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Network Administrator at OM Networks Pvt Ltd
Real User
Offers up-to-date security updates
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is a next generation firewall and we have gotten good customer feedback."
  • "SD-WAN features should be added."
  • "The solution is more cost-effective than FortiGate, Cisco and Palo Alto, which have very expensive licenses."

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is a next generation firewall and we have gotten good customer feedback. It is a very good appliance. The daily, up-to-date security features of the solution's updates and device answer customer IT needs concerning security, network and web protection and new protections, such as those concerning data. 

    What needs improvement?

    The box needs to be fixed

    Moreover,the bugs need fixing. I also think that SD-WAN features should be added. The intelligence feature should be improved and Sophos needs upgrading and updating. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using Sophos XG since 2015.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable. 

    Both Sophos XG and XGS offer a host of cloud-based security features. 

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

    The solution is very scalable. 

    Our IT-related infrastructure allows us to scale up. This is a good feature of SD-WAN, which affords easy scalability to modern networks and many data center advances. The SD-WAN features are the most important part of Sophos XG's scalability. When it comes to the scanning power requirements, we have the ability to scale over it. 

    How was the initial setup?

    While the solution proved to be user-friendly and to offer an easy deployment we faced many issues involving its registration. This posed an issue when it came to scaling. However, we found it to be easy to configure and implement. 

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

    The solution is more cost-effective than FortiGate, Cisco and Palo Alto, which have very expensive licenses.

    What other advice do I have?

    The solution is very user-friendly. 

    I would recommend the solution to my customers because it costs a fraction of its previous price and most of them cannot afford an expensive EDR backup.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Sr. Network Officer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Features a great firewall but better solutions exist regarding email security
    Pros and Cons
    • "The user interface is very good."
    • "We are not very happy with the customer support they provide — it's quite slow."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use this solution as our main firewall. We also use it for email security purposes. Within our organization, there are roughly eight employees using this solution. 

    What is most valuable?

    The user interface is very good. As we've been using Sophos for four years now, we're very comfortable with the GUI interface. In addition, the IPS is quite good. 

    What needs improvement?

    We recently updated our previous version; now, the security licensing fee is quite high. I don't know if it's a bug in the OS, but it's not been very stable after we upgraded to the latest version.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    we have been using Sophos for XG for four years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Sophos is quite stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's not that scalable but it's good enough for us. 

    How are customer service and technical support?

    We are not very happy with the customer support they provide — it's quite slow.

    A year ago, we contacted technical support regarding the high security licensing fees but they still haven't gotten back to us; they're still analyzing the log.

    Support-wise, I would only give Sophos a rating of three to four out of ten. 

    How was the initial setup?

    For us, the installation was very straightforward. We deal with a local vendor and they guide us through the installation process. We haven't experienced any issues setting up this solution. 

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

    The price of Sophos is reasonable. It's not too expensive — I think it's worth it. Price-wise, I'd give Sophos a rating of eight out of ten.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Before Sophos, we were using Fortinet. Fortinet was also a good solution but Sophos was equipped with more features that we needed. 

    What other advice do I have?

    Feature-wise, I would give Sophos a rating of seven out of ten.

    They need to improve their support, overall customer care, and lower the security licensing fees. If they improved these issues, I would give them a higher rating.

     Before upgrading any Sophos firmware, be sure to contact the Sophos team and upgrade it according to their advice. Without their advice, I wouldn't recommend performing an upgrade.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    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.
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    IT Engineer at FormatPC
    Reseller
    User-friendly and helpful interface with good support that responds quickly
    Pros and Cons
    • "The VPN access for users is also a great thing, especially nowadays when working from home."
    • "Having a web portal where you could make requests for the categorization of non-categorized items, would be beneficial."

    What is our primary use case?

    For the primary use cases, we use SSL VPN access for rolling remote access. We use web filtering and we use the intrusion prevention that comes with network protection.

    What is most valuable?

    The user interface is very user-friendly and very helpful. 

    The VPN access for users is also a great thing, especially nowadays when working from home. 

    What needs improvement?

    Categorization or uncategorized websites is an area that needs improvement.  

    Having a web portal where you could make requests for the categorization of non-categorized items, would be beneficial.

    The DLP rules don't cover countries such as Serbia. You cannot make custom rules. That could be added so that we could detect content that is not supposed to leave the company via email, and so that the rules could be customized by the clients.

    We only have predefined rules and most of them are not for Serbia or countries from the Region.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Sophos from the time they acquired Astaro, before that it was UTM, then they released the XG firewall.

    We are using the latest version.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's a stable solution. We have not experienced any issues.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's a scalable product. In the office, we have four users in our organization.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Our experience with technical support has been positive.

    We have support from the local distributor. We have rarely had the need to contact technical support but when we have, we have had quick responses from them.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very straightforward and the implementation takes a relatively short amount of time. The fine-tuning takes a little bit more time but in general, it can be deployed and implemented quickly. 

    Also, the upgrades, backups, and recovery are very easy.

    What about the implementation team?

    We are Sophos partners, we sell them and implement them ourselves.

    We only need one engineer to deploy and maintain this solution. If you have a bigger deployment then you need two engineers.

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

    Licensing fees are on a yearly basis.

    What other advice do I have?

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

    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
    Real User
    User-friendly, good load-balancing functionality, and it's easy to manage
    Pros and Cons
    • "The interface is very user-friendly and it's easy to manage."
    • "All of the options should be available when I renew my subscription for the year. As it is now, there are some limitations."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are a digital design agency. We offer services such as website design and development, mobile applications, and more. We use Sophos XG to protect our network. It is also used for reporting and load-balancing.

    What is most valuable?

    The interface is very user-friendly and it's easy to manage.

    The load-balancing capabilities are good.

    What needs improvement?

    All of the options should be available when I renew my subscription for the year. As it is now, there are some limitations.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Sophos XG for between two and three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This is a stable product and we use it on a daily basis.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I have not tried to scale this product.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have not had issues that required contacting technical support.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is simple. It takes approximately one hour to install, create the policies, and deploy.

    What about the implementation team?

    I deployed it myself.

    If there are any issues then I can fix them because I have the expertise.

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

    The subscription costs approximately $300 yearly. I am satisfied with the price.

    What other advice do I have?

    Feature-wise, this is a good product.

    I would rate this solution 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
    Alex Clerici - PeerSpot reviewer
    System Integrator IT Manager at Tecnimex S.r.l.
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    Integrates well with other Sophos solutions, efficient, and is reasonably priced
    Pros and Cons
    • "Sophos began with a basic version and evolved into something more efficient in terms of performance."
    • "I would like to have a more efficient login process."

    What is our primary use case?

    This solution is used by both us and our customers.

    What is most valuable?

    As this product has recently changed, we are learning about the features of Sophos XG one step at a time.

    Sophos began with a basic version and evolved into something more efficient in terms of performance.

    It integrates well with other Sophos products, such as the Sophos Firewall, Sophos Endpoint, and other features in a cloud platform, to help the customer better manage security on their site.

    What needs improvement?

    I would like to have a more efficient logging process & real time analisys. The logging, expecially with EDR subscription, is something that needs improvement.

    I would like to see email management improved to have more features and options for integrating with other solutions, expecially cloud based.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We started working with Sophos XG when it was known as Astaro AG. I have been working with this solution for more than 10 years.

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support is always an issue, not just with Sophos but also with other brands. It is extremely difficult to interact with support within the time frame that the customer expects.

    In general, it takes more time to solve a problem, and better independent actions are required.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup can be difficult. You should be familiar with Sophos or have prior knowledge of it, as it requires concepts from older versions of Sophos, the Sophos SG, the Cyberoam environment, and everything that has recently been introduced.

    It is better to have some training before using this solution.

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

    The price is reasonable in my opinion.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I began looking into Fortinet solutions simply to compare some features.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would always recommend conducting a thorough analysis before deciding on a solution because Sophos may have some oversight for some of the tasks. It is beneficial to examine the environment that the Sophos product will be used, considering the integration with other features.

    I would rate Sophos XG an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
    PeerSpot user
    it_user736143 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Operations Manager at iBound
    Real User
    Excellent endpoint protection and easy filtering but needs a slightly better UTM
    Pros and Cons
    • "The filtering is very easy to do. You can segment and create profiles for usage very easily."
    • "The UTM itself needs improvement. When you're navigating it seems like it takes forever to load anything. The hardware is okay. It's just the software that could be more responsive."

    What is most valuable?

    The endpoint protection plan is the most valuable feature of the solution. 

    The filtering is very easy to do. You can segment and create profiles for usage very easily.

    What needs improvement?

    The UTM itself needs improvement. When you're navigating it seems like it takes forever to load anything. The hardware is okay. It's just the software that could be more responsive. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for four years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We do updates periodically, but the solution is very stable. We haven't had to go back to the site to reconfigure it or anything like that.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    At the moment, we haven't had a reason to contact technical support.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very straightforward.

    What about the implementation team?

    We implemented the solution ourselves.

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

    We tend to go for the bundle because it's pricing is competitive. If a unit comes out and they bundle the hardware with the software, it seems to work for us. I've seen that with future upgrades coming up, that features like this will be taken away. The option to get a combo with hardware means the software portion is mostly free, and then you pay upfront for the three-year license for everything.

    However, with the changes, I don't think that's going to be available anymore. It might sway our clients away from Sophos. Maybe there's something that can be worked out. Other than that, we've been happy with the price. It's competitive if you compare it to the competition, from a price point of view.

    What other advice do I have?

    We use a variety of deployment models, including public cloud, private cloud, and on-premises.

    For what we are using the solution for, its practically perfect. We don't need other features added. The solution offers exactly what we need.

    I would rate the solution seven out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
    PeerSpot user
    System Engineer at Dhanush Infosol
    Real User
    Top 20
    Useful reporting function, priced well, but configuration complex
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature I have found to be the reporting function."
    • "Some of the firewall rules are complicated for us to understand, they should be simplified."

    What is our primary use case?

    We manage other companies' IT infrastructure and some of them use this network solution.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature I have found to be the reporting function.

    What needs improvement?

    Some of the firewall rules are complicated for us to understand, they should be simplified.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for approximately five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We have used many different versions. In some of the older versions, the refreshing time took approximately 20 min which is too long, and in other versions, we experienced other stability issues.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable. We have approximately 25 clients using this solution.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    The technical support was very good before. However, now it is very difficult for us to reach them. There are crucial times when we need to speak to support but they take up to three hours to resolve or to address the issue. Sometimes it takes them 45 minutes to answer the call. When you are with a client you cannot wait this long. 

    The technical support needs to improve their response time in answering the calls and finding a solution.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is easy. However, configuring the permissions or rules in the new version is difficult and in the older version, it was simple.

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

    The price of the solution is reasonable when comparing it to other solutions.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution to others.

    I rate Sophos XG a seven out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
    PeerSpot user
    IT Manager at a hospitality company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    User-friendly, easy to configure, and stable
    Pros and Cons
    • "The interface is user-friendly and the product is easy to configure."
    • "Support for this product is something that is really important, and it needs to improve."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are using a basic model for its security features. We are in the hospitality industry and it has all of the features that we need.

    What is most valuable?

    The interface is user-friendly and the product is easy to configure.

    What needs improvement?

    Support for this product is something that is really important, and it needs to improve.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Sophos XG for almost eight years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This solution has been stable so far.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    This is a scalable product and we have about 45 people using it.

    Only one person is required for maintenance.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Before the current pandemic, technical support was good, but it is becoming worse.

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

    In the past, I have worked with SonicWall and Fortinet products.

    I prefer Sophos because of the user-friendly configuration and stability.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is easy.

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

    This is a budget-friendly product with reasonable pricing.

    What other advice do I have?

    In summary, this is a good product and other than the support, I don't think that there is anything else that will improve it for us.

    I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
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    Updated: March 2025
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