Sophos XG Reviews

I use Sophos XG in my company as a firewall for my company's network. The product is used to manage the internet access received through routers for our company's network.

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the routing functionality provided by the product is very easy for our company to use in our network since it provides for the movement of packets from one device to the other devices in our network, making it an area which works really fine for us.

I want an increase in the ability of the product to block and delete the websites and applications that don't work fine for our company. The tool ends up blocking another website that I need when I only want it to block a particular website or application. I can't use the product's application control feature, making it a disadvantage of the solution where improvements are required.

I have been using Sophos XG since around 2019, making it five years. I use Sophos Firewall Home Edition.

It is a very stable solution. In my company, we have had a reason to restart the product for a long time since the services offered by the tool have been fine enough for our organization.

The product was installed in our company in 2019 when we had around 15 employees. I don't see any issues with the product, considering the increase in the number of devices over the years in our company.

Sophos Firewall Home Edition doesn't provide technical support.

Sometimes, my company needs to rely on pfSense to deal with the area of backup. My company prefers pfSense to save data.

The product's initial setup phase is very easy.

I use Sophos Firewall Home Edition, which is available for free.

I haven't used the VPN capabilities provided by the product since my company already has a VPN-based solution in our environment.

The application control feature of the product is very good. My company doesn't use the application control feature for now since there was an increase in the blocking and deletion of applications when it was used.

The integration of the product into our company's infrastructure did not have any impact on our network performance. In general, the product is a bit buggy when it comes to the area of its impact on network performance.

I recommend the product to those who plan to use it.

I rate the overall tool an eight out of ten.

We use it for network protection. We use Sophos XG as a firewall in our own company, and we have also implemented it for customers. I have been using Sophos XG for a small office for my own family. 

We have also implemented Sophos Email Gateway for government mailing servers. It is not so elaborate, but for basic usage, it works very well.

We have implemented version 17 to the latest version of Sophos XG.

I like it for its simplicity. It is very simple to configure and implement. It is a very good product for medium-sized organizations.

There should be web caching to improve bandwidth utilization. It should have a very good caching feature. That's because we are in a very poor continent, and the connectivity cost is very high. We have low bandwidth, and the intensive usage of bandwidth is not easy here in Africa. If they improve services for web caching, it would be better.

It should also support a feature for Virtual Domains. Similar to FortiGate, we should be able to use a single device to create two or more virtual units. Such a feature is useful for separating the traffic between departments in a large enterprise.

When I try to use Sophos for Email Gateway, it's not easy to check a user in the LDAP directory. It's not as good as other products, such as HCL Domino. Sophos is good, but it is not so good. When we use the LDAP filter to select some users, we have small problems, but overall, Sophos is very good for me.

Their support in Africa is not so good, which is a problem. Their support can be improved.

I have been using Sophos technology for four years.

It is very stable.

Generally, when we implement a Sophos product, we do the sizing and plan the resources based on the expected traffic. We anticipate the resource usage for one or two years, which helps with scalability, but it is a product for medium enterprises. In my company, we have around 20 employees.

Their account manager and support in Africa are not so good. Their community support is very good, and a lot of times, I use their community when I need any kind of support, and I get a response for my issue. 

I use Sophos and Fortinet. I sometimes also use Cisco Firepower. We are an integrator in West Africa, and my choice also depends on a customer's choice. Sometimes, they are telecom operators, and sometimes, they are small companies, such as non-governmental organizations.

It is very easy to implement.

Its price is good. All features are grouped in the same license. It is an all-in-one license, and the license price is acceptable.

I would rate it a nine out of 10.

The solution is very easy to use. It's easy to navigate. 

I like that I can create new rules and policies quite easily.

The solution works quite well overall.

The solution is easy to set up and configure.

Technical support has been very good.

The solution is scalable.

The product so far has been quite stable.

We are in the movie industry. We're a movie distribution company. Currently, we are affected badly by corona, since March of 2020. We are working from home, however, this solution is for on-premises tasks.

The pricing can be high unless you choose a longer contract.

We've been using the solution for about two years. 

We have no complaints in regards to the stability. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. It's good. We find it to be reliable in terms of performance.

The scalability potential is very good. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so with ease.

We have 100 users on the solution.

We have 24/7 help if we need it. The technical support on offer is quite helpful. The offices are also in Mumbai, and that makes it very easy to connect with them and get help when we need it.

Previous to Sophos, we worked with Cyberoam. We switched due to the fact that Sophos took over Cyberoam and the Cyberoam model we had was outdated. Therefore, we were upgraded in Sophos.

The initial setup is quite easy. it's not overly complex. The configuration process is also very simple.

We have a team within our organization that can handle any maintenance that is required.

The pricing is not an issue. We pay almost it's $40,000 per year. Longer contracts offer better pricing. I'm taking a renewal with a four-year core contract.

I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies. Sophos has been great so far.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. It loses some marks due to the fact that I have had some technical issues with it. I also don't use it that much and wouldn't consider myself a Sophos expert. I need to spend more time with it.

We are primarily using Sophos XG for the identity base, policies, load balancing, and SD-WAN. Right now we have separate, different branches, therefore, we need to integrate it with SD-WAN. Of course, with SD-WAN, we need to do the load balancing, the VPN failovers, and also watch the connectivity. We are more particular on the link, and also the implementation of user policies.

The Multi-Link, or the Multi-Wan, SD-WAN, is extremely valuable to our organization.

The Anti-Spam and the Gateway Anti-Virus capabilities have been very useful.

The solution offers a very good Network Ring, QRS, and landing management. 

We've found that the reporting is very good overall.

They really work scalability into the solution at the outset.

The SD-WAN could be improved. It is not yet full-blown; it's only basic, really. They need to move on with the algorithm on how the SD-WAN works, and how it works in comparison to other brands of SD-WAN. Sophos should study those algorithms on how they do the SD-WAN to learn a few things that may help them build out their own solution.

I've been using the solution and various other Sophos solutions for a while.

If you do the right planning, most of the time Sophos is good for five years. It depends on the recommendations as well. Sometimes the Sophos team or supplier will show you the number of users or number of networks and they'll illustrate to you a plan most suited to what you have and what you might have. They assess everything and give you a five-year plan. That way, if you need to expand, they've already taken that into consideration at the outset and there's room to scale.

We have about 100 users.

Due to the pandemic, we don't really have any plans to expand. We may be downsizing a bit. We'll see.

We've been satisfied with Sophos' technical support. They are very helpful and responsive. Their staff is quite knowledgeable.

I've worked with Sophos previously and we had a different setup. In terms of implementation, sometimes there are complex setups and sometimes the setup s are more basic. Right now, we have a complex setup. We need to ensure interconnectivity between our branches. We'll have different networks, different sites, and a lot of complexity. 

It doesn't really take too long to deploy, however. The support from the supplier is good. They're always available to assist. They are well-trained and they are already familiar with the setups and configuration so they're doing a pretty good job in terms of helping us.

The supplier, the reseller, the partner of Sophos, is doing the change for the end-users. Most of the basic configuration has already been already done by us, however, for more complex areas, we could ask them, and they could come to us to configure it for us.

The pricing is based on the acquisition cost.

We have evaluated a few different solutions. We've looked at Palo Alto and FortiGate products. In terms of our end-point security, we've also looked at Trend Micro and a few others.

We are just a customer and an end-user.

We are using the latest version of the solution.

ON a scale from one to ten, I would rate this solution at an eight.

This solution does everything and anything a firewall can do.

I am tempted to say that all of the features are valuable. 

When you choose a firewall you have to make a strategic decision, much more than a tactical one. We decided that everything we use within it, goes through and it's got protection.

The dashboard is intuitive and user-friendly.

Training on the devices is an area that needs improvement. Their training mechanisms are not perfect, and this is where you lose a good appreciation of the product.

The documentation for implementation is not good. For example, when you look up the details on a firewall rule to validate it, the details are not there.

If you click on the help file, they say a zone is an area where you can define specific logical network areas. This is where they stop, with nothing more. If you want to go further into the concept of it, which you know there is, you have nothing. Then you have to revert to the internet and go onto newsgroups to try to see if anybody has had your type of experience. Then you find someone, they explain it to you then say, "Oh, it only makes sense". So, then when you want to implement this, it's much easier at that time. So, that's the best-case scenario that I can explain.

There is an area that is very specific to our setup, where working tools you cannot easily establish a VPN between two internal networks.

When you want to establish a VPN with different wizards, they assume that you're always going through your internet link. 

If you want to create, with the zero-trust concept, which is where you don't trust anybody or any device, you want to make sure that everything on your network is segmented and everything is relative, depending on its flexibility, behind its firewall or a firewall segment. At some points, you might want to establish VPNs between certain network segments. 

Since you cannot establish VPN tunnels from the Sophos interfaces, plus if you are doing something that's going through the internet, then you lose flexibility. 

Currently, let's say we have a factory V-LAN and you don't want anybody within the factory V-LAN to be able to connect to another unless it is to a specific V-LAN, and you want to use VPN technology, you can't do it because you can't establish the connection again between two internal interfaces.

I have been working with Sophos XG for six years.

It's a stable product.

In regards to scalability, it's difficult to ascertain at this time because we haven't scaled it necessarily. 

The use cases that we have are very particular, and we're not in a mode of having scaled it yet. We have approximately 100 users in our organization who are using  Sophos XG.

Their support, we have a mixed review of it. It's good, but where it's bad, is because they're an international company that relies on many different continents to be able to get the support at different levels.

When we get into the people that are from India, that's where the support becomes not as efficient as we would want it to be. They have different rules of operating under and they don't show themselves to be flexible. Whereas where I am, currently I'm in Canada. When I speak to the support people within Canada, they're much more flexible when it comes to trying to follow us up on what we're trying to do and get the thing working. They're more flexible.

It was a combination of 75 percent straightforward and 25 percent complicated.

It's approximately $6,000 for each device. We have three devices and it was somewhere around $18,000.

I would recommend Sophos XG to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Sophos XG primarily serves as a means to regulate user traffic, enabling control over internet usage and website accessibility. It also facilitates the connection of branches and conducts malware scans on network traffic. These are the main purposes typically associated with servers. In terms of features, Sophos XG excels in catering to customers seeking a comprehensive network security solution. It incorporates various functionalities that would otherwise require the purchase of multiple solutions from other cybersecurity vendors. This unified threat management platform encompasses a firewall, IPS, web proxy, mail gateway, web application firewall, sandbox, and DLP module. From the customer's perspective, Sophos XG offers an all-in-one solution for network security needs. However, it is primarily designed for small and medium businesses rather than enterprises.

One of the standout features of Sophos XG is its proprietary VPN technology known as RID (Remote Internet Device). This unique technology provides efficient branch connectivity without the need to invest in additional firewalls for each branch. By utilizing an affordable device called RED, users can effectively control and establish connections in a cost-effective manner. Additionally, the solution is feature-rich.

Sophos XG boasts an extensive and finely-tuned proxy that offers impressive capabilities. Its comprehensive database of malicious websites is remarkably vast.

The support from the vendor needs to be improved.

I have been using Sophos XG for approximately six years.

I rate the stability of Sophos XG a six out of ten.

The scalability of the solution is limited to three nodes and may not be sufficient for extensive scaling. It is well-suited for small to medium-sized organizations. However, when it comes to large enterprises, particularly those with a distributed structure, Sophos can effectively cater to their needs. Distributed enterprises, characterized by numerous branches and a small employee count per branch, can benefit from Sophos XG capabilities. However, for larger enterprise customers with high network loads, Sophos XG may not meet the necessary requirements in terms of handling the network's capacity.

Most of our customers are small to medium-sized.

I rate the scalability of Sophos XG a five out of ten.

The support could improve. This is due to recent acquisitions. The time it takes to resolve an issue takes too long.

The response time from Sophos is deemed unacceptable by users. When opening a support case with any vendor, an automated email is typically received. However, in the case of Sophos, this automated email, lacking a personal touch, can take up to a week to arrive. Such delays are considered highly unsatisfactory. Consequently, the quality of their support has significantly deteriorated. As a result, users are reluctant to open support cases and would rather reinstall an appliance themselves than go through the support process.

I rate the support from Sophos XG a one out of ten.

Negative

The initial setup process of Sophos XG may pose some challenges. However, once configured, Sophos XG proves to be remarkably user-friendly. The activation of the appliance may require a reliable internet connection and can be a bit cumbersome. Nevertheless, once activated, the overall experience becomes significantly smoother.

The process of installation can take one to seven days. However, the time depends on many factors, such as customer size, and overall environment.

I rate the initial setup of Sophos XG a seven out of ten.

The price of the solution is reasonable when compared to the market.

You have to buy the appliance and pay for the license that matches your needs.

I rate the price of Sophos XG a seven out of ten. 

The solution had stability issues in the past but they have been resolved.

Before making a purchase, it is advisable to emphasize the importance of account managers and support from the vendor. In the past, the common practice was to involve the vendor's on-site personnel, such as the country manager in Saudi Arabia, when opening a support case. By opening the support case and sharing the support ID with the country manager, they could facilitate faster escalation and assistance behind the scenes. Essentially, contacting the sales representatives can help expedite the support process.

I rate Sophos XG a nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution as a comprehensive security device.

The VPN capabilities are quite good.

The solution is very good at web and application filtering.

It's quite a comprehensive security solution.

The performance the solution offers is excellent. Compared to the older solution, and especially on the cloud, it can reach very good performance. It depends on the licenses, of course. 

The graphical user interface is excellent. 

The intrusion protection module is very useful.

You can easily connect the solution to cloud management.

The stability has been excellent.

Technical support could be improved. They aren't as responsive as they could be.

It would be ideal if we could have a more populated and detailed knowledge base. Generally, the new features must be tested before applying them to the production side. I would like to see more case studies, more application notes, and so on.

We would like to see an improvement in mail management. When passing from FG Series to XG Series, some mail features have been lost. We would like to regain them.

We've used the solution for many years - before it was even Sophos. Sophos, some years ago, was Astaro AG. Sophos acquired Astaro AG. We have at least ten years of experience with the solution.

We've found the stability to be very good. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no glitches. The performance and reliability are excellent. 

Occasionally, we do have to do a debug, however, that's typical of all firewall solutions.

The scalability of the solution is very good overall. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.

We have about 200 people using the solution.

The reaction times of technical support are slow. They should be more responsive. We're not completely satisfied with the way they handle it.

In the past, I've had some experience with SonicWall, Fortinet, and with a Linux solution. However, compared to other solutions, we prefer Sophos.

It's better to be certified to install in a good manner. You need to understand what you are doing. Sophos offers the chance to certify at different levels. There are commercial levels and technical levels.

The time it takes to deploy depends on the complexity of the setup and environment. It can take a few hours or a few days. It can even take a week if the architecture is very advanced.

Generally, you need to be an engineer to handle maintenance. We have three people at our office that can handle implementation and setup as well as maintenance.

You need a license to use the solution. We offer the license as a box license, or we can offer a license like an MSP, as a service provider. We often acquire the licenses and we give them to our customers as an MSP.

We are an authorized partner for Sophos.

We're using the latest version of the solution.

I'd recommend the solution, especially over, for example, Cisco. 

I'd rate the solution ten out often. It's really worked well for us.

This product serves as our current firewall solution, which is a network protection gateway.

This is a very simple solution.

It integrates well with Sophos Endpoint Protection, and we use the two of them to form a holistic security perimeter control. 

Software updates always come with issues. For example, I just upgraded to the next version, 80.5, and it came with VPN issues. It started dropping my VPN users. So, I had to roll back to before the software update. I think that the main area for improvement is the quality assurance of the updates.

The management console is a little bit rigid.

Scalability can be improved.

I think that it performs a little bit slow when it comes to connectivity, and having the speed increased would be better.

We have been using Sophos XG for the past four years.

This is a very stable platform. In the four years that we have had it, it's never gone down.

It is not a very scalable product. I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten because where you order it, it comes with prefixed ports. You will only have perhaps two for the WAN, and then maybe four LAN ports, and one console. In this regard, it's not scalable. 

When you buy it, you can't change the port configuration. In order to get more ports, you may have to upgrade to a bigger firewall.

We have about 130 accounts for approximately 80 employees.

Technical support for Sophos is very good and they have a big presence in South Africa. It uses something called Sophos Central, where support can fix the problem before you, as the user, actually finds it.

It is a very simple and very quick initial setup and configuration. Because it is a next-generation firewall, it does most of the rule development in the background. You just need to set up the basics and start it up.

For what you are buying, it's good value for the money.

Sophos is very good when it comes to pricing. A firewall has a lot of things to look for when you're buying it, including throughput and its features. When we purchased this product, Sophos was the best on the market.

In addition to Sophos, we looked at FortiGate, SonicWall, and Cisco. We were looking for a next-generation firewall, and Cisco was out of range because it was too expensive. We settled on Sophos because we already had the endpoint solution in our environment, and the price was very good as well.

Sophos XG is a firewall that I recommend because it's a very simple firewall. It's not complicated, and a LAN expert can just start using it and learn very quickly. Definitely, its usability is very good, and it's a very robust firewall.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.