Infrastructure Department Head at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 20
Robust security features with scalability challenges
Pros and Cons
  • "It enables us to not only detect but also prevent various types of incoming threats, allowing us to take appropriate corrective actions and exercise control over the network."
  • "It does not offer any recommendations on how to mitigate or control attacks."

What is our primary use case?

The system comprises three primary functionalities: defense solutions, detection solutions, and the ability to identify, block, and analyze network traffic. It enables us to not only detect but also prevent various types of incoming threats, allowing us to take appropriate corrective actions and exercise control over the network.

How has it helped my organization?

We have observed numerous threats targeting our network from both internal and external sources. While we have reports detailing these incidents, we currently lack a clear method for prioritizing internal threats.

What is most valuable?

The information provided alerts us to the presence of threats from specific sources, which is highly beneficial.

What needs improvement?

It does not offer any recommendations on how to mitigate or control attacks.

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April 2024
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We face occasional stability issues. I would rate it seven out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It doesn't offer significant scalability features.

How are customer service and support?

In the event of a performance issue, such as users reporting slow access to specific websites, we conduct an internal investigation to identify the root cause. If it's determined to be a problem with the equipment, we escalate the issue to the vendor for resolution.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

What about the implementation team?

When we installed the equipment, we depended on an external consulting party to guide us through the setup and functionality for approximately two weeks. The project team, consisting of both project members and experts in the field, were actively engaged during this period.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is reasonable. At the time of our decision to acquire the equipment, we were working with a constrained budget and it turned out to be the most suitable choice to meet our specific requirements

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We considered FortiGate as an option but ultimately decided on Sangfor NGAF due to its more favorable pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I hope that its distributor possesses a high level of product knowledge, and the same applies to Sangfor itself as the principal company. This would enable customers to have a more seamless and enriching experience with the product, eliminating any barriers or disconnect between our team, the customers, and the software. Overall, I would rate it seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Muhammad Amanat - PeerSpot reviewer
System Network Administrator at Connect Logistics
Real User
Top 10
Affordable and offers powerful application control but could use refinement in its application control policies
Pros and Cons
  • "Sangfor NGAF's standout feature is its powerful application control, enabling precise restrictions on mobile user access to approved applications."
  • "Sangfor NGAF could improve by refining its application control policies, especially in addressing challenges with certain types of applications."

What is most valuable?

Sangfor NGAF's standout feature is its powerful application control, enabling precise restrictions on mobile user access to approved applications. The system's adept intrusion detection further fortifies our network, preventing potential threats.

What needs improvement?

Sangfor NGAF could improve by refining its application control policies, especially in addressing challenges with certain types of applications.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sangfor NGAF for ten months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

So far, we have not had any issues with the stability of the solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 250 users of Sangfor NGAF at our company, but around 400 users all around.

How are customer service and support?

The support team is excellent. Very helpful and competent.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

My company opted for Sangfor NGAF over other products because of its affordability, compact size, and easy management features. I like Sangfor more than Fortinet because it is cheaper, has a friendlier interface, and comes with great support. It just feels like a better fit for me.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Sangfor NGAF is quite affordable.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?


What other advice do I have?

Although Sangfor NGAF is a great product, I would rate it as a six out of ten just because I'm new in this field and still exploring other options and solutions.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Sangfor NGAF
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sangfor NGAF. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
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Group IT Director at United Medical
Real User
We don't lose data anymore because it protects us from viruses
Pros and Cons
  • "It seems to be a durable, stable product."
  • "They need to improve their research team and they need to study their data to analyze it and build the product."

What is our primary use case?

We mainly use this solution as a firewall. A few years ago we had some data loss due to a virus, so this solution protects us from viruses, controls the track rate and detects these kinds of malware. We are very satisfied with the solution.

How has it helped my organization?

I try to convert the benefit into a dollar value so that I can tell my clients or my management that I'm saving money. So, since we have zero issues, no malware activity, and no viruses, I have peace of mind. Before we started using this solution, we had a huge data loss and we lost millions of dollars. 

If there is any activity on our servers, I get a report immediately. If anybody is trying to intrude, I am protected. So if somebody is trying to enter into our area, I get an alert. There are other standard safety measures too and it is linked to our backup, so everything is amazing. I think the value lies in not having a disaster in the healthcare industry. The cost of having a disaster here is multiplied by three if you compare it with any other industry.

Whenever there's an attack, your data is safe, and you can recover it after five hours and your patients' well-being isn't affected. I think this solution is a very good example of a proactive solution that can detect problems and immediately fix the problems or issues. 

What is most valuable?

I think the most important feature is the solution's user-friendliness. It's very easy to manage and its database is amazing. It has all the features you need. When we installed the solution, we had a virus that hacked even our airline data, but thanks to the solution, we were protected. So their virus database is very strong, and they keep on updating. The normal features of any application firewall are that you can control it from anywhere and you can manage it very easy. Those things are very simple, and all NGAF providers have it. But I prefer Sangfor because it's really protecting us and it is easy to manage. It doesn't require a lot of skill sets to manage it. And their database is very strong.

What needs improvement?

We're still evaluating the program, so there is no guarantee that we will always get this kind of protection. They need to improve their research team and they need to study their data to analyze it and build the product. I think the developers should sit with their clients to understand how they can improve their product. Although it's running very smooth, they need to collect data from their clients to improve the product. 

Cisco, for example, has forums where you can go and type in your question and get the answer. So the developers of Sangfor needs to get feedback from the users and adapt their product on the basis of that feedback.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for almost two years now on premises and private cloud.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It seems to be a durable, stable product. My impression about Chinese products was different before I started using this solution. I'm very impressed with their improvement and the hardware seems to be very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's easily scalable. They've got different models of the software upgrade, so if you want to move your product and version, it can be scaled. We are expanding soon as we are building a new hospital in the region so we will soon need to scale up and increase the capacity and capability of the NGAF. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Whenever you have a problem, you'll get an answer in 30 minutes' time, maximum. Unless it is at a very awkward time, like in the middle of the night. They have a WeChat group on the cloud, so you can communicate there an get an answer within 30 minutes. The support is really good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used a normal firewall and antivirus solution - a combination of a hybrid system. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very straightforward and simple. They created a WeChat group and they send the product to us, knowing the email came to us. There were about three to four sessions. The deployment was very straightforward and they shared a lot of reviews. We looked at that and everything was fine. It's a low-cost implementation. The deployment took about four to five days. You only need one staff member for deployment.

What was our ROI?

I think the ROI is very high and the turnaround is very fast.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It costs about 8 to 10 thousand dollars per year for 500 users, standard licensing fees included. 

What other advice do I have?

Sangfor NGAF is a good product. People should try it, especially those who are not using the software. These firewalls are great and everything is becoming properly defined, even the network, the computer, the firewalls, storage, and everything is just waiting to be properly defined. It's a unique combination and people should try it. 

In the future, I would like to see it being controlled by an automatic, virtual orchestrator to control the firewall and all the data. 

One a scale of one to ten, I rate this solution a nine.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Director Technology & Service Delivery at Innolytix Pakistan Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 5
A reliable and secure solution bolstered by excellent support
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support is very good."
  • "Sangfor has recently increased their prices."

How has it helped my organization?

Wherever we have pitched these solutions, the customer is very satisfied with their capability and the security, which Sangfor takes care of.

What needs improvement?

Sangfor has recently increased their prices, which is not a good thing. Six months back, the price was very competitive for other principals, but they have increased it now, which is disappointing.

For how long have I used the solution?

It's almost been five years since I started working with this solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

NGAF is a very stable product. We never experience any complaint from customers that it is down due to the power supply or other hardware components. Normally, we don't get many complaints about Sangfor appliances or products.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Our clients are a mix of small, medium, and enterprise clients. In Pakistan, if a customer has 500 plus users or an endpoint, we consider it medium. However, we consider more than 1,000 users as a large enterprise.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is very good. It's instant. As a gold partner, we normally bring up the case with Sangfor whenever we receive a call. In parallel, our engineer goes to the customer to see the problem and takes the backend support from Sangfor. If a replacement is required, which is very rare, we normally get it within the time frame in the SLA.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not difficult. When it comes to the customer policies, we have to customize them, but that's not a big thing. It is almost the same with other firewalls.

The time taken to deploy the solution depends on whether the customer installs the base or what they want to secure.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Sangfor has recently increased their prices, which is not a good thing. Six months back, the price was very competitive when it came to other principals, but they have increased the price now which is a bit disappointing.

What other advice do I have?

Sangfor is a security company, and whenever we pitch their complete solution to security, the customer normally takes it case by case. First, they normally get the firewalls, then the rest of the solution's offerings to get 360-degree security for their organization.

Sangfor is always coming up with something new to add value to their products. In their Internet access gateway, they are introducing a new feature called data leak prevention and stuff like that. When it comes to security, people are very touchy, especially customers. They want good security parameters when it comes to security. If any principal comes up with new technologies and offerings within the same bundle, customers see that it adds value.

My clients wanted to have an appliance or a virtual firewall on-premises. The rest of the collaboration comes with Neural-X, which needs the Internet so that customers can get information about new threats and malicious viruses so that it can get updated on the fly.

Regarding the sizing, we keep providing the growth factor for the customer. For example, if the customer has 1,000 users, we oversize it, considering a growth factor of 10% to 15% per year. If the customer grows, they won't have to rip and replace their appliances. They have the provision to have peace of mind for three to five years.

The Pakistani market is tricky, where people are very conscious of prices. You need to add value by having good pricing and technical capabilities. Rating Sangfor NGAF technically and financially, I rate it a nine out of ten. Rating it financially, it was a ten out of ten six months back. But not now.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
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Network Administrator at Lyceum of the philppines University
Real User
Top 20
It's an affordable, feature-rich solution for blocking threats
Pros and Cons
  • "You might try Sangfor if you are on a tight budget. The price is affordable, and Sangfor offers a lot of features. We don't have any complaints about Sangfor."
  • "The reporting and log management could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use Sangfor NGAF for security and bandwidth management. It blocks websites and applications. 

How has it helped my organization?

Sangfor NGAF blocks incoming security threats.

What needs improvement?

The reporting and log management could be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Sangfor NGAF for four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Sangfor 10 out of 10 for stability. We haven't had any problems so far. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate Sangfor NGAF nine out of 10 for scalability. 

How was the initial setup?

A partner helped us set Sangfor up initially. It's complicated at first but it gets easier. 

What was our ROI?

I rate Sangfor NGAF nine out of 10 for ROI. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate Sangfor NGAF eight out of 10 for affordability. We have an advanced security license that we renew every three years. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We considered other solutions but ultimately went with Sangfor NGAF because of the price and value. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Sangfor NGAF nine out of 10. You might try Sangfor if you are on a tight budget. The price is affordable, and Sangfor offers a lot of features. We don't have any complaints about Sangfor. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Hamid Hussain - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at Megaplus
Real User
Top 10
Effective security for small and medium businesses with challenges related to scalability and integration
Pros and Cons
  • "The built-in features function as intended, providing exceptional value."
  • "Our experience with its customer support was quite challenging."

What is our primary use case?

Sangfor NGAF offers built-in Web Application Firewall capabilities, making it a valuable choice for securing WAF servers. We have implemented this feature in numerous deployments, particularly in the fields of financial management and enterprise environments.

What is most valuable?

We have established an SD-WAN infrastructure with Sangfor NGAF, which has proven to be highly beneficial. The built-in features function as intended, providing exceptional value.

What needs improvement?

It is a relatively new product in the market, so we are dealing with challenges related to security and malware detection. It will need time to assess its strengths and weaknesses thoroughly. We discovered that the SD-WAN capability is available within this product. It also includes built-in Value-Added Security Technology, which can be cost-effective, but improvements are needed, particularly in enhancing malware detection. Another area for improvement is integrating with other third-party providers' solutions for a more seamless security ecosystem.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been working with it for two and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In terms of stability, there have been occasional issues, such as glitches and disruptions, leading to periods of downtime. Improvement in this area is necessary. I would rate it five out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is a key aspect, and we haven't thoroughly tested its compatibility with various other products yet. I would rate it five out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Our experience with its customer support was quite challenging. There's room for improvement in this aspect.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is remarkably straightforward and user-friendly.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high. I would rate it seven out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

Deploying Sangfor NGAF proves highly advantageous for small and medium-sized businesses. Overall, I would rate it seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Daniel Gerard Diaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Computer Programmer III at Leyte Normal University
Real User
Top 20
Real-time reports are great but the filtering could be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "We can utilize our own network rather than paying for a private one."
  • "Lacks consistency in terms of filtering certain websites and applications."

What is our primary use case?

Sangfor NGAF is our gateway to the ISP. We also use it to filter the website that our employees deploy to the firewall and to access to our systems through the web. 

How has it helped my organization?

Sangfor reports on any intrusions in real-time so you can immediately whitelist or blacklist these reported intrusions. It makes our work easier because we previously only used MikroTIK which required significant manual effort. 

What is most valuable?

I really like the SSL VPN. Instead of paying for a virtual private network, we can utilize our own Internet service provider, and use our Internet connection to run access.

What needs improvement?

For some reason, Sangfor doesn't filter certain websites and applications. It should recognize them and utilize the bandwidth between applications. Also, if we try to block YouTube or Facebook videos, some users will use applications like Siphon for viewing so our bandwidth is still being utilized for non-work purposes. It might detect that somebody is using Siphon, but it cannot be blocked. It's inconsistent, sometimes one user can be blocked while another will have access. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for four years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and it really protects our systems and the data within our company.  

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

What we are using now doesn't have the SFP+, only the gigabit ethernet ports. We need to purchase a different model to accommodate the one with SFP+ because what we have now doesn't accommodate additional expansion slots for SFP+. We probably have 100 users who communicate with our head office from outside our region.

How are customer service and support?

We don't encounter a lot of problems but if we do, there is access to 24/7 support, whether it's chat or email support. If there's an issue we make contact. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not used any network security solutions before

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very straightforward and deployment took less than a day. We had one in-house person responsible for deployment and we started using the solution immediately. 

What about the implementation team?

I rate the implementation a nine out of ten.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The setup is a breeze and the pricing is definitely low when compared to the competition.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I looked into Sophos XG.

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Owner at InternetWorld Solutions Sdn Bhd
Reseller
Integrates well, high performance, and responsive support
Pros and Cons
  • "Sangfor NGAF works accordingly with our customers. The solution has good performance, easy to use, and integrates well with the endpoints."

    What is our primary use case?

    Sangfor NGAF can be used as a firewall for protecting servers, data, users, and access to the internet.

    What is most valuable?

    Sangfor NGAF works accordingly with our customers. The solution has good performance, easy to use, and integrates well with the endpoints.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Sangfor NGAF for approximately one year.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We have sold a few units to our customers and we have not had an issue with the stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have customers in small to medium-sized companies.

    We have less than 110 customers that are using this solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    Their technical support is good, they are responsive. They have been able to resolve all of the issues that we faced.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is easy, and the time it takes depends on the customer's environment. Doing the policies could take additional time.

    What about the implementation team?

    We have approximately four people that support the solution. We have experience in deploying and maintaining the solution. Though the company could offer better training to us.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Sangfor NGAF price is reasonable and there is an annual license. However, the maintenance cost can be a bit high.

    Fortinet solutions sell at a very cheap price upfront, but after that maintenance fees, which they keep increasing it can become expensive. I hope Sangfor does not follow that model.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I have evaluated other solutions, such as Fortinet.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution to others.

    I have clients that are switching from Fortinet to Sangfor NGAF because the price of Fortinet's service is increasing. Sangfor NGAF has good integration with their endpoints which makes it a very attractive offering.

    Sangfor is arranging much-needed training for resellers. There needs to be better marketing awareness not for the reseller, but for the consumer here in Malaysia. Sangfor needs to do some advertisements to attract more market awareness. Relying on resellers can be difficult when the market is very large. However, resellers do focus on their product, they also try to engage, and hire more.

    I rate Sangfor NGAF an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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