisco Meraki is easier. 

Since I have used Sophos XG long time it is easier than Fortinet FortiGate or Check Point.

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

Sophos XG is not an expensive solution. If you are willing to pay more, then there is the Check Point firewall which is the best out of all the vendors.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise other Sophos XG is a great solution because it is synchronized security between the endpoint and firewall which is unique. I'm not sure if Fortinet FortiGate has this technology, but it is a good technology in Sophos XG. Sophos was perhaps the first to use this kind of technology. What it does is if your computer gets infected, then the endpoint tells the firewall that, it is infected and the firewall doesn't allow the use of the network at all. It'll lock it down on this computer.

I rate Sophos XG a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Support Services Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Real User
An easy to use firewall solution that improves our security
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution seems pretty stable. We've had no issues so far."
  • "It's easy to use, but it's hard to configure exact settings. They need to make it easier to access advanced features."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution mainly as a firewall.

What is most valuable?

The solution improves security.

What needs improvement?

It's easy to use, but it's harder to configure when you want detailed settings. They need to make it easier to access advanced features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution seems pretty stable. We've had no issues so far.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't had to scale anything so far, so I'm unsure about the scalability of the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never had to deal directly with technical support.

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

We did not previously use a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

Implementation is straightforward. The only thing that was difficult was that we had some special cases and we had to dig in a lot to find the information for accessing very specific features. Deployment took about a week, however, we did about 6 months of research beforehand. You can deploy the solution with maybe one or two people, but we used five. We only need one person for ongoing maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

We handled the implementation ourselves.

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

We don't have any costs above the licensing of the solution itself.

What other advice do I have?

We are using the on-premises deployment model.

The solution is easy to implement, however, if you do decide on this solution, I would make sure that you have someone that has experience with this kind of solution or to hire someone to implement the solution properly. It will make everything much easier in the long run.

I would rate the solution 9.5 out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Vikas-Gupta - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Eon Networks
Real User
Top 5
The pricing is very competitive in the market and the support is awesome

What is most valuable?

  1. Internet security, where we have one single point of console; where I can manage my endpoint and my gateway. 
  2. Any messages coming in, I am getting the intermission immediately. 
  3. If my endpoint is getting infected, I get to know. 
  4. If my file is getting infected, I get to know from a single pane point of view.

How has it helped my organization?

The product has been upgraded, and one of the features we were looking for has been incorporated into the newer version. It has allowed me to customize for my needs as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

The past six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Nothing. No issues. It is quite stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a little bit of a challenge. Scalability is one issue with the hardware device and hardware files. Any kind of hardware file which has been delivered has been a challenge.

How are customer service and technical support?

Sophos is being preferred only because of their technical support. The tech support there is very good. It is a five-star support system that they have there.

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

Our previous solution was Check Point. I switched to Sophos just because of the pricing issue.

How was the initial setup?

It is very user-friendly to set up. Very straightforward.

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

Pricing is very competitive in the market.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Only Check Point. That was the one product which I evaluated.

What other advice do I have?

The support is awesome. QA is very simple, and the administration is very straightforward.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
MelvynLee - PeerSpot reviewer
MelvynLeeNetwork Cooperations at STEVENSON ASTROSAT LIMITED
Real User

Good to know the support is dependable. Thanks Vikas.

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Updated: March 2025
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