


Steelhead and Cato SASE Cloud Platform are two competing network solutions. User feedback indicates Cato SASE Cloud Platform outperforms Steelhead due to its overall performance and features.
Features: Steelhead users value its efficient WAN optimization, data deduplication, and enhanced network speed. Cato SASE Cloud Platform users appreciate its comprehensive security, seamless cloud integration, and end-to-end coverage.
Room for Improvement: Steelhead users suggest better integration capabilities with newer cloud applications, enhanced analytics, and improved customer service responsiveness. Cato SASE Cloud Platform users recommend better offline support, more detailed reporting tools, and further enhancements in user interface.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Steelhead is known for its straightforward deployment with mixed customer service reviews. Cato SASE Cloud Platform is praised for its quick, user-friendly deployment and strong, proactive customer support.
Pricing and ROI: Steelhead users report higher initial setup costs but good long-term ROI. Cato SASE Cloud Platform users note competitive pricing and excellent ROI due to its comprehensive service offerings.
My experience with the pricing or licensing of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall is that many features can be accessed for free, so the pricing is definitely reasonable.
Without Steelhead, we would have spent much more on bandwidth costs.
I would rate the technical support with Cloudflare as excellent every time I've had to contact them.
The technical support of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall rates between five and seven at maximum.
Their knowledge portal and Cato Academy portal are excellent resources.
Our customer service experience is excellent
I think the technical support by Cato SASE Cloud Platform is quite good.
Steelhead's support is generally good for typical issues yet can be time-consuming during complex problem-solving across teams, particularly for Active Directory integration.
I have no issues with technical support from Riverbed.
Riverbed's customer service and technical support would be rated an eight.
The scalability of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall rates between 8 to 9, as it depends upon the use cases and what exactly the client needs.
As an MSSP, we find it scalable for end users across EPP platforms, network, and cloud sides.
If a customer has 1 GB traffic, they will only be able to utilize 600 MB of traffic with Steelhead.
It allows us to maximize use from our MPLS providers by handling traffic efficiently across phased deployments.
The stability of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall deserves a perfect 10 out of 10.
I would rate the stability of the solution as ten on a scale of one to ten.
I find Cato SASE Cloud Platform overall stable.
It's quite stable and provides all necessary alerts if something is wrong.
For instance, even if there is a power failure, Riverbed still works.
Steelhead helps significantly with large data transfers.
The product can improve by having more multitenancy capability, which is currently not available.
I think they're doing a good job with DNS and as support for any domains that I create or that my clients create, it's mandatory for me to ensure they have Cloudflare as their DNS provider.
And maybe something similar to Pushpin that Fastly has, which is an option where you can push messages that then can be scaled globally over the network.
The platform lacks strong security features on the edge.
To improve Cato SASE Cloud Platform, I think they sometimes need more built-in features for security in larger networks when doing local authentication.
Steelhead is very expensive, and the vendor should work on handling Oracle type of traffic better.
It would help if Riverbed could prevent such drastic impacts during updates.
It could still be useful in places with satellite communications, such as the south of Chile, or in the mining industry.
I do not find it particularly expensive, but for some companies, they may not have the budget to be at that level of security for their networks.
The pricing is flexible due to our special partnership with Cato Networks.
Buying the hardware initially is costly, but yearly maintenance and licenses are not as expensive.
Steelhead is considered an expensive solution in our country.
The custom rules and the geo-redundant geographical rule feature, which allows me to implement geographical rules for customers, add significant value.
The best features of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall are multiple, including the WAF, rate limiter, and bot attack protection.
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall's advanced reporting and analytics tools add a layer that we're able to visualize and see before it actually hits the local firewall.
It is scalable for end users across network and cloud sides and saves operational costs.
The single-pass architecture has improved user experience with Cato SASE Cloud Platform as it provides security teams in companies a platform where they can easily obtain information if there are breaches or security issues.
Functions like acting as an NTP server, DNS, DHCP, and auto-optimization mode enhance efficiency.
My actual traffic is around 2 GB, but I purchased a link from the ISP for only around 700 to 800 MB. All the prices that need to be paid monthly to the ISP are saved, which is a significant saving for my company after using Riverbed.
Steelhead's most valuable feature is its ability to hash and send only the important parts of the information, avoiding the resending of data.

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 16 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 6 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 15 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 11 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 5 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 14 |
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall integrates DDoS protection, load balancing, and firewall capabilities. Its ease of use, configurability, and robust security measures make it a versatile choice for protecting web applications.
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall provides a comprehensive defense against threats with advanced reporting and robust security measures. It includes DNS integration, rate limiting, and extensive rule sets, all within a SaaS model that allows API configurability. Users value its caching, scalability, and pricing, although enhancements are needed in rate-limiting and third-party integration. Improvements in customer support, especially in India, real-time controls, and user documentation are also desired. Users seek a more intuitive dashboard, better log management, and improved alert systems, along with multitenancy capabilities and enhanced reporting.
What are the key features of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall?Cloudflare Web Application Firewall finds application in industries like banking and retail by acting as a comprehensive security gateway, managing authentication and authorization while protecting web applications from malicious Layer 7 traffic. It also implements load balancing, CDN, and zero-trust policies, supported by advanced reporting, analytics tools, and threat scoring to meet specific industry needs.
Cato SASE Cloud Platform delivers a comprehensive approach to network security and connectivity, integrating SASE, CASB, and zero-trust network access for improved performance and scalability in diverse locations.
Cato SASE Cloud Platform offers robust security solutions, including a next-gen firewall and VPN support. It provides a unified management system that is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructures. The platform's self-healing model ensures real-time threat mitigation, enhancing connectivity and performance even in challenging locations. Users appreciate the platform's scalability, integration capabilities, and significant cost savings. However, there is room for improvement in security, network integration, feature enhancement, and affordability to better support larger enterprises and improve user experience.
What are the essential features of Cato SASE Cloud Platform?Organizations in sectors like finance, telecommunications, and construction use Cato SASE Cloud Platform for enhanced network security and global connectivity. It effectively replaces MPLS with a cloud-native SD-WAN, integrates security measures for public clouds, and provides centralized management. Its implementation supports a zero-trust model, redundancy, and ISP integration, ensuring scalable remote access and improved security measures.
Steelhead is designed to optimize WAN performance by reducing data load and enhancing network efficiency. It utilizes advanced data compression and caching techniques to improve speeds and manage bandwidth, crucial for cost reduction.
Steelhead offers enhancements in data throughput and network optimization with its ability to improve TCP and WAN efficiency. Organizations benefit from scalable data referencing and adaptive transfer schemes that simulate LAN-like speeds over WAN. Its monitoring features provide insights into network dynamics, although potential improvements are noted in areas like QoS configuration and handling encrypted traffic. Users also recognize challenges in upgrading, GUI design, and monitoring tools.
What are Steelhead's key features?Steelhead is widely used in industries like banking and distribution for optimizing traffic between data centers and ensuring efficient branch connectivity. It addresses latency problems, boosts application performance, and helps reduce data traffic. In environments with limited bandwidth, its features ensure critical data is prioritized, creating significant cost savings.
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