Sophos Firewall Reviews

Our main use case for Sophos XGS is to protect our network and internet connection, which consists of Aruba, HP, Avaya, and Sophos switches. It's a very new product for us at this time, having previously used a variety of other security solutions including Sophos SG (now UTM), Sophos XG, as well as those from vendors such as Fortinet, Hillstone, and WatchGuard. At the moment, I am only working with Sophos SG, XG, and XGS, with the new Sophos switches.

Sophos XGS is deployed on-premises as we tend not to work in the cloud for our kind of environment. We have many different departments where it is currently in use, including accounting, IT and development, administration, and so on, and there are probably around 200 users throughout these departments.

All the features are valuable, in my opinion, but for us the most important features are the network security, application control, and web server protection. Sophos Sandstorm is another good feature off the top of my head.

Having previously worked with the Astaro Security Gateway platform (now called Sophos UTM), I can attest that the configuration and dashboard for this older platform was easier to manage than that of both Sophos XG and XGS. If it were up to me, I would prefer to go back to the older SG dashboard. I am hoping that in future, the dashboard for Sophos XGS will be simpler and easier.

I have been using Sophos XGS for about three or four months. 

So far, the stability of Sophos XGS is better than Sophos XG. With XG, we have faced so many problems with not only the interface, but also with the system itself including the hardware and software. Thus, in comparison with XG, XGS appears more stable at this point.

Currently, our maintenance of Sophos XGS only needs to managed by one person, because alongside the Sophos switches, all the management can be done through the central management system.

I would say it's scalable, as we already have around 200 people using it across not just one single department, but several, including accounting, IT and development, and administration.

When it comes to expanding our usage further, in general, I am not sure. We are currently watching the situation in Lebanon, and whether we have plans to extend it depends on what's happening in the country.

The technical support is helpful.

Positive

Although I am using Sophos XGS in a personal capacity at our company, we are also partners and resellers of not only Sophos XGS, but also many other products from different vendors. For example, I have worked with Hillstone, Fortinet, WatchGuard, and Genesis products, and whichever product we end up using depends on the client's requirements.

It was very easy to set up and it only took a couple of minutes. However, even so, it is still not as easy compared to Sophos SG version 9 (UTM).

We did the whole deployment of Sophos XGS in-house. And further, for maintenance and management, we only require one person, since everything can be managed centrally when you have the Sophos switches.

The licensing is reasonable. Comparing the cost of Sophos XGS with that of Fortinet or Palto Alto firewalls, for instance, it's not that expensive. However, the overall cost depends on the hardware you're using in addition to the licensing cost.

Because it's such a new product for us, I would need some more time to determine whether there are any issues with bugs or hardware failure, so for now I would rate Sophos XGS an eight out of ten because it otherwise ticks all the boxes for us in terms of features.

Most of the features that we take advantage of are packet tutoring, web and application filtering, bandwidth management, and also multi-link management.

The most useful aspect of the solution for us is the reporting. Commonly, the reporting is separate, whereas, with Sophos, it's already in-built, so you don't need to invest in another reporting tool.

It offers an easy initial implementation.

The first time a person sets it up, they will need training.

We’d like to see an easy migration. They did an upgrade on VMware that might have affected things. We’d like them to return to something like they were running before from 2018 going to 2019.

The scalability could be better.

I’ve been dealing with the solution for the past year. IN total, I have used it for about seven years.

Every appliance has some problems. That said, while Sophos once had these issues, the company could immediately address those problems.

It is stable if you will be going to use VMware. They will give you an option if you want to try the new VMware.

The scalability is limited. In their firewall, there’s only a maximum of two appliances, or you have to cluster it. However, if you expand beyond that, there will be some limitations.

Right now, we have about 50 users. If you count the other branches, it’s closer to 200.

The support has been quite good. We are happy with their capabilities.

I’ve used Fortigate, SonicWall, Check Point, and NetBox brands in the past. We switched to Sophos for the easy interface and user-friendliness.

The initial setup is not really complex. If you're already familiar with the firewall, it will be simple. It will be already easier for the engineer as well. That said, if you're just starting, it will be a bit complex. You will need training

For us, since we have some other branches that we use to interconnect with our main branch, the deployment takes about three days with the other branches.

You only need two people to manage the deployment and maintenance.

I’m not sure of the exact pricing. However, some of it does go towards acquisition costs. In general, my understanding is that they are a bit cheaper than other options.

We both use and sell the solution.

We are using an older version of the solution. It’s not the most up-to-date.

I’d rate the solution nine out of ten.

I would recommend the solution to those who are implementing their security infrastructure to reach compliance. It does not hamper the business operations either.

Sophos XGS is used as a firewall to protect my home network.

Sophos XGS that's a good firewall. If you use the endpoint, then you have what Sophos calls synchronized security. That will mean that if one of the endpoints is affected, it will be automatically set in isolation.

In the new release 19, there should be the implementation of a cloud service that you can use to set up the IPSec tunnels, and the SD-WAN from the WAN dashboard, and then you can push that configuration out to every firewall that you have.

I have been using Sophos XGS within the last 12 months.

Sophos XGS is highly stable.

The hardware is more scalable than the MSPs, you can have a firewall as big as your want. The solution is scalable.

The technical support in Norway is very good. I have had an excellent experience with them. However, I am the technical support for the Sophos XGS in my country of Norway. 

We have very good contact with the Sophos SEs in Scandinavia. I think we're good.

When comparing Sophos XGS to other similar solutions they are 80 to 90 percent similar. But Sophos firewall has a web application firewall that you can license and use in the firewall. Not every firewall has that functionality. Typically you have to buy another client if you want the web application firewall but within Sophos XGS, you can have it within the firewall.

I have used other solutions, such as CheckPoint, SonicWall, and WatchGuard.

The initial setup could be difficult depending on what you are looking to do with it. However, if you only use it as a firewall, it's straightforward. You can make complex SD WANs and other configurations. You can do whatever you want with it. At home, I can just configure it straight as it is by clicking next until it is finished. If you have a complex environment then the setup of Sophos XGS could be difficult.

The price of the solution is reasonable and their target market is small to medium-sized companies.

We do not have any complaints from our customers and have the functionality that our partners and customers need.

I rate Sophos XGS a ten out of ten.

We use it for network protection. We use Sophos XG as a firewall in our own company, and we have also implemented it for customers. I have been using Sophos XG for a small office for my own family. 

We have also implemented Sophos Email Gateway for government mailing servers. It is not so elaborate, but for basic usage, it works very well.

We have implemented version 17 to the latest version of Sophos XG.

I like it for its simplicity. It is very simple to configure and implement. It is a very good product for medium-sized organizations.

There should be web caching to improve bandwidth utilization. It should have a very good caching feature. That's because we are in a very poor continent, and the connectivity cost is very high. We have low bandwidth, and the intensive usage of bandwidth is not easy here in Africa. If they improve services for web caching, it would be better.

It should also support a feature for Virtual Domains. Similar to FortiGate, we should be able to use a single device to create two or more virtual units. Such a feature is useful for separating the traffic between departments in a large enterprise.

When I try to use Sophos for Email Gateway, it's not easy to check a user in the LDAP directory. It's not as good as other products, such as HCL Domino. Sophos is good, but it is not so good. When we use the LDAP filter to select some users, we have small problems, but overall, Sophos is very good for me.

Their support in Africa is not so good, which is a problem. Their support can be improved.

I have been using Sophos technology for four years.

It is very stable.

Generally, when we implement a Sophos product, we do the sizing and plan the resources based on the expected traffic. We anticipate the resource usage for one or two years, which helps with scalability, but it is a product for medium enterprises. In my company, we have around 20 employees.

Their account manager and support in Africa are not so good. Their community support is very good, and a lot of times, I use their community when I need any kind of support, and I get a response for my issue. 

I use Sophos and Fortinet. I sometimes also use Cisco Firepower. We are an integrator in West Africa, and my choice also depends on a customer's choice. Sometimes, they are telecom operators, and sometimes, they are small companies, such as non-governmental organizations.

It is very easy to implement.

Its price is good. All features are grouped in the same license. It is an all-in-one license, and the license price is acceptable.

I would rate it a nine out of 10.

All security solutions are the same. It depends on the size of the network and license. They have the same features. Brands provide extreme protection.

The solution is expensive.

I have been using Sophos XGS for four years.

The product is stable.

The solution is suitable for small and medium businesses.

Customer support is great.

Positive

The initial setup is easy and takes around 30 mins to complete.

The product’s pricing is average compared to other solutions.

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

For network security and filtering through our infrastructure, we rely on Sophos Firewall, specifically using Connect Sophos Cloud in our branches. 

Endpoint protection is crucial, so we integrate with DuoSet, and the system allows for VPN connections with various devices like SaaS, Alibaba, Fortinet, and Cisco, supporting encryption detection and more.

It's crucial for our company, as well as other companies and customers. When our customer licenses expire, they request to renew or make changes to their Sophos XGS boxes. This process is significant and managed by our technical team or engineers.

The Sophos XGS product is highly versatile and well-suited for various companies, including small, medium, and large enterprises. Its effectiveness lies in its inspection firewall capabilities, making it a commonly chosen option in our country due to its reasonable pricing. Sophos Firewall's support for VPN encryption and thorough inspection makes it a suitable choice for many companies, and I recommend it accordingly.

At the moment, I can't propose any new features. The primary concern is traffic stability, which needs improvement. Although the traffic stability is generally good, it has been noted that it can impact RAM and CPU, affecting workflow and inspection.

In my view, Sophos operates effectively in a reactive mode, focusing on static detection and forwarding traffic. However, Fortinet takes a more proactive approach, blocking both connection and route connections. While Sophos forwards any connection in both inbound and outbound traffic, I believe this is a positive aspect, especially in a country with various sizing considerations. This is my perspective, emphasizing the significance of Sophos XGS in software work.

I have been using Sophos XGS for two years. 

It's a stable solution. I would rate it around nine. There is room for improvement, especially in terms of support. As I mentioned earlier, when the CPU and memory reach their maximum capacity, the tool forwards traffic. This is a critical aspect—no inspection, no traffic, and no log.

It is a highly scalable solution. I can't provide an exact count because I work with multiple solutions, including Sophos XGS, Fortinet, and Palo Alto. Counting all the users across these platforms is challenging.

Positive

In the last two years, I have worked with Sophos Firewall, and it is an excellent firewall. It's easy to set up with encryption and inspection features. In my view, it's well-suited for all.

The initial setup of Sophos XGS has been quite smooth and user-friendly. Unlike my experience with Fortinet and Palo Alto, which posed challenges, Sophos XGS stands out for its ease of use. End users can handle the setup themselves without requiring an engineer to configure the firewall or register the device.

It's highly effective and well-suited for medium and small companies. The pricing is attractive, and our customers find it suitable for regular license renewals.

We are using it as a firewall to protect and control Internet access, as well as control other access like SAP. Some of our employees connect from remote locations, and our server is on-premises. We use this firewall for access control and also for VPN connections.

It's easy to use, and the service is good. If anything goes wrong, their support system is very reliable.

The renewal process for this box is too frequent. We purchased it five years ago, and it's expiring in 2025. So, I feel they expire it too quickly.

In future releases, this solution could have more graphical elements on the dashboard to make it easier to understand. While there are graphics and a good dashboard, there's always room for improvement.

We have been using Sophos XGS for ten years. At that time, it was new. So somebody recommended us to take this. Our service provider recommended it, and that's why we have taken it.

It is a stable solution.

It is a scalable solution. We have around 300 end users in our organization. 

The customer service and support has been excellent. 

Positive

We have worked with Cisco and Fortinet Firewalls. It's hard to compare.

Installation and understanding are a bit challenging with Cisco, whereas Sophos is easier to install and use.

We have a FortiGate firewall at another location. We recently purchased it.

The initial setup is very, very easy.

The deployment process took me more than two to three hours, including all the checks. I had a backup of the earlier Sophos firewall, so I just restored it and verified everything.

One person for support and checking, so two in total are enough for deployment and maintenance of the solution.

I would definitely advise to use Sophos. Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

We use the solution as a VPN and for web filtering. It helps to connect sites to our data center. 

It's a competent solution. 

It's easy to deploy and connect.

The initial setup is not complex. 

We can scale the solution.

It is stable. 

It's reasonably, competitively priced. 

The solution could have a bit more functionality.

We'd like to have a log viewer. We'd like to have visibility to see what traffic has crossed the firewall. 

They need more local support and different language options available for when they need help.

I've used the solution for four or five years. 

The solution is stable, and the performance is pretty good. It's a good platform. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.

We have between 2,000 and 2,500 users on the solution right now. 

The solution can scale. 

At this point, we have no plans to increase usage, although we may expand in about two years. 

Technical support has been okay. However, they need more local support. They need to, for example, speak French.

Neutral

We also use Palo Alto. We've used it for about six months. It has more functionality than Sophos. 

The solution is very straightforward and simple. It's not overly complex. 

Originally, when we deployed, we migrated from another platform to Sophos. To do the migration took us two weeks. 

I'd rate the ease of setup a three out of five. 

We do have some maintenance tasks we need to perform after setup. For example, we need to do backups and some configurations. We have an internal team that can handle these tasks in terms of network infrastructure. 

The first time we deployed the solution, we did it via a third party, a partner.

The pricing is good and very competitive. 

The costs depend on what model of Sophos we take. A central firewall on the cloud with a cluster might be 70,000 to 80,000 euros for a three-year license. The price of the license and hardware are all under that pricing. You can integrate other features on top.

I'd rate the solution a four out of five in terms of affordability.

We are using the latest version of the solution. We're customers. 

I'd recommend the solution. It has pretty good functionality and good pricing. It's a good product.

I'd rate the solution a seven out of ten.