Check Point Remote Access VPN and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway compete in the VPN solutions category, both offering distinct advantages. Check Point has the upper hand in feature richness and integration with Check Point firewall products, while Microsoft Azure excels in cloud scalability and performance.
Features: Check Point Remote Access VPN offers seamless connection with the Check Point firewall, SSL VPN capabilities, and effective centralized management. It includes multifactor authentication and thorough monitoring with SmartLog. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is recognized for its high-performance connectivity, support for legacy protocols like BGP, and scalable cloud infrastructure, providing multiple encryption options and straightforward Azure ecosystem management.
Room for Improvement: Check Point's SSL VPN requires a Java applet, which can complicate integration with Java-free systems and PKI. Deployment of new clients and updates may benefit from enhanced automation and Linux compatibility. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway could improve connectivity stability and advance its monitoring and reporting capabilities. Users also suggest optimizing automation for integrations and reducing setup complexity.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point excels in on-premises and hybrid cloud environments, benefiting from excellent technical support, although regional differences in response quality are noted. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway's cloud-native design suits public and hybrid cloud settings, generally receiving positive customer service feedback, despite occasional concerns about response times and initial configuration complexities.
Pricing and ROI: Check Point Remote Access VPN is priced higher, reflecting its extensive feature set, with organizations valuing its licensing flexibility and cost-effectiveness given its security benefits. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway offers a subscription-based model that is cost-effective for cloud integrations. Both solutions promise substantial ROI through enabling remote work and reducing infrastructure costs, though Check Point's robust security features may justify its higher initial investment.
It reduces the dependency on being physically present in the office and enhances the overall user experience, saving time and maintaining security.
In this case, everything is pre-inbuilt, allowing me to easily create new users and share their details so they can connect to Check Point VPN and access internal servers.
I have definitely seen a return on investment from using Check Point Remote Access VPN, as time saved is money saved.
The solution provides significant cost savings, transitioning expenses from CapEx to OpEx.
Contacting the Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) initially can be difficult, but once I get in touch with the TAC team, it is easy to solve problems.
The timing of technical support does not always align with our working hours.
While the support team is generally good, it takes at least three to four days to address ticket issues.
In a recent incident, I had an issue with the SharePoint API. It relates to documentation, specifically the lack of up-to-date documentation because Microsoft is moving away from the traditional SharePoint REST API to Microsoft Graph.
Prioritization of tasks can also be challenging, impacting the timely resolution of problems.
Currently, 130 users can connect simultaneously, and it is very reliable and efficient.
I feel confident that Check Point Remote Access VPN can scale effectively if our organization grows, as it can handle additional users and traffic.
The process was very efficient to scale the solution, which supports a high level of scalability.
Check Point Remote Access VPN is stable and has been reliable for my users.
Azure VPN Gateway is very stable due to reliance on Microsoft's own network.
Check Point Remote Access VPN can be improved by having more granular options to steer traffic, like easier configurations for split tunneling, which is currently complex.
Check Point Remote Access VPN could improve by automatically switching between my two ISPs when one goes down.
Deploying these solutions requires higher technical expertise than other solutions.
The instructions on how to integrate P2N and P2S type networks into Azure VPN Gateway could be improved, though it is a constantly evolving process.
It is competitively priced, and we have chosen it for its market leadership in the firewall space.
The pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Check Point Remote Access VPN are a bit low compared to my previous solution.
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing are straightforward, though the setup is a bit expensive.
The price of Azure VPN Gateway should be rated five from a purely invoice aspect.
The pricing is somewhat high but acceptable, considering it replaces the need for physical network equipment, leading to cost savings.
The end-to-end endpoint security provided by Check Point Remote Access VPN impacts our organization by ensuring compliance and enhancing security.
Check Point Remote Access VPN has positively impacted my organization by improving productivity and given us a workaround in times of downtime.
The visibility offered by Check Point Remote Access VPN has benefited my organization as it detects unauthorized access attempts, immediately alerting me via a pop-up for any threat protection issues.
It's cost-effective by eliminating the need for firewall and networking equipment purchases.
The primary function of Azure VPN Gateway allows for designing subnets from existing networks, whether they are physical or virtual networks within Azure or other cloud instances.
Remote secure access VPN is a solution that provides users with remote access to an organization’s network. The host may have VPN client software loaded or use a web-based client. The solution leverages security features like multi-factor authentication, endpoint scanning, and encryption of all data in motion.
Check Point Remote Access VPN provides individuals with protected and efficient access to a company network from anywhere. This strategy fosters collaboration and connectivity between distributed teams and offices.
Features of Check Point Remote Access VPN
Key features of the secure remote access VPN include:
The system enforces endpoint security with endpoint compliance. It monitors and verifies the security status of each endpoint and reports back to the Security Gateway. The gateway, in turn, checks the compliance level and directs the connectivity to the right resources.
Users can deploy the Remote Access VPN in one of three ways:
Remote Access VPN is centrally managed. The centralized console enables management and enforcement of policies with a single log-in.
The Remote Access VPN has a web portal that users can use to connect securely to corporate applications, such as web-based resources, file-sharing, and email. Administrators can customize the web portal to match the brand identity.
Remote Access VPN offers two choices for remote access:
The authentication features include password management, RADIUS challenge/response, CAPI software, and hardware tokens. P12 certificates, and SecurID.
The system establishes a VPN tunnel on demand. It also re-arranges connections when roaming. The tunnel can automatically tear down when the user is on the corporate LAN.
There are several connection features, such as Hotspot detection, office mode IP, split tunneling, and automatic fallback to HTTPS.
Benefits of Check Point Remote Access VPN
One of the key advantages of Remote Access VPN is that it provides remote workers with a secure way to connect to a corporate network from any device, including their personal devices. The data encryption in transit enables them to securely access the resources they need for their tasks.
It also provides IT support and technicians with a faster way to troubleshoot software issues. In the case of a ticket, IT doesn’t need to go to the server location to fix the problem but can troubleshoot it remotely.
A remote secure access VPN is also an affordable alternative for small and medium-sized businesses, without requiring expensive infrastructure.
Reviews from Real Users
A Global IT Network and Security Service Senior Specialist at a manufacturing company who uses Check Point Remote Access VPN says, "I found the MEP feature the most valuable. This has improved users' latency allowing the users to connect to the nearest Azure Check Point VM."
"Organizations that already use the Check Point NGFW Solution do not require any additional hardware, which makes the implementation straightforward and reduces the time to go live," explains Basil D., Senior Manager at a financial services firm.
Manuel B., a Voice and data infrastructure specialist at a tech services company, says that "The IPSec VPN, Mobile Access, and Identity Awareness are three of the blades with which we have been working with since the pandemic. This has given us great mobility, making our network more dynamic."
A VPN gateway is a specific type of virtual network gateway that is used to send encrypted traffic between an Azure virtual network and an on-premises location over the public Internet. You can also use a VPN gateway to send encrypted traffic between Azure virtual networks over the Microsoft network. Each virtual network can have only one VPN gateway. However, you can create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway. When you create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway, all VPN tunnels share the available gateway bandwidth.
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