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System Analyst at a transportation company
Real User
Makes it easy to block websites from getting in and to prevent users from going where they shouldn't
Pros and Cons
  • "The set up of the VPN is pretty straightforward. Being able to build VPNs on the fly for certain users, if need be, is also valuable."
  • "The usability could be better, but it is definitely manageable. If we have to go to a backup internet connection, that could be a little bit easier."

What is our primary use case?

We use it to prevent any unnecessary stuff from getting into our network. It's for the usual security features. We do utilize the VPN and there are quite a few people on the VPN right now.

How has it helped my organization?

It gives our business layered security. Attack vectors it secures for us include denial of service attacks, people spoofing our network, as well as preventing malware from getting in — the typical attack vectors. We're satisfied with it overall.

Also, there was a phishing scheme going around a while back. WatchGuard caught it and we were able to mitigate it. That was very good. It keeps us from not having to worry about our network being under attack. It keeps us secure.

It saves us on the order of three hours a month. The solution just works.

What is most valuable?

  • The set up of the VPN is pretty straightforward. Being able to build VPNs on the fly for certain users, if need be, is also valuable.
  • The traffic monitoring is very nice.
  • I also like the ease of blocking certain websites from getting in or users from getting to stuff they don't need to be at.

We're satisfied with the performance, as well as its reporting and management features.

What needs improvement?

The usability could be better, but it is definitely manageable. If we have to go to a backup internet connection, that could be a little bit easier. Other than that, I really don't have any complaints about it.

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WatchGuard Firebox
October 2024
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For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using WatchGuard for three years. That's how long I have been with the company. The company has been using it upwards of 10 years, I believe.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. We are probably going to be doing another area for some of the outer branches and the WatchGuards will be part of that. I can't say how soon it's going to happen, but there have been discussions about it.

How are customer service and support?

I have no complaints about WatchGuard's technical support. If you have a question, they answer it.

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

As far as I know, WatchGuard is the only one that our company has used. We like the product enough. We're buying another appliance because our support ran out on one of our boxes. We're continuing to buy WatchGuard stuff because it does what we need it to do, it's priced reasonably well, and we like the support and usability.

How was the initial setup?

We have deployed this product to distributed locations. We have a couple of branch offices and we've set them up in all of our locations. We set it up, we configure it to our network settings, we put in all of the information we need, and we go from there. We usually take a configuration from an existing and apply it. It's straightforward. The documentation goes step-by-step on how to set it up. The last time I did one it took about an hour.

In terms of maintenance of WatchGuard there are three people in our department. Whoever sees a problem or hears about an issue takes care of it. Two of us are system analysts and the third is our director of information technology.

What was our ROI?

It keeps our network secure and that's a good enough return for me.

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

I feel that the pricing is fair for all of the security you get. That's one of the reasons we went with, and continue to go with, WatchGuard.

What other advice do I have?

Go ahead and implement it and don't think twice about it.

We're not using the cloud visibility feature at this time. Maybe we will in the future.

There are 75 users of our environment, in total. They range from mechanics to accountants to our COO and CEO. Everybody in the organization uses it.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Carlos Coris - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and System Technician at MFAL LDA
Real User
Top 5
Reliable and stable solution
Pros and Cons
  • "WatchGuard Firebox's two-factor authentication feature is particularly useful and provides an added layer of protection."
  • "When working with WatchGuard, specifically in configuring Panda Security on the portal for the first time, it was challenging for me."

What is our primary use case?

The WatchGuard Firebox is our version of a firewall. It has several use cases. 


What is most valuable?

WatchGuard Firebox's two-factor authentication feature is particularly useful and provides an added layer of protection. It's been a reliable and stable solution for us.

What needs improvement?

When working with WatchGuard, specifically in configuring Panda Security on the portal for the first time, it was challenging for me. Creating the partner center and setting up the account in Panda Security was not straightforward. Although working with the Panda Security part itself is easy, I faced difficulties in creating the partner center. So, maybe this could be an area of improvement. 

Another area of improvement is the license. The price could be cheaper. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We currently use WatchGuard Firebox T20 model.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?


What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are around 26 users using this solution. In terms of user capacity, the T20 model can support up to 20 users.

How was the initial setup?

WatchGuard Firebox is easy to use and set up. I work with the solution every day, so I'm quite familiar with it. In my experience, setting up WatchGuard has been straightforward. It didn't require much effort. 

Although I have spoken to others who mentioned that implementing it for the first time can be challenging, I personally found it easy. I had no issues with the setup.

Whether it was deployed in the cloud or locally, it took a month. I maintain the solution and provide technical support. 

What about the implementation team?

I recall when I bought the first Firebox; someone advised me to start by seeking assistance from the WatchGuard support center. I found all the necessary information to implement the solution. That's why I believe it was relatively easy for me to implement it the first time. However, I am aware that many people find it challenging to implement WatchGuard on their first attempt.

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

Currently, we use an internal lead to sell WatchGuard to our clients. So, the price varies. However, it's worth mentioning that our internal use of WatchGuard includes Panda Security as well.

We do pay for a license. It's a three-year license. It is an expensive solution. The price could be lower.

What other advice do I have?

WatchGuard is not a widely known solution in my country. People here tend to use CheckPoint, Fortinet, and Palo Alto more. However, I believe WatchGuard is a good solution that more people should be aware of and consider. We are actively working to promote it in Angola. In fact, there might be more companies in our country that could benefit from using the WatchGuard solution.

Overall, I would rate the solution 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
WatchGuard Firebox
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about WatchGuard Firebox. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
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Network Engineer at VANDERBURGH COUNTY WORK-RELEASE JOBS PROGRAM
Real User
Ease of configuration means setup can be done quickly
Pros and Cons
  • "It provides us with Layer 2 and Layer 3 security."
  • "There are a couple of things I wished that it would do, but I can't think of those off the top of my head."

What is our primary use case?

It's our perimeter firewall.

How has it helped my organization?

We used to have Cisco and Cisco was pretty cumbersome. I actually still use Cisco, but I like WatchGuard for the features it has.

It provides us with Layer 2 and Layer 3 security.

If it didn't work we wouldn't be able to get to the internet and that would be a terrible thing.

What is most valuable?

All of its features are valuable, although we don't use the antivirus. We do use the web filter.

It's also the ease of configuration that I like. In terms of usability, it just works. And the throughput is 100 Mbps. It's fine.

What needs improvement?

There are a couple of things I wished that it would do, but I can't think of those off the top of my head.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using WatchGuard Firebox for about 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It works and just keeps on working.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is fine.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support is good. Honestly, I haven't had to call them in five or six years.

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

We used Cisco previously. Cisco didn't have the features that I needed, like the proxies. A Cisco box would probably do that now, but back then they wouldn't. So we switched to WatchGuard.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. You just read the manual and follow the directions. It didn't take very long to set up. It was about an hour to have it configured and set up.

I have deployed Firebox to distributed locations. You just plug in the numbers, the IP addresses. That's all you do. It's pretty simple.

What was our ROI?

We have seen return on our investment. It just works. I may have to reboot it once every two or three years.

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

The pricing of WatchGuard was pretty comparable to Cisco, but I actually haven't looked at a new Cisco box in quite some time, so I can't say how they compare now.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise that you go with whatever you're more comfortable with. If you're more comfortable with Cisco, then go with Cisco.

Firebox doesn't really save us time because whether you're going to configure a Cisco or you're going to configure a WatchGuard, you still have to configure something, no matter what it is. It is a little easier to configure WatchGuard though.

It takes just one person in our organization to deploy and support it, and that's me. Overall, our environment has about 300 users.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Andrew Keywood - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at Specifix Limited
Reseller
A lower-end product that does the job, but doesn't do it very well
Pros and Cons
  • "The set up was quite straightforward and we handled it in-house. It took a few hours to deploy the product."
  • "There is room for improvement in the threat protection, data packet inspection, and performance of the solution. Generally, it's just a lower-end product. It does the job but doesn't do it very well."

What is our primary use case?

It's mainly an internet gateway that is used for internet gateway protection and remote access.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement in the threat protection, data packet inspection, and performance of the solution. Generally, it's just a lower-end product. It does the job but doesn't do it very well.

Compared to Palo Alto, for example, some of the main differences are zero-day protection, performance, deep packet inspection, and App-ID. I'm not really a fan of WatchGuard. We only use it with one client and we're trying to get them to get rid of it. I prefer to use Palo Alto instead. Industry analysts have voted Palo Alto the number one firewall for the last eight consecutive years, so if you want good protection, it's a no-brainer.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for 18 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is reasonably stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I do not think the product is scalable.

How was the initial setup?

The set up was quite straightforward and we handled it in-house. It took a few hours to deploy the product. One a scale of one to five, one being very hard and five being very easy, I would rate the set up as a five.

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

It is an entry-level product, so the price is cheap.

What other advice do I have?

The program requires maintenance, including updates, patching, and subscriptions. 

My advice to someone considering this project would be to look into Palo Alto instead. 

I would rate this solution as a one 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: Reseller
PeerSpot user
ümit Yasin Karakurt - PeerSpot reviewer
Company Owner at SCI Bilişim
Real User
Top 10
The tool's antivirus and malware detection systems require improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "If you just plan to use WatchGuard Firebox in your office and not publicly, then it is okay to purchase it. With WatchGuard Firebox, you can manage your users and permissions while also taking care of the basic setup phase in your office."
  • "In WatchGuard Firebox, the antivirus and malware detection systems are areas with shortcomings that require improvement since they are the most important elements of a cybersecurity tool."

What is our primary use case?

My company uses WatchGuard Firebox for the data centers that work in our office. My company has websites and web applications, because of which we use WatchGuard Firebox for system security.

What needs improvement?

In WatchGuard Firebox, the antivirus and malware detection systems are areas with shortcomings that require improvement since they are the most important elements of a cybersecurity tool.

In the future releases of WatchGuard Firebox, I want to see more frequent updates.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using WatchGuard Firebox for two years. I am an end-user of WatchGuard Firebox.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a one out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is not a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a three out of ten. The scalability structure of the product does not work properly. There are some downtimes in the solution for which we don't get any notifications. In our company, we don't worry whenever there is an upgrade for the solution.

In my company, we are full-time users of WatchGuard Firebox, and we have applications that are not just used inside our office but publicly on the internet. My company faces many cyberattacks from Russia and China, which is really bad.

My company does not plan to increase the use of the solution.

How are customer service and support?

When trying to contact the product's technical support team, it turns out to be a slow process.

I rate the technical support a three out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Negative

How was the initial setup?

I rate the initial setup phase of the tool a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The solution's deployment process takes just a few hours to be completed.

For the deployment process, you first connect to a serial cable. WatchGuard has management software that you need to install on a computer to manage the firewall software. You need to connect the firewall serial cables to your computers. In my company, we manage just one software for upgrades and deployments.

One person is enough to take care of the product's deployment process.

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

WatchGuard Firebox is a cheap solution.

What other advice do I have?

The systems from WatchGuard are not properly working since I have seen that my company faces exploits in security when using WatchGuard Firebox.

If you just plan to use WatchGuard Firebox in your office and not publicly, then it is okay to purchase it. With WatchGuard Firebox, you can manage your users and permissions while also taking care of the basic setup phase in your office. For systems open on the internet, you can use solutions bigger than WatchGuard Firebox that can provide you with more professional services.

Since the tool's performance is not good, I rate the overall tool a two 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
reviewer1998435 - PeerSpot reviewer
Partner & Head of IT Strategy at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Stable, good price, and good intrusion detection capability
Pros and Cons
  • "I like intrusion detection the most."
  • "There could also be better reporting. For example, there should be more out-of-the-box management reports."

What is our primary use case?

We are WatchGuard partners, and we also use it on our own. We are using it for general firewall purposes and vulnerability management. We are also using some of the additional security stacks such as intrusion detection and so on.

We are one version behind the latest version. We have it on-prem at the moment, but some of our customers have private cloud solutions.

What is most valuable?

I like intrusion detection the most.

What needs improvement?

I'm pretty happy with it, but vulnerability management could improve a little bit in comparison to other parts, such as Cisco and so on.

There could also be better reporting. For example, there should be more out-of-the-box management reports. These two improvements would be nice.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for around 10 to 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable, but I haven't compared it with others.

There are five people who are using it from an administrative perspective, but everyone is using WatchGuard because of the VPN.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't interacted with them myself, but my colleagues state that their support line is good.

How was the initial setup?

Its setup is of medium complexity. It's not super easy. Everything is in its right place, but it's not as complicated as other vendors. It's in the middle.

The deployment duration varies. Depending on your needs, it could take a few hours.

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

It's in the medium range. Its price is pretty good considering the functions and add-ons that are used.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise having a proper look at the features because there are a lot of different versions, scales, and limits on different Fireboxes. You have to decide in advance which one is good for you in terms of performance, future needs, and so on. You shouldn't have too many changes in your landscape. 

I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Chief Executive Officer at esupport Solutions Pvt ltd
Reseller
Easy to use and configure with very good scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "There are many fantastic features."
  • "There should be better integration and a way to configure multiple vendors into the same data center in order to offer more flexibility."

What is our primary use case?

We provide the solution to our customers. It's primarily used for security.

What is most valuable?

The reporting aspect of the solution is what is most valuable to us.

The solution is very easy to configure.

The product has been very easy to use.

We've found the stability to be very good.

The scalability is excellent.

The pricing of the product is reasonable.

We've been in touch with technical support and found them to be very helpful.

There are many fantastic features.

What needs improvement?

Often, customers don't end up using a lot of the features.

They should move more towards integration with other OEMs such as web application firewalls, et cetera. There should be better integration and a way to configure multiple vendors into the same data center in order to offer more flexibility. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been working with the solution for about seven to eight years at this point. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's quite reliable in terms of performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We've found the scalability to be very good. There are no limitations. If a company needs to expand it, they can.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've contacted technical support in the past. We've found them to be very good. They are helpful and responsive. I would say that we are quite satisfied with the level of support we've received.

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

The pricing of the product is pretty good. I would describe it as fair. It's not overly expensive.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

One of our customers wanted us to compare this solution against Azure Firewall to see which would be better. We're still looking into that.

What other advice do I have?

We are resellers.

I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. It's a pretty fantastic solution overall.

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
PeerSpot user
VP at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
NAT-ing allows us to direct and control the traffic
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the NAT-ing, the IP addresses... We can direct the traffic where it needs to go. We can control the traffic."
  • "I would like to see more tutorials on setting up the Firebox."

What is our primary use case?

It's our firewall for the internet.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the NAT-ing, the IP addresses. What the firewall does is that it NATs through the IP addresses for different servers. We can direct the traffic where it needs to go. We can control the traffic.

It's fairly easy to use. I don't think we have any trouble with it.

We've also never had any trouble with the throughput or performance. We've just recently upgraded the internet and we're getting our router upgraded. Once we get that in place, we'll see how the Firebox responds. To date, we've never had any problems.

It also provides us with layered security.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see more tutorials on setting up the Firebox.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been Using WatchGuard for well over 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been fine. We've had no issues with its stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't scaled it.

There are about 40 users, anywhere from plant production to purchasing to the president, and accounting. They all go through the firebox to get to the internet of course. It's used by all management in the organization, for sure.

We don't have any plans to increase usage of the solution.

There is just one person who handles the deployment and maintenance of the solution. He's a programmer.

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

We didn't have a previous solution. It's always been a Firebox.

How was the initial setup?

I don't believe we had any trouble with the initial setup. 

What was our ROI?

My gut feeling is that we have seen ROI. It keeps us secure and it allows us to get out to the internet. As opposed to having no protection, it has provided ROI.

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

I've had no problems with the licensing.

What other advice do I have?

It works for us.

In terms of simplifying any aspects of my job, there's nothing I can specifically say because I've used WatchGuard for so long that I don't have anything to compare it against.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: October 2024
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Download our free WatchGuard Firebox Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.