We have multiple branches, and we have configured SonicWall VPNs for branch-to-branch connectivity through IPSec. I am also restricting websites to protect us from hackers, torrents, games, and other such things. I am using SonicWall TZ 400 series.
IT Administrator at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Good support, very stable, easy to use, and useful for viewing network utilization
Pros and Cons
- "Most of the features are useful. It is easy to configure and easy to troubleshoot. I can see the utilization of different networks, and there are also App control features."
- "All these solutions are very helpful, easy to configure, and easy to troubleshoot."
- "FortiGate has a client DNS in the firewall, but SonicWall doesn't have that. To create or configure a site-to-site VPN tunnel, we have to give a DNS name. Currently, we have to get the DNS name from a third party and then include it in SonicWall, whereas FortiGate has its own client DNS, so it provides a DNS name, and it does not require a third party. There should be a graphical option to view the network utilization and bandwidth usage."
- "FortiGate has a client DNS in the firewall, but SonicWall doesn't have that."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Most of the features are useful. It is easy to configure and easy to troubleshoot.
I can see the utilization of different networks, and there are also App control features.
What needs improvement?
FortiGate has a client DNS in the firewall, but SonicWall doesn't have that. To create or configure a site-to-site VPN tunnel, we have to give a DNS name. Currently, we have to get the DNS name from a third party and then include it in SonicWall, whereas FortiGate has its own client DNS, so it provides a DNS name, and it does not require a third party.
There should be a graphical option to view the network utilization and bandwidth usage.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for two years.
Buyer's Guide
SonicWall TZ
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about SonicWall TZ. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,667 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We have 100 users of this solution. We might increase its usage in the future in about eight months.
How are customer service and support?
Their technical support is good. They are very helpful. I would rate them an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using ESET Antivirus for endpoint security. For firewalls, we were using FortiGate and MikroTik firewalls. FortiGate is fine, and it is helpful and easy, but MikroTik is not. It can't stop attacks from hackers.
In addition to SonicWall TZ, we are now using Cloud App Security from SonicWall for endpoint security, and we have Email Security from SonicWall for emails. In addition, we are using Capture Client from SonicWall for endpoint protection. All these solutions are very helpful, easy to configure, and easy to troubleshoot.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward. It took five to ten minutes.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution. We plan to keep using this solution. We have recently renewed our license, and we don't have any plans to use any other solution.
I would rate SonicWall TZ 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.
Program Manager at iONE IT Solutions
Not scalable and doesn't have centralized management monitoring, but it is reliable and the support is good
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is good."
- "Technical support is good."
- "We require centralized monitoring of the network features, which they have but they are not to the level that we require."
- "We do not plan to continue using SonicWall TZ; we are looking for a replacement because we need centralized monitoring across the organization."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to secure our network environment. We have implemented it in other locations in our organization.
What is most valuable?
It's a good solution with good features.
What needs improvement?
It's a good product, but it's not a next-generation firewall. We are looking for a next-generation firewall and considering Cisco.
We require centralized monitoring of the network features, which they have but they are not to the level that we require.
The reporting is not good. Also, the historical configuration of the data or backup is not available.
To compete in the market, there have to be a lot of improvements.
We do not plan to continue using SonicWall TZ. We are looking for a replacement because we need centralized monitoring across the organization. It has been very difficult for us to manage the firewall as it is not managed centrally. This is the main drawback in our current scenario.
In the next release, I would like to see better scalability, easier installation, improved reporting, storage configuration, backup, and centralized management with reporting.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for four years.
We are using the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is not very scalable, which is something that could be better.
We have multiple locations and have implemented it in several.
At this time, we have 1,000 users on the firewall.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is good. There is no need for improvement.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use another firewall previously.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not straightforward. But, through the GUI, there are features that you can enable to configure.
Forcepoint and Cisco are straightforward but there are many things to do with SonicWall.
For a first-time installation, it can take half a day to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
We completed the implementation ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The license that we purchased is good for three years.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have evaluated ForcePoint but we haven't used it.
We will be testing Cisco and Barracuda in our environment.
What other advice do I have?
For small organizations, its' good, and I would recommend it, but not for medium or large enterprise companies.
I would rate SonicWall TZ a five 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.
Buyer's Guide
SonicWall TZ
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about SonicWall TZ. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,667 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Director at VULPINE SOFTWARE PVT LTD
Stable with good threat prevention and an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about the product is the very good threat prevention output."
- "The best thing about the product is the very good threat prevention output."
- "The dashboard needs to be improved."
- "The dashboard needs to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for its firewall capabilities.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about the product is the very good threat prevention output.
What needs improvement?
The dashboard needs to be improved.
They can work on the GUI part of the solution. Currently, it is a little bit complicated as compared to other competitors.
Each uplink is quite a big and complicated sort of tool. Other products, like Checkpoint, are so-so, however, they are better. Fortinet is a good example of one that is very good and easy to use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with the solution for four to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is excellent. We find it to be reliable. We haven't had any issues at all.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We consider growing the solution based on the company's needs. We work with different sizes of organizations. We try to project out what a company will need, not tomorrow, but three years down the line, and build for that on day one.
We do this due to the fact that it's not exactly scalable. We build it bigger so organizations can grow into the solution quite a bit. Users are restricted by the model of the firewall, so if you choose something that's too small, it won't be able to meet your needs and you'll have to start over and trade up to a bigger model.
If a TZ series can handle 500 users, and a company currently has 200 users, they'll be able to scale up, technically speaking, to about 300 more users before they hit their threshold.
Basically, the scalability is not infinite. It's quite limited to the capacity of the model itself.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've never dealt with technical support. We've managed to handle any issues ourselves, in-house. I can't speak to the kind of service they provide.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also have experience with Sophos XG.
I find that there aren't too many differences between firewalls, as everyone has the same platform and goals.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complex. It's very straightforward. We found it to be quite easy.
It may take a while to deploy the solution, at least here in Haiti. It will take longer than a few hours. Depending on the client, it can take anywhere from a day or two to up to ten or 15 days.
It's all dependent on the customer side. What will define the length of time will be is the mobile policy they want to implement on the firewall. That depends on the customer.
You only need one person to deploy and maintain the solution.
What about the implementation team?
We're resellers. We handle the implementation for our clients.
What other advice do I have?
We use this solution ourselves, however, we also deploy it for our clients. We're resellers.
We're using the latest version of the solution.
I don't know if I have specific advice, as each customer is different and has different needs in terms of security. It depends on their policies and how they want to implement them. There are almost endless amounts of policies that can be added to the solution.
I'd rate the solution nine 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. Reseller
Manager, Customer Security & Guidance at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Effective and affordable, simple setup and ease of management, with very good VPN integration
Pros and Cons
- "Ease of management and the VPN integration."
- "Sonic has been very progressive, continually updating their product-line and service offerings to stay current with, and ahead of the evolving security landscape."
- "In general, the company needs to think contingently and integrate more security options."
- "Not relating to this product specifically, but I think overall the company needs to think more broadly about security continuity across the entire security spectrum and integrate more security options with their solutions, like Cisco is doing."
What is our primary use case?
We are an MSP and Sonicwall partner and have installed virtually every model, from the TZ 150 during the old days, up to the new TZ 500, TZ 600s and NSA series. I've been using SonicWall for many years and it's still a major part of our solutions for many of our customers compared the optional product lines that we sell. I previous owned an IT firm for 30 years and recently merged with a larger organization where I focus on customer security and guidance.
How has it helped my organization?
Sonic has been very progressive, continually updating their product-line and service offerings to stay current with, and ahead of the evolving security landscape. Again, they have consistently developed great solutions for both the SMB and enterprise market which has enable our support team to leverage their expertise with Sonicwall across our entire client base.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the ease of setup, ease of management, integration, the VPN integration andnet extender which is part of their remote access, and functionality. Overall, they've been very effective and it's an affordable product.
What needs improvement?
Not relating to this product specifically, but I think overall the company needs to think more broadly about security continuity across the entire security spectrum and integrate more security options with their solutions, like Cisco is doing. They need identity management products and DNS solutions to really complete the line of security. Because of the whole management system, there could also be improvement to their GMS, which is a system allowing you to manage an entire fleet of their firewalls via a central pane of glass. Today as more organizations as forced to working from home and the security perimeter is now the home, businesses need more affordable and scalable systems to manage and monitor numerous devices, more easily and push out updates through essential platforms.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for over 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I find it a very stable product and company. We really have not had problems with functionality or support. The ability to meet customer needs and implement security features, as well as just the reliability of the hardware itself has been very good over the years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is good but once you buy the product itself, you're limited to what that particular device can deliver in terms of throughput and add-on features. You can easily add on additional functionality through various software/licensing, but it can't scale up more than the product's physical limitations. To address this, Sonicwall does have an upgrade program to enable organizations to capitalize on any investments made in training and management tools.
How are customer service and technical support?
Obviously they have a dedicated support team for firewalls in general, unless you get to the bigger enterprise products. That's a different team. We find that whenever we have problems, we can get to somebody within a reasonable period of time.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also provide CISCO solutions our clients where it may be a better fit. The decision on which solutions to use can be influenced by either existing infrastructure and/or the experience and resources the customer may have inhouse. Additionally, product feature-set and customer needs play the biggest role in determining what is the best fit for the customer.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup is quite straightforward via Sonicwall's GUI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I can't talk about specifics, but purchasing the product is an upfront capital expense for maintenance as well as for the product itself so I can't amortize that down to a monthly or annual figure because the products are also very diverse in price depending on the usage or the package that you get. There are a very broad number of products within the TZ series from the very low end to the medium range. You've got many different models to choose from at different price points. On top of that, you've got the maintenance agreements that are relatively priced based on the product, so that is a variable too. I know that they are very competitive in pricing compared to other solutions on the market.
What other advice do I have?
It's worth looking into this solution. It's a very competitive product in terms of pricing, performance and features. It's definitely worth evaluating, especially for small to medium size businesses, branch offices and home.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
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
IT Manager at K-Vac Environmental Services, Inc.
Protects against intrusion while allowing needed access, we feel very safe when using the solution
Pros and Cons
- "It protects against intrusion while allowing needed access."
- "It needs more robust self-help documentation along with examples and things to watch out for."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to control and protect access between our various locations.
How has it helped my organization?
With this solution, our facilities are able to act as one, easily sharing resources.
What is most valuable?
It protects against intrusion while allowing needed access.
What needs improvement?
It needs more robust self-help documentation along with examples and things to watch out for.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution works well.
How are customer service and support?
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Nothing is as robust and complete as SonicWall devices.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was fairly straightforward and is particularly straightforward when upgrading.
What about the implementation team?
Our implementation was done in a combination due to locations.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a 100% ROI. There are no intrusions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
It was chosen by an IT support company.
What other advice do I have?
Try it, you'll be glad you did, as you'll find a new peace of mind.
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.
Consultant at Software Solutions
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
WCOIL/IT Department at Lima Central Catholic
Real-time bandwidth monitoring, website blacklisting, and IE Intrusion prevention
Pros and Cons
- "It lets me monitor in live time if someone is 'hogging' bandwidth."
- "This solution has an easy setup, good support, and reasonable pricing."
- "I would like to see lower antivirus pricing."
- "I would like to see lower antivirus pricing."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case for this solution is as a Network Firewall.
How has it helped my organization?
This solution protects the network. It lets me monitor in live time if someone is 'hogging' bandwidth. It lets me block websites, and the list goes on.
It is a very nice tool to have on the school network.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are for the protection of data, and IE Intrusion on the network.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see lower antivirus pricing. So far I haven't found any situation that I needed anything else added/included.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service is always very good!
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not use any other solutions. I only ever used SonicWall.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was straightforward. We had an existing SonicWall.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution in house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This solution has an easy setup, good support, and reasonable pricing.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate any other options.
What other advice do I have?
I am very satisfied with the solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Integration Engineer at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees
Does what it says it is going to do
Pros and Cons
- "It does what it says it is going to do."
- "It does what it says it is going to do."
- "The user support could be improved because you have to go outside to get that kind of support."
- "The user support could be improved because you have to go outside and get that kind of support."
What is our primary use case?
I was a technical consultant, and I was helping clients out. I've had two clients. Both of them have had SonicWall, and both of them have gone through upgrades.
What is most valuable?
It does what it says it is going to do.
What needs improvement?
The user support could be improved because you have to go outside to get that kind of support.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for five years.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't used it. We've had to go outside and get technical support through a third party.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate it an eight out of 10.
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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Updated: March 2026
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