IT Executive at Hotel Maluri Kuala Lumpur
Real User
User-friendly and easy to explore with many good features
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is very easy to explore. It has a very good layout."
  • "The solution is tied to the US dollar. You need to pay whatever the equivalent is in your own currency, and, if the exchange is bad, it can really add to the cost."

What is most valuable?

Overall, everything about the solution works well. We haven't had any issues at all.

The features on offer are great. It has pretty much everything we need.

The solution is very user-friendly.

The product is very easy to explore. It has a very good layout.

What needs improvement?

I need to do a bit more research on the product. I can't think of any features that are missing.

The solution is tied to the US dollar. You need to pay whatever the equivalent is in your own currency, and, if the exchange is bad, it can really add to the cost.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for three years. It hasn't been an extremely long amount of time.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is great. We don't have any issues. I haven't come across bugs or glitches. There isn't crashing or freezing. It's reliable.

Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
768,415 professionals have used our research since 2012.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is quite good. That said, we really haven't had any issues with the product itself.

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

I used to use Fortinet. That was at a different company, however.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very straightforward to set up. It's not too complex. Sophos Endpoint is similar in that respect. It's easy to implement.

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

The pricing is a bit expensive. That is mostly due to the US exchange. If the exchange is bad, it's quite an expensive option for us.

What other advice do I have?

We are Sophos customers. We're just end-users.

We also use Sophos Intercept X and Sophos Endpoint as well.

It's a good option. It's easy to explore and to use. Everything is pretty straightforward, especially if you compare it to other firewalls.

Overall, I would rate it at a nine out of ten. We've been very happy with it in general.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Director, Middle East, East India & SAARC at DMX Technologies
Real User
Top 10
Good support, easy to set up, and the VPN helps ensure secure connections for people working remotely
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that we find most valuable is the VPN, which ensures that people working remotely have a secure connection."
  • "We feel that the GUI can be improved a bit because it has a lot of information and looks a bit outdated."

What is our primary use case?

We are using this product as the firewall for our head office, so any connections going outside of the office go through it. We are also using VPN clients and especially during the lockdown, it was very helpful.

What is most valuable?

The feature that we find most valuable is the VPN, which ensures that people working remotely have a secure connection.

The email security and other security-related features are useful.

What needs improvement?

We feel that the GUI can be improved a bit because it has a lot of information and looks a bit outdated.

Nowadays, you hear a lot about next-generation firewalls, so some additional features can be added from an EI perspective. Products like FortiGate, for example, have a lot of features apart from the basic firewall. 

We would like to see integration with existing IPAM and IDAM products.

In the future, I would like to see new kinds of automations, as well as the inclusion of artificial intelligence-related features. A lot of other firewalls already have these now.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not had many issues, perhaps two or three of them, when using Sophos XG.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, they have different models. With the requirements that we have, this firewall did a good job. It's still doing a good job in terms of performance. For a larger enterprise with a higher number of users, they can recommend other models.

Currently, we have approximately 100 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have received good support. For the small number of issues that we have had, we received help from IT. This included assistance with configuring some additional policies. Whenever we reached out to them, they were very prompt in terms of responding to us.

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

Prior to Sophos XG, we were using a firewall by Palo Alto. The major reason we began looking for a different one was that the support was not very good. The firewall was pretty decent but whenever we wanted some help, it was a bit difficult to reach out to them. To summarize, it was not very prompt.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was simple. Within one to two hours, we were done. This was not just the installation, but the complete configuration.

What about the implementation team?

We performed the deployment with the Sophos team guiding us over the phone. It was not complex. There was one person from Sophos who was coordinating it, and it was done by our internal IT manager.

What other advice do I have?

For the most part, I can say that we plan to continue using this product. However, we would like to see if they have come up with new models and what additional features have they been incorporating. With cybersecurity, I know there have been a lot of threats of late, so we would like to see some new technologies or new features being incorporated.

This is a product that I can recommend. My advice for anybody who is implementing it is to first try to understand what the major use cases are. People need to know that there are quite a few options, such as Fortinet, and all of them have different advantages. Sophos fits perfectly for a smaller group of users, with perhaps between a hundred and two hundred people. For larger enterprises, I recommend that they implement Fortinet or Check Point.

I would rate this solution a nine 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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
768,415 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user1359756 - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner/President at TeamLogic IT of Oklahoma City
MSP
Easy to manage, performs well, and the pricing is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The cloud-based interface makes it easy to manage."
  • "The weakest point is the technical support because they are difficult to get into contact with."

What is our primary use case?

We are a managed service provider and the primary firewall that we sell and maintain is Sophos XG. It is also used in the company.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that it is a next-generation firewall.

The fact that it is integrated between endpoints and the firewall, and then the firewall and a central Sophos operation center, is very good.

The cloud-based interface makes it easy to manage.

The integration with the Intercept X approach means that Sophos XG can do things that none of the others are doing.

What needs improvement?

The main area that needs improvement is the documentation.

Sophos needs to be a little better at communicating with partners about changes, issues, patches, and so forth. 

The weakest point is the technical support because they are difficult to get into contact with.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the Sophos XG series for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution has been very stable and it's a good product, otherwise, I wouldn't be using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support team is knowledgeable and they are good, although it is very hard to get a hold of them. You sometimes have to wait in queue for over an hour to speak with somebody. To me, that is the most frustrating thing about Sophos.

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

We did not use another similar solution prior to Sophos XG. Since the MSP business started, it has been our primary firewall product because of the pricing and support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex, as is setting up any next-generation firewall today. You have to know what you're doing with firewalls in general, although beyond that, it isn't as bad as some of the firewalls that I have seen.

The deployment typically doesn't take longer than a few hours or a day, depending on the type of client and what it is that we have to do.

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

The Sophos pricing, in general, is better than SonicWall, Fortinet, WatchGuard, or anybody else. Because of the partner program, the pricing I get is extremely good compared to what I would get from any of the others.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have evaluated several firewall products and I think that Sophos is better in terms of ease of use, performance, and pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I would highly encourage others to evaluate Sophos and adopt it. I've discovered that compared to other products, it is easier to manage and I think that it operates better.

Overall, I think that they've got a pretty complete set of features and they seem to be on a really good path. My only complaints are about the documentation and the availability of technical support. 

I would rate this solution a 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: Partner
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
IT Infrastructure & Security Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Firmware flexibility allows us to run multiple rules with different configurations
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature, according to the setup we have at our work place here, is the flexibility of the system or the firmware that's running the appliance. It's so flexible, performing multiple rules with different configurations. According to the set up here, we need to implement several firewalls with different access levels, because we have a variety of users. For this requirement, it's very flexible and very easy to use."
  • "It is performing well. However, the only challenges that we are facing are the effectiveness with blocking the proxy and tuneling applications, aside from proxy and similar applications. So the application filter on the product is not really performing 100%. Every now and then there are some updates that are happening on such applications, and it takes time until it gets the appropriate updates and becomes capable of capturing such applications and blocking them. A new feature I would really like to see would be some sort of an enhanced application filter with greater efficiency when it comes to the applications that can bypass firewall policies. These applications are really a nightmare. Once they are on the network and not detected, or the appliance is not really successful in capturing them and unblocking them, the bandwidth gets wasted all the time."
  • "Scalability it is a bit limited. We did a sizing exercise before the purchase. But that was just to fit our current needs. There was no room for having an option to upgrade the device. The only option that we have if we are grow in the near future, is to go for another model with higher specs, which is actually more expensive. In other words it doesn't have that modularity ."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature, according to the setup we have at our work place here, is the flexibility of the system or the firmware that's running the appliance. It's so flexible, performing multiple rules with different configurations. According to the set up here, we need to implement several firewalls with different access levels, because we have a variety of users. For this requirement, it's very flexible and very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

It is performing well. However, the only challenges that we are facing are the effectiveness with blocking the proxy and tuneling applications, aside from  proxy and similar applications. So the application filter on the product is not really performing 100%. Every now and then there are some updates that are happening on such applications, and it takes time until it gets the appropriate updates and becomes capable of capturing such applications and blocking them.

A new feature I would really like to see would be some sort of an enhanced application filter with greater efficiency when it comes to the applications that can bypass firewall policies. These applications are really a nightmare. Once they are on the network and not detected, or the appliance is not really successful in capturing them and unblocking them, the bandwidth gets wasted all the time.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. So far we haven't experienced any instability issues with. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

As for scalability, I think it is a bit limited. We did a sizing exercise before the purchase. But that was just to fit our current needs. There was no room for having an option to upgrade the device. The only option that we have if we are grow in the near future, is to go for another model with higher specs, which is actually more expensive. In other words it doesn't have that modularity feature. 

How are customer service and technical support?

From time to time I use technical support provided by the seller and sometimes I use the online support, but not that much actually. It has only been for a very few issues. And the support I have received is not bad.

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

Before Sophos there was mix of various legacy solutions that were not really considered firewall grade. The only specific thing that was used was a software-based firewall, but it was used on a very limited scale and only temporarily.

How was the initial setup?

It was very straightforward. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The other vendors on the list were Fortinet and Palo Alto. Although it was really great with outstanding features, Palo Alto was far beyond our budget. And as for Fortinet, I was not really happy with the ease of use of the firewall and the features that were coming with it. Sophos was better compared to Fortinet.

What other advice do I have?

When it comes to selecting a vendor I think the most important thing would be the level of support and how fast they can respond in critical cases.

I would rate Sophos at eight out of 10. I cannot give it the best rating because there are the issues that I mentioned, and I believe there are other products on the market that are much better, like Palo Alto. And there is another product that I've come across recently, which is called Clavister. It's a Swedish product, if I'm not mistaken. They are current with features and have more stability. So for Sophos, it would be the appropriate rating for the time being, unless they come up with some new features and add some enhancements.

There is no straightforward advice in this case because there are many factors that may limit the person who wants the solution. Budget is an issue. If you don't have any budget limitations I would recommend going for Palo Alto. If not, consider Sophos or Clavister.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Support Engineer at odak bilisim
Real User
Easy port configuration, scalable, but policies could improve
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found configuring the ports to be easier in Sophos XG compared to the other devices."
  • "Sophos XG could improve the policies, they are a bit confusing when creating them. There are many options that make it confusing and it could be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

We use Sophos XG for network security as a firewall for our company.

What is most valuable?

I have found configuring the ports to be easier in Sophos XG compared to the other devices.

What needs improvement?

Sophos XG could improve the policies, they are a bit confusing when creating them. There are many options that make it confusing and it could be simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The Stability and performance are quite good. We haven't seen any problems.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

I would rate the scalability of Sophos XG an eight out of ten.

We have approximately 10 people using this solution in my organization.

My customers are using this solution on a daily basis.

How are customer service and support?

I have contacted support once or twice to receive some clarification. I had a good experience.

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

I have used other solutions preciously and FortiGate's user interface is much easier to use when compared to Palo Alto and Sophos. Additionally, in Palo Alto, assigning the ports are more user-friendly.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

I did the implementation of Sophos XG myself and it took approximately 20 minutes.

There is no maintenance is required for this solution.

Our networking team is approximately 10 people that use the solution.

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

The Palo Alto solution is expensive and the FortiGate is less expensive than Palo Alto. The Sophos XG would be priced in the middle of the two.

There are some fees but you can purchase a bundle package.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to those wanting to use this solution is if you don't have experience, don't use it.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Sophos XG a 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
PeerSpot user
Senior System & Security Administrator at a legal firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
It has a good interface that's very user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "I've tried out Sophos XG a little. It has a good interface that's very user-friendly, but I haven't used all of its functions because I'm only configuring and running the system."
  • "I would prefer if Sophos XG were cheaper. A lower price would benefit me as a system provider for the end customer. The cost of the license and renewal for all the software and devices is somewhat high."

What is most valuable?

I've tried out Sophos XG a little. It has a good interface that's very user-friendly, but I haven't used all of its functions because I'm only configuring and running the system.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Sophos XG for six months. I am not an end-user. I only provide the solution and implementation.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I think Sophos XG is very stable because the users who have installed it never mention any issues. It's very stable and scalable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XG is a scalable solution. Our clients who use Sophos are not big companies. 

How are customer service and support?

I haven't dealt with Sophos support because I'm just doing the basic implementation for the Sophos. But I Sophos support is very experienced and helpful. Sophos has a team for administration and implementation—a good team to improve the application. 

How was the initial setup?

It depends on the implementation and the deployment of systems. In my small company, I have four people on my technical team. Two of them specialize in firewall and security. They're working on Fortinet. They deal with antivirus and security implementation as well as Veeam Backup. The other two handle the administration implementation, including Active Directory and other administration solutions.

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

I would prefer if Sophos XG were cheaper. A lower price would benefit me as a system provider for the end customer. The cost of the license and renewal for all the software and devices is somewhat high. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Sophos XG nine out of 10. I am a Fortinet partner. If a user asks me which solution to buy, I'll tell them Fortinet. But if the customer needs Sophos, I will implement it for him. However, if I had a Sophos partnership, I would recommend it every time.

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
PeerSpot user
IT support officer at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Real User
Performs well, the firewall and threat management are good
Pros and Cons
  • "So far, I'm happy that they have recently added a firewall role, so I feel a little more comfortable with the security. The threat management is good."
  • "For the moment, managing the Sophos interface is a little bit challenging."

What is our primary use case?

There are about 100 people using Sophos at our office. We have two ISPs, so we have to have access to our internet providers. We also need security to deploy our network. Also, our home and external users need to be able to log in. So we use Sophos XG to build our deployment. Sophos is more than just a firewall. It analyzes security effects, so it's a firewall for the future. It's more than just a hardware firewall. There are also some paid options, so we do not have to have the main server inside our office here. We use Office 365. And although we use five servers at our location, not everything is in the cloud yet. 

What is most valuable?

We haven't used it for very long, so I have not analyzed the main features deeply. So far, I'm happy that they have recently added a firewall role, so I feel a little more comfortable with the security. The threat management is good. Also, the graphics and the throughput of our internet access are better than before, so it's the Sophos anti-threat device that we have. 

What needs improvement?

For the moment, managing the Sophos interface is a little bit challenging. We have an external partner that helps me to comprehend. But it's new. It has to keep up with the market, and I understand that. But that's my personal problem at the moment. High-availability clusters have not been implemented, so we have only one firewall and one device. So should this device go down, there's no more internet access. But so far, we haven't had any problems. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've only been using Sophos XG for three months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Sophos is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XG is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

I used Sophos tech support for the previous solution because Sophos sold that as well. Now, we only work with the external partners. So for the moment, I haven't had to send questions directly to Sophos. But my past experience with Sophos support was good. It was very professional and easy. We stay with Sophos software because of the technical support.

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

We had Cyberoam. That brand that doesn't exist anymore, so we had to change.

How was the initial setup?

I contacted the external partner, and the setup was easy. It took about two or three days. Some little pictures were difficult for us to find, but that's normal. We could not make a one-to-one copy of the older one, so we had to search for some little personal configurations here. Now that everything is configured right, we are happy to have it. 

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

Because Sophos is sold by the brand that we had before that and Cyberoam does not exist anymore, it costs less because we stayed within the older firewalls. The price was also very good. It was not expensive before because of their value at the time. I think it's not cheap but not very expensive, either. It's in the middle. 

What other advice do I have?

Based on what I know from using it so far, I would recommend Sophos. I rate it eight out of 10.

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.
PeerSpot user
RathinVaidya - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President (Technical) at Shaligram Infotech LLP
Reseller
Great antivirus software that's very easy to deploy and very user friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "Easy to deploy and user friendly."
  • "Could have a more simplified functionality for users."

What is our primary use case?

It's primarily for on-premise firewall functionality and functionality of internet lines.

What is most valuable?

The appeal to our IT team is that this is an easy to deploy, user friendly, and easy to work with solution that includes antivirus software.

What needs improvement?

I'd like to see a more simplified functionality for our customers. We also had a negative experience with the sales team of Sophos, which offered a three-year renewal to our customer. We'd suggested one year, keeping the customer's cashflow in mind and Covid. The result was that it affected our credibility with the customer. These are some of the irritants in the sales policy.  

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. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have deployed it for 100 users to date, so it's quite scalable. We mainly work with small and medium size organizations. 

How was the initial setup?

The implementation is straightforward. It depends on your environment, and the number of users as well as the complex rules you're making. That aside, it is easy to deploy.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution 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:
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Product Categories
Firewalls
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.