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ExtremeControl vs Sophos Network Access Control comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

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

ExtremeControl
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
12th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sophos Network Access Control
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of ExtremeControl is 1.8%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Network Access Control is 1.6%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

Jose Mota - PeerSpot reviewer
Has a simple setup process, but it could be affordable
We have noticed similarities between Extreme and Ubiquiti, particularly in their functionality, like how they operate wirelessly and can be managed from the cloud or locally. Based on our experience, Ubiquiti's system may be more user-friendly and capable of handling heavy loads. Still, Extreme could be more reliable, although you have yet to compare them side by side directly. For instance, we have observed Extreme performing well in a warehouse environment, which might have a different level of network traffic than a convention center.
Marco-VIVALDELLI - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable with good security capabilities and an easy setup
The user interface, in terms of managing the product, could be better. For example, having some sort of configuration scanner could be useful. I need some sort of base solution that I can provide to the company to set up a first level of service for the company. That way, I can install the product and set up a first level of security. After that, we can run some analysis with the company, with the key manager, and so on, and then customize the product to better suit their needs. It would help us create more tailored policies. That said, we need to have some base configuration that we can use as a kickoff in terms of saying, "Okay, this is a first-level configuration; that is enough to guarantee a correct level of protection from your point of view." And in this way, there is the possibility in the weeks to follow to customize the product better and more effectively over time to introduce a second level of features more specific to a single company. What could be an improvement, and what more competitors are doing, is introducing more advanced features in terms of artificial intelligence. This product needs more AI. It's useful to introduce systems to help prevent problems and better identify issues. The product needs to centralize information from devices and work to create a common database where an AI algorithm could have access to all of the information worldwide and therefore become better at predicting issues and finding problems. They need to widen their vision in the way competitors are to provide a higher level of security going forward.

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 can know which end users are using which features."
"The company also uses Cisco ISE in other places. I have been told that ExtremeControl is easier to use than ISE. The other reason we prefer ExtremeControl is stability. That's why they chose it for this big hospital in Oslo."
"Overall, I would rate ExtremeControl nine out of ten."
"There is information on migrating most of the cloud system's features."
"On a scale of 1-10, I rate ExtremeControl a 10."
"It has effectively enhanced network security and integrated with other security tools to streamline operations."
"The solution offers very good visibility."
"I am very satisfied with this solution overall. All of the features that we use have been working successfully."
"I found all Sophos Network Access Control features valuable, but IP blocking is the most useful."
"The wifi control is fantastic and makes it very easy to administer."
"The pricing is very reasonable and you can negotiate on the price."
"What Sophos has done is integrate almost the entire OSI layer infrastructure. It gives me visibility across my infrastructure. It gives me visibility into all the mobile devices that are on my network and into the security I have on those mobile devices."
"The role-based access controls feature of Sophos Network Access Control allows persons at different positions in an organization to have different types of roles."
"Sophos Network Access Control saves our clients time and money."
 

Cons

"I'd like to have access to more information on the traffic passing through."
"I would rate their technical support five out of ten. They have strict upgrade policies."
"One improvement could be better clarification, namely that the system only works optimally with all components purchased together."
"The initial setup was not easy. It requires an experienced person to deploy ExtremeControl, and deployment can take from days to weeks depending on the complexity of the network."
"In terms of cost, I believe ExtremeControl is reasonably priced for big enterprises, but for smaller ones, they need to consider that the price for less than 1,000 users is important, as this is the minimum number of users required for a license. Below this number, we are not competitive with other vendors."
"The installation is easy, it can take between five minutes to four hours depending on the complexity of the environment. The speed of the installation could improve for more complex environments."
"There isn't enough development for the on-premises controller."
"It would be good if Sophos Network Access Control had better integration with other devices."
"Sophos Network Access Control could be improved by having an ASIC chip similar to FortiNAC, as this would provide better processing for big organizations."
"The solution could offer more useful documentation."
"The difficult thing was finding the metrics."
"I would like to be able to fully customize the reports."
"What needs to be improved on is the fact that Sophos consumes a lot of processor resources and, once it starts scanning, the RAM utilization is very high."
"An area that could be improved is the information about licensing, which is fairly confusing at present."
"Sophos Network Access Control requires a lot of resources to work, which is an area for improvement. Pricing could also be improved because it's costly."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"ExtremeControl can be expensive compared to other options in the market."
"Sophos Network Access Control is very cheap compared to other solutions like Cisco, Barracuda, and Palo Alto."
"I rate the price of Sophos Network Access Control a five out of ten."
"Sophos Network Access Control is an expensive solution."
"It is quite expensive."
"Sophos Network Access Control is costly but has a similar price range as CrowdStrike and Check Point. The product can get more market share if Sophos can play around with Sophos Network Access Control pricing and improve it."
"It provides a moderate pricing option for all of its features and benefits."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Healthcare Company
9%
Retailer
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
7%
Construction Company
7%
Real Estate/Law Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ExtremeControl?
It has effectively enhanced network security and integrated with other security tools to streamline operations.
What needs improvement with ExtremeControl?
Regarding improvements for ExtremeControl, I think it is good as it is; however, some other products can support features like certificate management, which ExtremeControl currently lacks. Adding c...
What is your primary use case for ExtremeControl?
The main use cases for ExtremeControl among my customers are to authenticate the users here for the end systems in their companies and to manage authentication, authorization, and systems, and they...
What do you like most about Sophos Network Access Control?
Sophos Network Access Control has a useful interface, and I like its dashboard, which is very useful for us to check everything.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Network Access Control?
I am not able to say much on the financial specifics as it pertains to the sales unit.
What needs improvement with Sophos Network Access Control?
For now, I may not be able to say exactly what needs improvement. However, continuous development in specific areas might be required.
 

Also Known As

Extreme Access Control, Enterasys NAC
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Street Crane, Robert Bosch, Molex Chengdu, Weir Valves & Controls UK, Renault, AESSEAL, Ducati, Alexander Dennis, UK Ministry of Defence, Manz
Rushmoor Borough Council
Find out what your peers are saying about ExtremeControl vs. Sophos Network Access Control and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.