Prisma SD-WAN Reviews

Our customers' main use cases for Prisma SD-WAN are to connect multiple branches since they have numerous locations that need to be interconnected.

My customers are in multiple industries, including hospitality, hospitals, finance, and institutions.

When speaking about features, I think the most effective features of Prisma SD-WAN are the centralized management; I don't see any complications here.

Centralized management improves network visibility because if I want to configure multiple branches and firewalls, it could be quite complicated. When I have the centralized system, it's easier for users to access branches and manage all the firewalls in the branches.

We have the opportunity to use SD-WAN application-aware traffic management. With multiple branches and ISP connections, we track applications and divert traffic depending on ISP connections and speed.

I am still working on what should be improved in Prisma SD-WAN to make this product better, and I cannot give any update on that part as of now. The costing part might need improvement, but regarding technical support, we do have good assistance.

I have been working with Prisma SD-WAN and the cloud manager for more than a year now.

This solution is stable.

Regarding integration security features, we have access to almost all the security features. If we have the bundle license, we utilize it, and it depends upon the client requirement.

The support by Palo Alto varies depending upon the issue we have. We don't typically seek support unless it is critical or when the client has a critical SLA. We troubleshoot first, and if we don't find the solution, then we contact support. I would rate the support at minimum eight plus.

Positive

My customers use Prisma SD-WAN on-premises.

The setup isn't completely straightforward, but it's manageable when you have proper knowledge.

I recommend using Prisma SD-WAN for those who plan to use it, depending upon the requirement.

In the implementation part, I see app definitions and SD-WAN without much complexity while implementing. As long as you have the basic knowledge and core concepts of SD-WAN, implementation should be good enough. Without the basic fundamentals, it will be troublesome.

Prisma SD-WAN helps reduce network costs. We have worked on the ROI, and it's quite flexible depending on the client's budget and requirements.

Regarding whether Prisma SD-WAN is an expensive solution, I would say the price is competitively high. Everything depends on what security features customers need and what budget they have, so we work on that part.

Some customers use on-premises deployment because we have multiple clients with different budgets. Some clients use on-cloud while others use on-premises, depending on their needs.

These security features help protect network data for my customers. We have good support from both the Palo Alto team and FortiGate team.

The documentation for Prisma SD-WAN is quite comprehensive; we get all the in-depth details.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution an 8.

Prisma SD-WAN is the specific solution we deal with.

We're using Prisma SD-WAN for connectivity to remote sites, specifically bypassing some of the expensive MPLS traditional setups by relying on dedicated internet access to create that full mesh for the remote sites connecting to data centers.

We have multiple data centers and multiple sites. I work for an enterprise size company with a few locations and a lot of remote sites. We have about 70 remote sites and four data centers.

Some of the best features with the Prisma SD-WAN are intelligent routing, dynamic path selection, best path selection, and forward error correction.

The security integrations of the Prisma SD-WAN have benefited our network infrastructure because we typically tie it to Palo Alto, which integrates effectively regarding templates for security policy, routing, and application routing. They integrate seamlessly from one vendor perspective since we have Palo Alto firewalls including the VM series, firewalls in the cloud spaces, and on-premises with virtual IOS for the SD-WAN appliances.

I used to have notes about areas that could be improved.

It is widely known that Palo Alto is quite expensive. The licensing model is pretty expensive, which would be the only downside to Palo Alto, but regarding the features of the box, it does what it needs to do.

I have not used it in the last 12 months.

The initial setup of Prisma SD-WAN was straightforward. Once the box was able to call home, we pushed down the templates and the template configurations.

It took us about three months to deploy it, as we were in crunch time trying to get out of the MPLS business.

After setting it up, it does not require a lot of maintenance on my side. It has been working consistently.

Prisma SD-WAN handles network failures or disruptions by deploying it with possibly two WAN interfaces. Once it detects a failure on one, it automatically performs dynamic path selection and determines the next path, since you're creating full mesh tunnels to the fabric, which is best practice with diverse links for everybody.

On a scale of five, I would rate their customer service and technical support for the Prisma solutions at 4.5. I've had no issues with them. They respond promptly and are good at finding issues.

Positive

The initial setup of Prisma SD-WAN was straightforward. Once the box was able to call home, we pushed down the templates and the template configurations.

For the deployment, my team consisted of four people. My role was architecture and deployment. I had a teammate who also helped with architecture and deployment, along with people who were hands-on at the remote sites to do some of the physical work.

I would advise that if budget is not a constraint, Prisma SD-WAN would be the best solution. I personally prefer Palo Alto's solution for security issues and aspects. If budget is not a constraint, it would be the solution to always choose, though there are a few bugs that sometimes cause issues in the environment, but they're quick on doing bug scrubs.

There is some AI Ops involved with Prisma SD-WAN, but we haven't licensed it for that.

Overall, I rate Prisma SD-WAN a nine out of ten.

We are customers of Palo Alto and not partners or resellers.

I have experience with Palo Alto's DLP, the enterprise DLP, and have dealt with Autofocus with Palo Alto.

For general use cases, we have used it to create an SD-WAN between different physical locations and for our remote staff who access via VPNs and the Prisma environment.

Our team consists of analysts or engineers, as we are small.

The best feature with Prisma SD-WAN for us is that when we can figure out the documentation and set it up properly, it works exactly as it should. The biggest issue we've had is that the documentation on their site is just bad.

Besides that it works properly when figured out, the biggest benefit for us is that we've seen a reduction in incidents.

The areas that need improvement include documentation/customer support and cross-communication between the support teams.

The documentation tends to be outdated, often directing us to resources that are no longer accurate or available, and this is one of the reasons we are potentially looking at alternatives.

In terms of the Prisma SD-WAN security integrations, we have seen some benefits, but part of our difficulty is trying to get all of that information on what it does and set up properly.

Because we've had issues in the past with getting devices set up properly, scalability is a significant concern for us due to the poor documentation that limits our ability to understand and utilize their system effectively.

We have had about 2 years of experience using Palo Alto.

Dependent on the scope of what we're trying to accomplish, it usually takes a few days to deploy or redeploy the product, sometimes even weeks if we face issues with SD-WAN tunnels that we can't resolve ourselves.

I would rate the stability of Prisma SD-WAN about a seven or an eight; once set up correctly, it runs with very few issues if at all, but getting it to that point is a struggle for us.

Because we've had issues in the past with getting devices set up properly, scalability is a significant concern for us due to the poor documentation that limits our ability to understand and utilize their system effectively.

Overall, I would rate their customer service or support around a four out of ten. We have occasionally had select individuals that go far above that, but overall, that's my rating.

Positive

I don't have enough familiarity with Prisma SD-WAN to comment on its AI integrations for management or security purposes.

I can't speak to the initial setup of Prisma SD-WAN because I believe that was done before my time.

We are a small IT team of about five people, and out of us, only a few have access to the Palo Alto system we use.

We do use the SD-WAN, Prisma SD-WAN.

The costs seem crazy to me since I'm relatively new to the pricing world of enterprise security solutions, but compared to other companies for similar offerings, it is comparable.

While I'm not familiar with working with other SD-WAN solutions, we have looked into Zscaler and FortiNet as alternatives.

The main difference between FortiNet and Palo Alto I gathered is that it came down to price points and documentation aspects, while Zscaler seems much more cloud-based as opposed to physical devices in the network stack.

We were researching documentation and pricing to determine if FortiNet was a better fit.

I think Prisma SD-WAN is a good solution if you have a large enough IT team that can have a person or two dedicate multiple hours to learning the system's intricacies, and if the pricing doesn't scare you away. But without enough team members to have a key expert, there may be challenges with management changes, updates, or expansion.

Overall, I would give them a rating of about five or five and a half out of ten.

My primary use case for Prisma SD-WAN is for companies with multiple sites distributed abroad. These companies need a centralized SD-WAN infrastructure capable of processing traffic at Layer 7. This infrastructure is particularly beneficial for organizations that require high-quality network traffic control, such as video and audio distribution, and providing support services via internet phones.

Prisma SD-WAN offers capabilities such as path selection based on Layer 7 attributes and application quality of service at the application level. It provides less than a second detection of failures to redirect traffic to other links. The infrastructure relies on SD-WAN gateway appliances, which can be physical or virtual, requiring zero-touch provisioning operations. This makes onboarding a remote site easy with near-zero system activities needed at the remote site. By reducing the need for expensive internet connections, Prisma SD-WAN allows customers to achieve cost savings.

Prisma SD-WAN requires a more seamless integration with other Palo Alto solutions, like Prisma Access. Although there has been improvement, further steps can be taken. Additionally, it would be beneficial if the solution integrated the SD-WAN features of Prisma SD-WAN with the security features of Palo Alto's next-generation firewalls, as they currently do not align.

I have been working with Prisma SD-WAN for about three to four years.

Prisma SD-WAN is an absolutely stable solution. The management, including the fabric management, is cloud-based, making it very easy for customers to manage.

Prisma SD-WAN is scalable. If I need to extend my infrastructure from twenty to one hundred sites, I do not need to address the capabilities of the management platform, logging, storage, or anything else. Everything is managed by the service provider, Palo Alto Networks, allowing me to manage my infrastructure without overheads or extra costs to adapt the management infrastructure to the actual needs of the field.

The support service is responsive. Although I do not have much experience with support requests, as I do not usually manage production environments, the support from Palo Alto is known to be helpful.

Neutral

We have a group of system engineers across Europe involved in this business. However, installation and deployment services are rarely provided to customers.

Prisma SD-WAN uses a subscription-based licensing model. There is an annual fee for the bandwidth managed by the appliances after acquiring the hardware or virtual appliances. The solution is not cost-effective for smaller environments and is more suitable for medium to large companies. There are additional add-on licenses available for extra features like ADEM.

I would recommend Prisma SD-WAN to organizations needing strict control over the quality of network traffic, such as those involved in video and audio distribution or providing support services via internet phones. However, sometimes customers mistakenly seek SD-WAN when they only need redundancy or load balancing instead of the advanced quality controls SD-WAN provides. 

Overall, I rate Prisma SD-WAN as an eight out of ten.

Positive

For Prisma SD-WAN, we use it as an intersite access for branches and also use the cloud proxy. We use Prisma Access for remote users, replacing our traditional PPA. We also consider the cloud to be part of the RN or remote networks.

Prisma centralizes everything, allowing us to remove NetFoundry and replace it with Prisma SD-WAN. It simplifies the onboarding process for users and allows us to replace our traditional connectivity solutions.

Prisma offers a dedicated instance hosted in AWS as a backend, a mature platform in terms of security, and a single dashboard for Prisma management integrated with other solutions like AI ops and Prisma access visibility. The AI ops feature streamlines revisions and automates compliance.

If Palo Alto could open the platform to manage other SD-WANs, it would be beneficial. Currently, it only manages Palo Alto. Also, if there were an option to extend management to other firewalls, users could perform staggered migrations.

We have been using Prisma SD-WAN for about three years.

Stability is high, I rate it 9.8 out of ten. We haven't experienced any outages.

Scalability is straightforward at the higher tier. I rate it a ten out of ten since we can easily scale by just paying for additional licenses as needed.

Since we are at a premium level, customer service is rated at eight or 8.9 out of ten. It can take an engineer an hour or two to resolve a ticket.

Positive

We previously used NetFoundry for intersite connectivity and Sophos Endpoint VPN, and replaced these with Prisma SD-WAN.

The setup process is straightforward with the onboarding service attached to Prisma, ensuring smooth sailing.

Professional service provided by Palo Alto is part of the onboarding service.

The price for Prisma is a bit high, but it is a premium service. The higher tier provides flexibility and scalability benefits.

Compared with competitors like Fortinet, Cato, and Netscaler, Prisma stands out due to its mature security platform and comprehensive threat assessment capabilities.

The AI ops feature is beneficial for aligning configurations to industry standards. Prisma SD-WAN is recommended due to its comprehensive capabilities.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Positive

We used to have Panorama. Panorama is the centralized management platform for all the firewalls. In terms of centralized configuration management and troubleshooting, all the firewalls in the network are managed. 

Prisma is one step ahead, and it is a one-stop solution. Firstly, we used a different type of global coding VPN in our environment. For example, we use XYZ VPN to connect to the production network. We were using four to five types of VPNs. Prisma is the global VPN solution that it offers. They connect to Prisma via a single gateway, even maintaining security and segmentation. It's the centralized solution for managing all the configuration and VPN solutions. We have service connections to our data centers in AWS and Azure. If there are any workloads in AWS or Azure, users don't have specific connectivity to AWS and Azure nowadays. They can access all the required applications from Prisma. 

When you log in to the Palo Alto hub, a website where they have all the cloud-hosted portfolios, you will see many custom applications they are hosting in the cloud along with Prisma. For example, they have AIOps in the ignition firewall feature. 

Once you integrate that with Prisma, you have a centralized view of your network's security-related services. For example, you can see which firewalls have the antivirus profile enabled and which firewalls are missing this profile. You get a centralized view in a single dashboard. Additionally, for individual firewalls, whether physical servers or cloud-based firewalls, you must manage all these security policies, NAT policies, interfaces, etc. In Prisma, you manage everything in a single dashboard or configuration. Based on the service connection, you modify the route to have granular control of all the networks, making it quite useful to manage everything in a single dashboard.

Accessibility could be improved. Any new person attempting to access Prisma will have difficulty. It doesn't have CLI available. Only you can manage it via the GUI. There are specific tasks for basic functionalities, but on Prisma, the structure of all the tabs or the management functionality is slightly different. A newbie will take some time to understand the functionality of each tab and the significance of any changes. Once a person fully understands, they should get admin access to make changes.

I have been using Prisma SD-WAN for ten years.

The solution is hosted in a cloud. So, they have many backup instances running in the background.

Prisma SD-WAN is scalable, though specific cost parameters are associated with it. The scalability depends on the type of license you are using. However, with the appropriate licensing, it is very easy to scale.

We are a partner for Palo Alto Networks, and our organization has been using Palo Alto solutions for a long time. You can access Prisma through the Palo Alto support portal with all the necessary firewall licenses. Depending on the type of issue, you can create support cases such as P1 or P2. Regarding support, we have not experienced any problems in the last two and a half years.

Positive

Prisma SD-WAN is a highly reliable solution that, once you're familiar with it, makes switching to another vendor challenging. It stands out as a user-friendly brand, offering simplicity across all parameters.

Prisma SD-WAN automates and consolidates real-time data from all firewalls within a network into a centralized state. They display the security score on the dashboard and offer highly customizable dashboards. This allows real-time monitoring and provides step-by-step guidance for basic troubleshooting. In networking terms, it simplifies the tasks typically handled by Level 1 users, from monitoring to troubleshooting, making their jobs significantly easier. Additionally, it enhances layer-two email capabilities for more effective analysis.

Deployment is very easy. It's cloud-based, so you can configure a service connection using a primary routing protocol.

We achieved cost savings. We eliminated all VPNs, including decommissioning on-premises firewalls that hosted the VPN solutions. 

Since Prisma SD-WAN is a relatively new product, so its pricing is higher. However, the advanced functionality it offers justifies the cost. Business needs ultimately determine pricing, and financial organizations or banks typically prefer this technology for its granular control over network security. We have purchased a license for three service connections in our environment, which meets our requirements. 

We have service connections to the cloud and on-premises. Cloud-based intelligence synchronizes between them. So, in terms of traffic shaping, there is too much segmentation on the granular components there because, based on the service connection, you are managing your Rapid Protection and SASE policy. Various contexts are available. Based on that, you can negotiate your traffic policy.

Maintenance depends on you. There are autoscaling tasks available. You can schedule these tasks based on network downtime. For example, you can perform dynamic or certificate updates at your convenience using autoscaling. If most of the traffic in Prisma is coming from the US server side, you can schedule your jobs during off-peak hours. These jobs will be automatically installed and updated. This flexibility allows you to choose whether to perform manual or auto-updates based on your convenience.

Integration requires a service connection, which might have limitations. You may need to purchase an additional license for that. However, you can integrate various infrastructures if you have a service connection. Additionally, it would help if you used some protocols. 

The choice of Prisma SD-WAN depends on the specific environment in which a business operates. For instance, in our case, we have exclusively used Palo Alto firewalls from the beginning. This made Prisma a particularly advantageous solution for us due to seamless installation, implementation, and operational efficiencies. Our longstanding use of products from the same vendor reinforces this suitability. However, the decision ultimately hinges on the business requirements and the nature of the customer's network environment. Some customers may use FortiGate firewalls or a mix of different vendors' products. They need to evaluate whether transitioning to Palo Alto and then to Prisma makes sense, which could involve a two-step process. Transitioning to Prisma could be more straightforward if a customer already has an existing setup integrating various vendors' solutions across their network. Therefore, the recommendation for Prisma SD-WAN depends significantly on these factors. I recommend it to those considering such a transition.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

We use Palo Alto Prisma SD-WAN to stay connected between branches and headquarters. It's very well developed, easy to manage, and very secure for us. Without Prisma SD-WAN, we would rely solely on the firewall for VPN, which is not as beneficial as using software-defined WAN. 

The dynamic routing in Prisma SD-WAN is high-speed and valuable because it quickly adjusts, so users do not realize the link is down. The traffic shaping feature is also handy. In branches with poor internet connections, traffic shaping allows us to restrict and manage bandwidth effectively. This ensures no single user can consume all the bandwidth, and it reserves equal parts of the link for all users. For example, we can share the link equally in a small office with ten people. Prisma SD-WAN is highly effective in handling network failovers and ensuring business continuity. It includes redundancy, failover capabilities, and extensive monitoring tools. If one customer experiences an attack, updates are provided to all other customers to prevent similar threats.

The pricing for Prisma SD-WAN needs improvement. It's a perfect solution, but its price is above the market average. An additional feature that can be introduced is the inclusion of a remote browser solution with the same license as Prisma SD-WAN. This could complement and improve the overall solution.

I have been using Prisma SD-WAN for the past year.

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten since it schedules some updates but still offers high stability.

The manager runs on the cloud, which indicates that there are no limits. We can manage many branch offices as our company has about thirty branches, which is quickly done with this solution.

I rate the scalability of Prisma SD-WAN ten out of ten.

We previously used Cyberoam without an SD-WAN license, relying on the older method of VPN with private links and no dynamic routing.

The setup was pretty straightforward and can be deployed by any senior analyst. We required five specialists for deployment, including network security analysts and one project manager. We also needed two guys from the partner for the deployment.

The deployment took about forty days. We designed the architecture, defined the topology, and planned the logistics to change the equipment without stopping work at the branches throughout the country. After creating the implementation methods using the manager, we scheduled Windows to turn the solution on and switch from the former solution to the new one.

I would rate my experience with the initial setup of Prisma SD-WAN as seven out of ten.

Regarding ROI, I think it takes about two years, or twenty-four months, to see the return. We replaced older technologies like MPLS with more affordable broadband links, allowing us to equip branches with multiple broadband links that are cheaper than MPLS.

It is more expensive than Fortinet.

We evaluated other options, including Fortinet and Aruba, before choosing Prisma SD-WAN. We decided on Prisma SD-WAN because of its cloud-based composition, extensive features, surpassing Fortinet, and lower cost compared to Aruba.

I recommend doing a POC before buying Prisma SD-WAN. This helps you understand how the solution works, clarify doubts with Palo Alto specialists, and make a preliminary design for implementation. This way, you can identify all costs involved and avoid surprises post-purchase.

Regarding AI, I know Prisma SD-WAN is connected to Palo Alto's data lake and monitors threats using AI, but I don't see how it works. However, it does help optimize our network.

Overall, I rate Prisma SD-WAN as nine out of ten as it is good but not perfect.

Prisma SD-WAN provides security when remote users want to access an application or internal server. We recommend Prisma SD-WAN for users who want to connect to a VPN through their laptop and for users who have multiple applications and want to integrate them with our cloud.

The solution's most valuable feature is the visibility of the logs. In case of any errors, we can check the logs and resolve them as soon as possible.

The solution should include custom ports and group voice connections.

We have been using Prisma SD-WAN for the last six months.

The solution’s technical support is good. The technical support team's response time should be improved. The support's SLA timing always takes one or two hours, and sometimes it takes four to five hours.

I rate the solution’s technical support a seven or eight out of ten.

We have a dedicated team for Prisma SD-WAN, which handles the technical parts and pre-sales. Palo Alto is the market leader in security integration. It provides WildFire and an internal security portion. Prisma SD-WAN has, by default, an inbuilt artificial intelligence feature. The solution has Wildfire, GP, and a single pane of glass features available.

I will recommend Prisma SD-WAN to users in the mid-level market who have been using public applications. I will also recommend the solution to an enterprise customer, such as a bank or finance solution with over 10,000 users.

I would recommend the solution to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.