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Virtual CIO/ CISO at Kyber Security
Real User
Easy to implement, fairly stable, and supports SSL-DPI
Pros and Cons
    • "From a support perspective, if we're talking tech support I think Silver Partners, Gold Partners, Platinum, whatever level, should have a different number to call. End users can call tech support over at SonicWall if they've paid for support as part of their AGSS or whatever services they bought. The end-user can call, or we can call, however, I don't want to be calling the same line that an end user's calling. I don't want the same response time. I need a different level of expertise."

    What is most valuable?

    Once we moved the units up to the Gen 6 platform, they could support SSL-DPI. We are huge fans of the DPI. That piece is incredibly easy to implement. I'd say probably the most powerful thing about the solution is that coupled with the captured functionality. 

    What needs improvement?

    We've turned the SSL inspection on, and it is a nightmare. It doesn't mean it doesn't work, but it will turn your world upside down for weeks until you tune it and get it right. That's an across the board problem. It's not just TZ. That's TZ's, NSA's, etc. Wherever you're using their implementation of SSL, where you've got to implement a certificate on every machine. Once you even get past that it's still going to be particular and finicky. Banking sites are driven crazy by it every time we turn it on.

    It is trying to lock down outbound traffic so tightly that you get to sites that are already very security conscious. It's just a battle to get the traffic through. Intentional traffic, the traffic you want to get through, seems to be a problem. It will stop almost everything. Too much in fact. I understand the concept. It's just a little threatening. We just had a client sign off on a 6650. Then we send them a scope of work for implementing it. We specifically put a note in there in enormous bold type: "Note does not include SSL-DPI implementation". That is additional. The client responded that  "That's the one piece I wanted you guys to do. I'm scared of it."

    He said, "We're scared of it," and I told him, "We're scared of it too." I said, "I don't know how long it's going to take. And it's going to turn your universe upside down for a week to 10 days to maybe two weeks." He said that he heard that this would be the case. 

    My fear is that the client thinks that we'll say it will take four hours and then, when it turns into 40, try to make us give them the submission for free. 

    Even tiny environments, for example, 10 user environments, once you turn it on, you will spend days tuning it. The last one we did took us 22 hours to get it perfect. We learned our lesson. We slotted in four to eight hours to do it and it took us 16 to 20.

    From a support perspective, if we're talking tech support I think Silver Partners, Gold Partners, Platinum, whatever level, should have a different number to call. End users can call tech support over at SonicWall if they've paid for support as part of their AGSS or whatever services they bought. The end-user can call, or we can call, however, I don't want to be calling the same line that an end user's calling. I don't want the same response time. I need a different level of expertise.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been a SonicWall dealer for 21 years approximately. We've been handling the solution since 1999. I personally didn't start using the solution until 2004.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Once you get past all the configuration issues, If you are on a rock-solid GA (Generally Available firmware), I don't know if I want to say it's bulletproof, however, the stability is really, really good. I don't sit and worry, thinking, "Oh, God. We know another one's going to fail today." We never think that way about that type of stuff. It's the odd time where we might get hardware failures or random reboots. We've had a couple of SMA units go sideways. Even SonicWall couldn't solve the problem. However, that said, it's rare.

    Buyer's Guide
    SonicWall TZ
    August 2025
    Learn what your peers think about SonicWall TZ. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
    866,685 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    There's a couple of different ways to answer the question of scalability. They've built the TZ line wide enough so that we've got enough of a selection to be able to fit most bandwidth and user count situations. It's never going to fit everybody and it's not meant to. It shouldn't. It is a little challenging to try to get one of the boxes to do full wire speed. I'm not so sure inside that box, at the price point, you're going to solve that problem.

    That's why we sold the 6650. One client has got a one gig fiber line and they're in a school. On an NSA 3600, he can't get over 400 on it. I told him he never would. Some days I'd be surprised to get 400, depending on the user count. The TZ lineup is pretty good, however, I'm not so sure I'd use the word scalable. 

    If what we mean by scalable is, "oh, well, I buy a 300 and I buy it for 10 users, but I can scale up to 30 users with that box," the answer to that is no you can't. If you ask "could I scale up to 25 users and move to 200 or 300 or 400 meg?" You can't. We've got somebody in that situation right now and we're quoting a box replacement because it just can't scale that way.

    You can't necessarily scale on the appliance. You've got to get the right size. That's the easiest way to scale. If it's the right-sized appliance for the environment with some headroom then I think most situations users are going to be fine. There's going to be some issues where somebody cheaps out. For example, we worked with a law firm. They bought a TZ 300 because they didn't want to spend the money for the 500. Now they're going to have to spend the money for the 500 anyway because they need to scale up. 

    How are customer service and support?

    I don't think they really separate support from line to line. Maybe if you get all the way up into supermassive issues they do. Between NSA and TZ, it's the same level of service that you get on the other end of the phone. To be quite honest, level one support is not sparkling. Level two is usually really good. Level three is usually a combination. You get to level three, and you're almost talking to development or a combination of a crew that's dealing with development and senior technical expertise. Those guys rarely fail us.

    That's a typical support story. The level one guys will read the scripts and don't necessarily fix anything. We've already run through level one through three on our end with my staff. If they can't fix it, talking to a level one script reader is definitely not going to get it fixed. You should be able to bypass those guys if you're a reseller and a long-standing Silver Partner, like we are.

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

    We've also used Cisco previously. A while back, we used to have Cisco as our primary choice, with SonicWall being our second. That changed when I came to the company in 2004, where SonicWall became our solution of choice. We've got 400 or 500 firewalls out there and we don't plan on changing over to anything else.

    What other advice do I have?

    We're a Silver Partner.

    I'm not an engineer. I was a field engineer for nine years a long, long time ago. However, I'm not typically the one that gets my fingers into stuff, and it would be my engineering and senior engineering staff that do that. That said, I can say that I don't think any of our guys have touched the virtual platform yet.

    We use TZ and traditional NSA tech every day. That's our bread and butter.

    The current version we're using right now is the 600 series, although we do still have some 350 series. 90% of what we use are Gen 6. They're either TZ 300, 400, 500, 600 or NSA 2600, 3600, 4600. 

    We've got a smattering of 2650s that we've rolled out, which have been really, really good. Those are powerful units.

    I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. It doesn't warrant more than that. There's plenty of products I'd give a five to out there, however, for the quality of the product offering, I think an eight is a fair mark.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer909273 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Head of IT at a engineering company with 501-1,000 employees
    Real User
    A standard firewall solution that can be used to block intrusion attacks
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution's VPN is very good for stability and detecting threats."
    • "The solution's pricing could be made cheaper."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use SonicWall TZ for standard firewall use cases, like blocking intrusion attacks.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution's VPN is very good for stability and detecting threats. The solution's web content filter seems to be very good.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution's pricing could be made cheaper.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SonicWall TZ for five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate the solution a seven out of ten for stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Approximately 250 to 300 users are using SonicWall TZ in our organization.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend SonicWall TZ to other users.

    Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    SonicWall TZ
    August 2025
    Learn what your peers think about SonicWall TZ. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
    866,685 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Consultant at Software Solutions
    Reseller
    Ideal for medium size businesses, stable, and scalable
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is stable."
    • "The cost of the solution has room for improvement."

    What is our primary use case?

    The solution is used for firewall protection with our customers.

    What is most valuable?

    Stability is the most valuable feature of the solution.

    What needs improvement?

    The cost of the solution has room for improvement.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for ten years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution can be used for small, and medium companies as long as the organization has the budget for it. I recommend Cisco Meraki for enterprise companies because it works on the cloud and is more scalable.

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

    The solution is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    I give the solution an eight out of ten.

    I recommend the solution.

    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. Reseller
    PeerSpot user
    AlaaMady - PeerSpot reviewer
    System Administrator at a insurance company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Good pricing, simple to set up, and has helpful technical support
    Pros and Cons
    • "It's a stable solution."
    • "Getting support can be slow."

    What is most valuable?

    It is an easy solution to set up.

    It's a stable solution.

    Technical support has been helpful.

    The price is good.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution doesn't have great scalability.

    Getting support can be slow. 

    The proxy feature is not so good.

    They need to work on word filtering and also the SD-WAN.

    With FortiGate, they provide an NAC solution. They provide FortiClient, which is an advanced feature. SonicWall doesn't provide NAC solutions, and even their SSL VPN client is not advanced.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been working with SonicWall since 2015 - almost seven years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution has 98% stability. It's reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have about 1,200 users on the solution. It's deployed to different departments and branches.

    It's not really scalable. Not like FortiGate.

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support is knowledgeable, yet they are not fast. To be honest, they are good. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    In my organization, I'm working mostly for some other companies. I'm using different firewalls - except Forcepoint. I'm not working with Forcepoint right now, however, in terms of other products, I'm working with them.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very easy. It's not overly complex. 

    Two people handled the deployment. It took about half a day. It was a very fast setup. 

    For a small and medium implementation, it's quick, however, for an enterprise, it takes some time to configure the policy for the company.

    What about the implementation team?

    I handle the deployment process for my clients. We use an internal team. We didn't open a case with SonicWall. If we face a problem, we open a case with them.

    What was our ROI?

    We've seen pretty good ROI so far.

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

    The licensing is yearly based or three years. Their price compared to others is good.

    What other advice do I have?

    We're end-users.

    I'm not working on the latest version of the solution. I missed one or two updates.

    I would rate the solution nine out of ten. I'd recommend the solution to others. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Security Analyst at CyberTalos
    Real User
    Helpful support, beneficial for home use, but user interface is lacking
    Pros and Cons
    • "The scalability of SonicWall TZ is good and easy to add users."
    • "SonicWall TZ can improve the UI application and when you create any net policies or any new policy, it will not sync or work properly."

    What is our primary use case?

    SonicWall TZ is used for network security.

    What needs improvement?

    SonicWall TZ can improve the UI application and when you create any net policies or any new policy, it will not sync or work properly.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SonicWall TZ for approximately three months.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SonicWall TZ is stable. However, sometimes we have some issues.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability of SonicWall TZ is good and easy to add users. 

    How are customer service and support?

    I have contacted the technical support from SonicWall TZ and their support is good.

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

    I have previously used UiPath and FortiGate firewalls and FortiGate is my favorite because it is consistent and has a good configuration. UiPath has a good interface and is user-friendly.

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

    The price of SonicWall TZ is good for medium-sized companies.

    What other advice do I have?

    My advice to others is this is a good solution but sometimes it is not working properly. I would recommend this solution for a home setup and I would recommend FortiGate firewalls for companies.

    I rate SonicWall TZ a six out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Sr. Executive IT / DP at a financial services firm with 1-10 employees
    Real User
    Offers good protection, but it's expensive, and there are no upgrades for phased out technology
    Pros and Cons
    • "The general feature is the antivirus policy, followed by the ransomware protection, and these are the features I was looking at."
    • "The interface and technical support are probably the two most important things that I would like SonicWall to improve."

    What is our primary use case?

    It is for our company. We are not customers, we are direct clients. I am the end user.

    What is most valuable?

    The general feature is the antivirus policy, followed by the ransomware protection, and these are the features I was looking at. The VPN feature is not something that I'm a great fan of, but I mean, it is not something that I would even complain about. Whatever is required for my organization, the TZ 400 has performed admirably.

    What needs improvement?

    The user interface is a little challenging. It is not something I am familiar with. Things could go much more smoothly if they could be improved.

    The interface and technical support are probably the two most important things that I would like SonicWall to improve. If the product that they have is to be phased out, there must be an upgrade in technology as well.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with SonicWall TZ for seven years.

    The version we are working with is SonicWall TZ400.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SonicWall TZ is a stable product.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    SonicWall TZ is scalable.

    How are customer service and support?

    It was difficult to contact technical support online.

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

    Before SonicWall TZ, I have not worked with another similar product.

    I recently purchased a FortiGate from Fortinet. I am about to receive the delivery, which will most likely be in a fortnight, so I do not have much experience. We are planning to use Fortinet FortiGate, our plan is to switch from SonicWall to Fortinet.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is smooth. It is not complex.

    It can take an hour to two hours to deploy.

    What about the implementation team?

    The vendor was able to assist us.

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

    The prices are expensive. I wouldn't say the prices are reasonable.

    What other advice do I have?

    Personally, I find it challenging. Previously, they had an Adobe Flash interface. When Adobe Flash was phased out and a new version was released, it was difficult for us to upgrade, and we received little help from the SonicWall team.

    I had also purchased the SonicWall Analyzer. The Analyzer was also based on Adobe Flash, which they did not support. One must consider future expandability and the technology that is being deployed, as well as whether or not it is supported by the company if it is phased out.

    I would rate SonicWall TZ a six out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    E-commerce Co-ordinator at First Group International
    Real User
    Low maintenance, beneficial network MAC binding, and effective firewall
    Pros and Cons
    • "SonicWall TZ is very user-friendly and has network MAC binding. Additionally, the firewall works well."
    • "Sometimes there is a glitch between the network connection. Last time, something happened on our IP phone, the SonicWall team did some updates to fix the issue. However, glitches happen very rarely. I did not experience any other types of problems."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are primarily using SonicWall TZ for a VPN.

    What is most valuable?

    SonicWall TZ is very user-friendly and has network MAC binding. Additionally, the firewall works well.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SonicWall TZ for approximately three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Sometimes there is a glitch between the network connection. Last time, something happened on our IP phone,  the SonicWall team did some updates to fix the issue. However, glitches happen very rarely. I did not experience any other types of problems.

    95% of the time the solution is operating well, the performance is good overall.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    There are approximately 40 users using this solution and it is scalable.

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

    I have used other solutions in the past, but I have found SonicWall TZ the most user-friendly.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was not complex.

    What about the implementation team?

    We used some help from the vendor for the implementation. When new implementations or devices are added we sometimes use the vendor for assistance.

    The solution is low maintenance. There is some updating that needs to be done by the two-person IT team.

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

    There are a few features that are licensed and there should be more that are licensed. The price of the solution is midrange compared to others, I have not had anyone complain.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate SonicWall TZ a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    IT Director at BRASP
    Real User
    Excellent protection, secure VPN connection, that is simple to install, and reliable
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature is content filtering and app control."
    • "The reporting analytics could be improved, it is very unstable."

    What is our primary use case?

    I am a SonicWall certified professional, and my company has SonicWall MSP, as well as projects, security, and limited protection.

    I am a reseller, as well as a Silver partner.

    SonicWall TZ is primarily used by the NSA to secure internet network and products.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature is content filtering and app control.

    I like to security with integrated thread prevention and SD-WAN.

    What needs improvement?

    SonicWall has many problems with the reporting analytics.

    The reporting analytics could be improved, it is very unstable.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SonicWall TZ for approximately nine years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SonicWall TZ is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is a scalable product.

    There are approximately 1,000 users among all of my customers.

    I am an MSP SonicWall provider and about 50 SonicWall solutions spread across many customers, each with 10-100 users.

    We intend to increase our usage because, in Brazil, we have a lot of problems with viruses, crypto viruses, and trojans. We can offer them security.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was straightforward and simple.

    It took approximately two hours to deploy the initial setup.

    It can be deployed very quickly both on the cloud and on-premises.

    I have a team of ten technical professionals to maintain and deploy this solution.

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

    Licensing fees are on a anual or monthly basis.

    There are no additional costs. It is only about support and license fees.

    What other advice do I have?

    SonicWall is a good product that I enjoy using, and the security is superior to that of other security companies. It provides excellent protection.

    I would rate SonicWall TZ a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free SonicWall TZ Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: August 2025
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