What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily used as a firewall with all the "next Generation" functionality. We sell this solution to our clients.
What is most valuable?
I prefer the solution to other Firewalls as it is very intuitive to manage.
The product offers a more complete set of security functionality at one price . It differentiates more in objects to protect like web server protection or email protection.
Troubleshooting is easy with XG Firewall because of clear arrangement of troubleshooting features in GUI. I like the ease of use.
The Base License includes already VPN, network protection and web protection functionality and you have a wireless controller on top. The data stream analysis and security features are built-in; these are the main features we need these days.
The user interface is very good. It's already quite simple and easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Recently, I've had a problem with updating firmware. Updates should be more stable . The last update I did was not successful and ended in a unusable device. Also the support case i opened for it could have been more effective.
I don't use all of the features and therefore it would be difficult to evaluate if anything is missing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been dealing with the solution for around 12 months or so. It's been about a year at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
From the update side, the last update didn't run successfully and this is not good for us as the customer needs this device to access the internet. If this device is failing and it has no connection to the internet it is a great problem for the customer.
It may be possible to implement a second device in a fail-over cluster and this would avoid such a problem as then if one device fails in the updating process, the other device could be take over, and so it would be not such a great problem. That said, in this scenario, you have to sell two devices. That would be the best way to ensure stability, however.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution is limited according to sizing. You buy one device with specific performance parameters, which should be equivalent to the customer's needs, and this device is not able to customize to a higher level. If you need to grow, you must buy another device with higher parameters.
In our case, the customers we work with have small setups. They aren't large organizations. Sophos told us about a sizing guide in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
We are a reseller and our first and only support case was not very effective. It should not be used as a guideline.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also resell Cisco products.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not overly complex. The process is straightforward. A company shouldn't run into problems but need a understanding of the device and the functions.
The deployment process depends on the requirements. A good planning is beneficial.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is good due to the fact that you get so much functionality from one overall solution. The base license covers all features you need to protect against threats from internet. Setting up the device basically is intuitive and there are a lot of help from internet community.
What other advice do I have?
We are a reseller of both Cisco and Sophos.
We're using the latest version of the solution for our clients.
I'd rate the solution at an nine out of ten. We've been satisfied with the product, however, there is still more they could do in testing updates.
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: Reseller