Head of Customer Success at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
2022-01-25T11:14:17Z
Jan 25, 2022
Hi Arvind P ,
The Sophos XG firewall has a number of models right from XG86 to XG135w under the 1U Desktop Form Factor. The Sophos XG appliance that offers a direct competition to the Fortigate 80F is the Sophos XG125.Sophos XG125 provides nearly all the technical feature list that is provided by the FortiOS 6.x in the Fortigate 80F
The primary difference is at the processing rate of the packets that pass through the firewall. The Fortigate 80F Firewall has a better overall throughput rate as compared to the Sophos XG125 Firewall. Also reporting comes by default in Fortigate Appliance while we require the optional Sophos Central License for generating reports in Sophos XG.
RPS is provided by default in Fortigate while we require to purchase the optional RPS in Sophos XG
Technical Analysis :
S.No
Technical Parameters
Sophos XG 125
Fortigate 80F
1
Form Factor
1U Desktop
1U Desktop
2
Deployment
Branch Offices , SMB
Branch Office,SMB
3
Firewall Throughput
7 Gbps
10 Gbps
4
NGFW Throughput
1.1 Gbps
1 Gbps
5
IPS Throughput
1.53 Gbps
1.4 Gbps
6
Threat Protection
400 Mbps
900 Mbps
7
Connectivity
8 x 1 GbE
8 x 1 GbE LAN + 2 x 1GbE Shared WAN
8
Redundant Power Supply
Optional
Default
9
3G/4G Support
Yes via Optional Expansion Module
Option Supported by the USB 3.0 expansion port
10
Reporting
Optional . Have to purchase a Sophos Central License
Sophos XG series has been replaced with new XGS series using Xstream Flow Processors. This has doubled the performance compared to previous XG models.
With Sophos XGS firewall they also give cloud-based Sophos Central service free to use for managing firewalls. Central-based firewall reports are limited to 30 days with a free account.
Sophos models XG 85/86/87 and XGS 87 do not support reporting.
Comparing models of different vendors based on specifications may not give the most optimal result.
The model should be chosen based on real usage data and what functionalities will be used since they have an impact on firewall performance:
* WAN speed
* LAN speed
* User count and traffic per user
* Servers and do you need Web server protection?
* VPN client count and traffic per user (gateway mode or split tunnel)
* IDS/IPS needed?
* Application Firewall needed?
* E-mail protection needed?
* Endpoint client used? Endpoint synchronization with firewall?
* etc.
There is also a possibility to add a firewall in transparent mode to the existing network, let it collect traffic data and choose the model on actual traffic and performance data.
There is also an alternative to buying out firewall appliance - MSP (Managed Service Provider) monthly based solution. A service provider or a vendor owns the hardware and rents it out as a monthly service. This adds flexibility for the client since the firewall and license can be replaced as needed. This may happen if the user count increases faster than expected. It may also have a good ecological impact if the hardware is reused.
Director of Community at PeerSpot (formerly IT Central Station)
Real User
Jan 25, 2022
@Andrew Ramsey thanks for your answer!
Can you please elaborate on "impressive boxes" (i.e., which parameters have you been taken into account) when FortiGate is compared to SophosXG?
Thanks!
Sophos XG is a product series with over 14 models. The Fortinet 80F is a specific appliance within a product family that includes over 24 models and a broad number of variations.
All NGFWs compete using the same baseline. However, Fortinet includes a wireless AP and switch controller.
Sophos and Fortinet offer cloud management solutions with remote access to the appliance for logging and management reports.
Comparing firewalls is dependent upon a number of factors including throughput, required interfaces and the price.
Please specify the Sophos model and I will be happy to provide a comparison.
Fortinet FortiGate and Sophos XG compete in the network security category. Fortinet FortiGate appears to have the upper hand in terms of customization and performance, whereas Sophos XG excels in ease of integration and customer support.Features: Fortinet FortiGate offers robust network security with high customization capabilities, VPN, and web filtering. Its consolidated security management is managed via FortiGuard services, making it efficient for high performance. Sophos XG stands out...
Hi Arvind P ,
The Sophos XG firewall has a number of models right from XG86 to XG135w under the 1U Desktop Form Factor. The Sophos XG appliance that offers a direct competition to the Fortigate 80F is the Sophos XG125.Sophos XG125 provides nearly all the technical feature list that is provided by the FortiOS 6.x in the Fortigate 80F
The primary difference is at the processing rate of the packets that pass through the firewall. The Fortigate 80F Firewall has a better overall throughput rate as compared to the Sophos XG125 Firewall. Also reporting comes by default in Fortigate Appliance while we require the optional Sophos Central License for generating reports in Sophos XG.
RPS is provided by default in Fortigate while we require to purchase the optional RPS in Sophos XG
Technical Analysis :
S.No
Technical Parameters
Sophos XG 125
Fortigate 80F
1
Form Factor
1U Desktop
1U Desktop
2
Deployment
Branch Offices , SMB
Branch Office,SMB
3
Firewall Throughput
7 Gbps
10 Gbps
4
NGFW Throughput
1.1 Gbps
1 Gbps
5
IPS Throughput
1.53 Gbps
1.4 Gbps
6
Threat Protection
400 Mbps
900 Mbps
7
Connectivity
8 x 1 GbE
8 x 1 GbE LAN + 2 x 1GbE Shared WAN
8
Redundant Power Supply
Optional
Default
9
3G/4G Support
Yes via Optional Expansion Module
Option Supported by the USB 3.0 expansion port
10
Reporting
Optional . Have to purchase a Sophos Central License
Default
Further Information is available at
https://www.sophos.com/en-us/medialibrary/pdfs/factsheets/sophos-xg-series-hardware-br.pdf
https://www.firewalls.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/datasheets/Fortinet/fortigate-80f-series-datasheet.pdf
Looking at the answers, most of the key items have been addressed.
Both manufacturers have synchronization between endpoint and gateway.
Fortinet has its security fabric; Sophos has its Synchronized Security.
Fortinet can use SDWAN connections for persistent site-to-site VPNs and can facilitate building a mesh network joining several offices or locations.
Fortinet also has a full line of routers and APs that can be centrally managed from the root firewall node.
Hi,
Sophos XG series has been replaced with new XGS series using Xstream Flow Processors. This has doubled the performance compared to previous XG models.
With Sophos XGS firewall they also give cloud-based Sophos Central service free to use for managing firewalls. Central-based firewall reports are limited to 30 days with a free account.
Sophos models XG 85/86/87 and XGS 87 do not support reporting.
Comparing models of different vendors based on specifications may not give the most optimal result.
The model should be chosen based on real usage data and what functionalities will be used since they have an impact on firewall performance:
* WAN speed
* LAN speed
* User count and traffic per user
* Servers and do you need Web server protection?
* VPN client count and traffic per user (gateway mode or split tunnel)
* IDS/IPS needed?
* Application Firewall needed?
* E-mail protection needed?
* Endpoint client used? Endpoint synchronization with firewall?
* etc.
There is also a possibility to add a firewall in transparent mode to
the existing network, let it collect traffic data and choose the model on actual traffic and performance data.
There is also an alternative to buying out firewall appliance - MSP (Managed Service Provider) monthly based solution. A service provider or a vendor owns the hardware and rents it out as a monthly service. This adds flexibility for the client since the firewall and license can be replaced as needed. This may happen if the user count increases faster than expected. It may also have a good ecological impact if the hardware is reused.
Hi Techies,
Sophos features:
-Address object can be created as a list.
-Endpoint security - added security.
-Reports can be exported from NGFW.
-ACL can be made as a group.
-IPSec VPN templates can be created and to be applied to a policy.
FortiGate features:
-VDOM can be created from the firewall.
-Fortitoken two free for MFA.
-SSL VPN MFA can apply through mail.
-KB article is very useful to troubleshoot any kind of issue.
Go with the FortiGate all day long.
They are impressive boxes and even though the support is overseas you always get someone on the phone.
@Andrew Ramsey thanks for your answer!
Can you please elaborate on "impressive boxes" (i.e., which parameters have you been taken into account) when FortiGate is compared to SophosXG?
Thanks!
Sophos XG is a product series with over 14 models. The Fortinet 80F is a specific appliance within a product family that includes over 24 models and a broad number of variations.
All NGFWs compete using the same baseline. However, Fortinet includes a wireless AP and switch controller.
Sophos and Fortinet offer cloud management solutions with remote access to the appliance for logging and management reports.
Comparing firewalls is dependent upon a number of factors including throughput, required interfaces and the price.
Please specify the Sophos model and I will be happy to provide a comparison.