


OPNsense and SonicWall NSv are two prominent network security solutions. SonicWall NSv offers advanced features, while OPNsense is favored for its flexibility and open-source model.
Features: OPNsense offers strong customization options, comprehensive reporting capabilities, and an open-source model. SonicWall NSv is noted for its robust threat intelligence, advanced security features, and superior feature set.
Room for Improvement: OPNsense could benefit from enhanced hardware compatibility, simplified settings, and more accessible documentation. SonicWall NSv users highlight the need for a more user-friendly configuration process, better documentation, and an improved user interface.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OPNsense is easier to deploy due to simpler initial setup processes. SonicWall NSv provides superior customer support for troubleshooting and guidance.
Pricing and ROI: OPNsense's open-source nature results in lower setup costs and favorable ROI. SonicWall NSv, despite higher costs, delivers good value due to its superior features and support, making it potentially costly for smaller organizations.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
The network attacks reduced by approximately 60% after using that, even without customizing the custom configuration yet.
For a very little investment, I was able to increase the security of my network.
Investment was challenging but strategic, given its advantages like 30% depreciation in the Indian ecosystem by the third year.
The relevant metric includes the time saved in deployment, especially if you go with Classic Mode over Policy Mode.
They offer very accurate solutions.
The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Compared to some open-source projects with weak support, OPNsense stands out for having both a strong community and commercial backing options.
I mainly rely on community support since the solution is open source.
If you say you do not have one, it is finished. This is where the monopoly starts.
I would rate the responsiveness of the technical support from SonicWall as 9 to 10.
With the number of items that SonicWall has going on at the moment, the wait line can be quite intrusive.
They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.
The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.
We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.
Aside from these aspects, it demonstrated good scalability.
It supports routing, VPN setups, and traffic monitoring with additional packages like Snort and Suricata.
OPNsense is an extremely scalable solution.
Nonetheless, the product is robust, eliminating major scalability concerns.
On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate its scalability as eight to nine.
You can operate multiple different NSvs under one management plane.
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.
For home and small network use, OPNsense is also reliable, providing enterprise-grade security at no cost.
OPNsense is the same, but it does have a way of installing the Realtek drivers, which gives you a lot more stability overall on the system.
The only challenge faced was its inadequacy to manage large voice traffic effectively, even with dedicated hardware.
Understanding and handling these devices onsite was limited, requiring external support.
It rates around eight to nine in terms of stability, and it is quite good.
Investing in a solution that can accommodate such growth would be more cost-effective than repeatedly purchasing new hardware.
While Fortinet claims to offer a comprehensive network solution, it falls short in addressing computer application issues, particularly server security.
When considering Sophos XG, which we also use, the logging and reporting functionality is notably more efficient.
For high availability, it's crucial to have a method in place where a designated component oversees the entire process.
Improved guidance on package usage and integration beyond relying on external tutorials or community support would be beneficial.
I would like the APIs to be more mature and more developed and have more options to automate threat hunting.
When the software was downloaded, optimal hardware utilization was lacking, making hardware upgrades inevitable.
Currently, we are getting challenges with user-wise reports and other reporting details.
SonicWall NSv can be improved, particularly in the SAML implementation, which was introduced in 7.2 firmware.
Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.
It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.
It is about 20% cheaper.
It is a free solution, and when you compare it to alternatives like FortiGate, which is quite powerful but also costly, the value becomes evident.
I would rate the pricing a nine out of ten, especially considering the availability of a free community edition.
It is free.
The Global VPN will be chargeable in our product, unlike Fortinet or Sophos, where it is free—this is a major difference.
In terms of security, we have not experienced any security flaws or loopholes, and it has proven to be quite stable.
FortiGate has helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that might disrupt our client's production.
These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.
The most valuable features include the basic firewall functionality and the GeoIP location services.
I can have a Wi-Fi VLAN and feel secure that the server network or the VM network that I have on a different VLAN are isolated, and they cannot talk to one another, which adds a great level of security.
It offers enterprise-grade features such as intrusion detection and prevention system, VPN support, traffic shaping, and web filtering, all without license cost.
SonicWall excelled in threat management, evident in how users handled it effectively.
The features of SonicWall NSv that are most effective in enhancing the network include the Application Firewall, which provides enhanced security to the client.
I am not limited to the global security service configuration and can have multiple different security policies.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Fortinet FortiGate | 19.9% |
| OPNsense | 11.3% |
| SonicWall NSv | 0.2% |
| Other | 68.6% |



| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 350 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 130 |
| Large Enterprise | 187 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 30 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 5 |
| Large Enterprise | 8 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 5 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 3 |
| Large Enterprise | 3 |
Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.
Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.
What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.
OPNsense is an adaptable open-source firewall and routing platform appreciated for its flexibility, scalability, and user-friendly interface. It is equipped with robust security features and offers excellent reporting and visibility, essential for small businesses and home setups.
OPNsense stands out for its modular design, allowing cost-effective customization. This system supports VPNs and various firewall capabilities, making it suitable for securing networks from malicious traffic. Its frequent updates and extensive documentation, combined with a supportive online community, enhance user experience. However, there is room for improvement in integration with virtual servers and Azure. Scalability and hardware updates are important for large-scale environments, and users desire more reliable VPN solutions and enhanced threat intelligence tools.
What are OPNsense's most important features?OPNsense is implemented in industries requiring VPN and firewall functions, supporting site-to-site connections, protecting servers, and managing commercial network traffic. Companies apply it for security, UTM, SD-WAN, content filtering, intrusion detection, and prevention, utilizing its open-source nature and effectiveness as a next-generation firewall.
SonicWall NSV is a software-based virtual firewall that provides additional security for customers with public-facing servers or services on Microsoft Azure. The AGSS Bundle is considered the most valuable feature, providing security services such as antivirus, intrusion prevention system, and anti-spyware botnet GUI.
Additionally, customization of firewall rules provides great value to customers, allowing them to lock things up in the way they desire. SonicWall NSV offers extensive security control options to protect customers' valuable information and assets.
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