Terry Cheung - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at TopSOC
Real User
Reliable, simple installation, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability of Sophos XG is good."
  • "Sophos XG could improve Data Loss Prevention(DLP)."

What is our primary use case?

Sophos XG is an on-premise next-generation firewall with comprehensive features and the console is centralized on the cloud.

What needs improvement?

Sophos XG could improve Data Loss Prevention(DLP).

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?

Sophos XG is a stable solution.

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Sophos XG
March 2024
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Sophos XG is good.

We have approximately 20 users using the solution.

How are customer service and support?

The support is a bit behind compared to other vendors.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward and only took one and a half hours.

What about the implementation team?

We have one or two people for the deployment and maintenance of the solution.

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

My customers pay a license for one or three years to use Sophos XG.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Sophos XG 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
Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Consultant
Synchronized security with Sophos endpoints, easy to configure, and easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable is the synchronized security between Sophos XG and Sophos endpoint because it provides a lot of visibility about unknown applications. The endpoint shares the information of unknown applications, and you can learn about those applications and create policies to allow or block those applications."
  • "Everything is working as expected at this moment, but the anti-spam solution in Sophos XG needs to be improved. It needs more granular features and more stability. The anti-spam solution currently doesn't have many features, and we would like to have more features. At this moment, there is no expression filter for anti-spam. We need something to be able to filter subjects or attachments in emails based on the keyword. Sometimes, there is an issue with anti-spam, and Sophos XG suddenly stops processing incoming or outgoing emails. The only solution for this issue is to restart the appliance. Their support should be improved. It takes a long time to escalate a support case from level one to level two."

What is our primary use case?

Most of the clients use it for web filtering, application control, SSL inspection, and VPN. We have on-premise and cloud or virtual environment deployments. On the cloud, Sophos XG is on Azure or OVH.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable is the synchronized security between Sophos XG and Sophos endpoint because it provides a lot of visibility about unknown applications. The endpoint shares the information of unknown applications, and you can learn about those applications and create policies to allow or block those applications.

What needs improvement?

Everything is working as expected at this moment, but the anti-spam solution in Sophos XG needs to be improved. It needs more granular features and more stability. The anti-spam solution currently doesn't have many features, and we would like to have more features. At this moment, there is no expression filter for anti-spam. We need something to be able to filter subjects or attachments in emails based on the keyword. Sometimes, there is an issue with anti-spam, and Sophos XG suddenly stops processing incoming or outgoing emails. The only solution for this issue is to restart the appliance.

Their support should be improved. It takes a long time to escalate a support case from level one to level two.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable, but sometimes, there is an issue with anti-spam, and Sophos XG suddenly stops processing incoming or outgoing emails. This is the only issue that I have with the anti-spam solution on Sophos XG.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. Most of our clients are small enterprises. We also have some medium enterprises.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their support should be improved. When we open a support case on their support portal, it first goes to their tier-one support. When an issue is complex, it takes a long time to escalate a support case to a level-two engineer, which is frustrating. Their response time is slow.

How was the initial setup?

Its deployment and setup are very easy. It is not at all complex to set up. The deployment duration varies. It can take around three days for a deployment with anti-spam, application control, IPS, and VPN with filtering.

What about the implementation team?

For its deployment and maintenance, usually, there are two of us, but sometimes, there is just one person.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Most of the customers here evaluate FortiGate against Sophos XG. Some of them also evaluate WatchGuard Firebox. In the past, FortiGate had the advantage of having an SD-WAN solution, but now Sophos also has an SD-WAN solution with a graphical user interface.

Sophos XG is very easy to follow and easy to configure, which is something very valuable for me and our customers. It is also very easy to use a site-to-site VPN with certificates, which is another pro. SD-RED devices are one more advantage that Sophos has over other vendors. These devices are very useful for those customers who don't have IT personnel in branch offices. With SD-RED devices, they can connect to the central site. The connection is automatically established with Sophos XG on the site. There is no need to have an IT person on the site.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution because it is really easy to implement. Sophos XG is very focused on cybersecurity. Its ability to synchronize information with Sophos endpoint is a very good feature when you are concerned about security. Other vendors or firewalls are more focused on establishing the connection and policies.

I would rate Sophos XG an eight out of ten. It is very good, but it could be better.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
March 2024
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768,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.
ICT Manager at toril community cooperative
Real User
A fast, agile, and stable solution that is easy to deploy and manage
Pros and Cons
  • "Orchestration of the firewall is the most valuable feature. It is a fast and agile solution. It is good with protection. It is also very easy to deploy and manage, and its user interface is easy to use."
  • "They can lower its price. It is very expensive. We are looking for a less expensive solution depending on our budget. They can also improve it in terms of firewall protection."

What is most valuable?

Orchestration of the firewall is the most valuable feature. It is a fast and agile solution. It is good with protection. It is also very easy to deploy and manage, and its user interface is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

They can lower its price. It is very expensive. We are looking for a less expensive solution depending on our budget. They can also improve it in terms of firewall protection.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three years.

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 very agile.

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

We didn't have any other similar solution previously.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to deploy.

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

It is very expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Sophos XG a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Samir Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at Infinity Access Technologies Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 5
Stable product with easy setup well recommended, customer support and fiber options on smaller models could be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution was able to be integrated well with exciting hardware and software and in multiple business sectors."
  • "They should include fiber ports on smaller product models and the tools should be improved for scalability."

What is our primary use case?

We were able to integrate the solution using existing infrastructure installed, such as different firewalls and security software. We have integrated the solution in multiple sectors, for example, the education and banking sectors. 

How has it helped my organization?

UTM appliances have generally improved organization networks and given away to multiple link management, identity management, and easy firewall options. SOPHOS has a better GUI and dashboard which can be easily understood and managed in an organization.

What is most valuable?

The solution was able to be integrated well with exciting hardware and software and in multiple business sectors.

What needs improvement?

With the proliferation of fiber connectivity becoming available at our homes, consumers should not have to go and buy another module for fiber to ethernet converters or another device to get the fiber options. I understand all UTM models should have direct SFP ports available so that FFTH is directly terminated to UTM for better management and uptime. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for the past five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found it to be a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I can say it is more stable rather than scalable. I do not think they have the ability for scalability with the options currently included esp in SMB segment. However, if they did have better options then I believe the product would have better scalability.

Some of our clients have been enterprise and SMB customers. Overall the range of our clients has been between medium and enterprise clients.

How are customer service and technical support?

The customer support is not that good. We found the support to be extremely slow in response.

I rate Sophos XG support a three out of ten.

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

We have used other products as well and we understand those products work well which has better and local support. In addition, it depends on the company's focus. SOPHOS has focused on small to enterprise customers but support needs improvement to be in the market. SOPHOS channel partnership program needs also improvement and commitment so that System Integrators and partners are able to pitch the products well in the market. 

How was the initial setup?

Setup is good and the integration is very easy. The technology creates several good products.

What about the implementation team?

We do the deployment and implementation of the solutions.

What was our ROI?

They should include fiber SFP ports on smaller product models as well and the tools should be improved for scalability.

What other advice do I have?

I can definitely recommend the product because it is good. There is no doubt.

I rate Sophos XG a 6 out of 10.

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?

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Channel Partner and Consultant to various Customers.
PeerSpot user
Technical Department Manager at Direcbusiness Technologies, Inc.
Real User
Has good VPN features and capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "We get good usage out of the features. It has enabled us to gain popularity. It has great features."
  • "The VPN features and its capabilities are great."
  • "We had a difficult time assigning IP addresses to specific MAC addresses."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for monitoring our web access, providing authentication and for security purposes.

What is most valuable?

We get good usage out of the VPN features and its capability; it is a great feature.

What needs improvement?

In terms of improvement, one of the features we are having a hard time getting a hang of is MAC addressing, like when we assign IP addresses to a specific MAC address. That is something that can be improved. For the next release, I think, it should have better feature integration.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for seven years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. We use the product for around 70 to 100 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support that we used was great.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was pretty straightforward. The setup took around one to two weeks. 

What about the implementation team?

We did all of the deployment by ourselves and we use one person for maintenance.

What was our ROI?

I think, for the XG, I think the MAC addressing. We were having a very hard time assigning MAC addresses with specific IP.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We haven't chosen any other product, besides Sophos.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Sophos XG an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Technical & Pre-Sales Manager at GateLock
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Multifaceted security protection to protect us and our customers
Pros and Cons
  • "All of the features are amazing, especially Sandstorm, which prevents bad traffic or downloaded files from reaching our customers' and partners' networks."
  • "Network security is in need of improvement."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is implemented for medium and large enterprises to protect their network from attacks and to filter the web traffic through web protection and application protection modules.

This solution includes Email protection, IPS, Antivirus gateway, ATP, Reporting, VPN, Sophos Wireless controller, load balancer, WAF, and traffic shaping.

How has it helped my organization?

  1. It's protecting our networks from threats.
  2. Block URLs and web applications based on business needs.
  3. Not expensive when compared to other vendors, with a great added value.
  4. Impressive synchronized security with its endpoint solution.

What is most valuable?

All of the features are amazing, especially Sandstorm, which prevents bad traffic or downloaded files from reaching our customers' and partners' networks.

What needs improvement?

Network security is in need of improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for five years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Support Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Reseller
Easy to set up with good technical support but takes a while to load
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support is responsive."
  • "The user interface could be better."

What is most valuable?

The solution is mostly a good firewall. 

The initial setup is pretty easy compared to other options on the market.

The product has been stable.

The solution can scale. 

Technical support is responsive. 

Sophos offers pretty good pricing.

What needs improvement?

The user interface could be better.

We find that the solution takes too long to load. It's slow. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been dealing with the product for six or seven years at this point. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been stable. We haven't had any bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have customers of every size, including medium and enterprise-level.

The product can scale and if a company needs to expand it can do so.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is pretty good. We've been happy with their level of responsiveness. I have no complaints. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup isn't too difficult or complex. It's pretty straightforward. 

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

We find the pricing to be reasonable and not overly expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

We are a Sophos reseller. 

I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. If the graphical user interface was better and the performance was stronger, I would rate it higher. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Network Administrator at OM Networks Pvt Ltd
Real User
Offers up-to-date security updates
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is a next generation firewall and we have gotten good customer feedback."
  • "SD-WAN features should be added."
  • "The solution is more cost-effective than FortiGate, Cisco and Palo Alto, which have very expensive licenses."

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is a next generation firewall and we have gotten good customer feedback. It is a very good appliance. The daily, up-to-date security features of the solution's updates and device answer customer IT needs concerning security, network and web protection and new protections, such as those concerning data. 

    What needs improvement?

    The box needs to be fixed

    Moreover,the bugs need fixing. I also think that SD-WAN features should be added. The intelligence feature should be improved and Sophos needs upgrading and updating. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using Sophos XG since 2015.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable. 

    Both Sophos XG and XGS offer a host of cloud-based security features. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is very scalable. 

    Our IT-related infrastructure allows us to scale up. This is a good feature of SD-WAN, which affords easy scalability to modern networks and many data center advances. The SD-WAN features are the most important part of Sophos XG's scalability. When it comes to the scanning power requirements, we have the ability to scale over it. 

    How was the initial setup?

    While the solution proved to be user-friendly and to offer an easy deployment we faced many issues involving its registration. This posed an issue when it came to scaling. However, we found it to be easy to configure and implement. 

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

    The solution is more cost-effective than FortiGate, Cisco and Palo Alto, which have very expensive licenses.

    What other advice do I have?

    The solution is very user-friendly. 

    I would recommend the solution to my customers because it costs a fraction of its previous price and most of them cannot afford an expensive EDR backup.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
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