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Astound Managed SD-WAN vs SMX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Astound Managed SD-WAN
Ranking in Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP)
21st
Average Rating
10.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Managed SD-WAN Services (1st)
SMX
Ranking in Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP)
13th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) category, the mindshare of Astound Managed SD-WAN is 1.5%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SMX is 0.9%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SMX0.9%
Astound Managed SD-WAN1.5%
Other97.6%
Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP)
 

Featured Reviews

JP
Executive Pastor at Grace Community Fellowship
Helps us increase network performance, provides speed for streaming audio and video, and gives us room to grow
I told Astound and Mark III about our needs and desires. We needed a Meraki firewall and speed on the fiber optic side. Based on our needs, Astound set up our desired solution and designed a system that gives us room to grow. We have no limitations based on what Astound or Mark III have provided. The setup was straightforward. Astound was very thorough about what would occur and what we needed to provide. On the day of installation, a Mark III representative and Astound made sure that everything we needed was taken care of. The initial setup took two hours. On the network side, it took two or three days just to define IP addresses and get through the firewall. Astound connected us with Cisco immediately to work on the Meraki unit. That was resolved that day. The router and equipment came from Astound. Then Mark III came in, designed it, laid it out, connected it, and configured it. When the network was installed, they worked with the sound team to make sure that our office, audio, and video needs were being met. Our primary need is WiFi because we need to meet the needs of our members and teams in various ministries on Sunday mornings. We have met that goal. We pay a company to manage our network, so we haven't had any issues. Everything is done remotely. We don't have an IT person in-house.
RA
Network Support Technician at Astound Broadband
Centralized view has simplified modem checks and has improved troubleshooting speed
I don't appreciate the way that the alarms show. When there is an alarm, the search functionality for it is a bit awkward. I want to be able to check alarms and have it show me only the alarms for that particular device instead of everything on the network and then having to refilter it. It gets a little finicky sometimes, especially in the moment when I'm trying to troubleshoot.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution is easy to use; I haven't had any troubleshooting issues, and we're getting exactly what we paid for, if not more."
"Astound is adequate, sufficient, and gives us room to grow."
"It's just a huge improvement compared to where we came from. I can get in, configure, identify, and reconfigure, and I don't have to troubleshoot anything. It's all very easy and flows really well."
"Its automation capabilities are beneficial for checking compliance with suppliers and vendors internationally during logistical transitions."
"I appreciate that it displays all the important information on one screen, such as if it's online, light levels of the fiber coming in, and whether they have anything connected to the equipment."
 

Cons

"As a new customer opening our first worship center, I would have liked for Astound to provide examples of products other churches use."
"As a church, we don't employ a typical IT person, so it would help if they could set up a more user-friendly layman's type of profile and settings, where everything is simplified into layman's terms. For example, it could say, "Turn internet speed up for guest use," or "Turn it down," or "Turn it off," or "Reset it.""
"There is room for improvement in enhancing AI capabilities for threat detection, especially in tracking different locations."
"I don't appreciate the way that the alarms show. When there is an alarm, the search functionality for it is a bit awkward."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Financially, it was a big jump. We went from just shy of a couple of hundred bucks a month to close to $1,200. It's an expense that, although it's significantly higher than what we were paying, is worth it."
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Questions from the Community

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What needs improvement with SMX?
There is room for improvement in enhancing AI capabilities for threat detection, especially in tracking different locations. It would be ideal to develop more in terms of databases for cross-checki...
What is your primary use case for SMX?
I use the solution for projecting deals regarding the decarbonization of high-value clients. Additionally, we are involved in managing and processing data in various contexts.
What advice do you have for others considering SMX?
I would recommend SMX because the information is available in real-time for different functions, significantly reducing the need to search for data. On a scale of one to ten, I rate SMX an eight ou...
 

Also Known As

RCN Business Managed Security
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Astound Managed SD-WAN vs. SMX and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,277 professionals have used our research since 2012.