IT support officer at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 20
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.

Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
May 2023
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2023.
709,643 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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
Network & System Support Engineer at ITCG Solutions Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 5
A comprehensive solution which makes available heartbeat security
Pros and Cons
  • "Sophos is a comrehensive solution which allows me to configure all the attendant products, such as Sophos' firewall, Endpoint and Encryption features."
  • "The response time could stand improvement."

What is most valuable?

Sophos is a comprehensive solution which allows me to configure all the attendant products, such as Sophos' firewall, Endpoint and Encryption features. 

A nice feature of Sophos is that it offers in sync and heartbeat security. When my clients have a perimeter involving Sophos firewall and endpoints with Sophos Endpoint, they can communicate with each other. 

Heartbeat security is a great feature. 

What needs improvement?

In light of all the firmware upgrades, maintenance, feature and general releases of firmware, I really appreciate the support offered by Sophos. It is really good. 

However, the response time could stand improvement, as I do not benefit from immediate support. There is a delay involved. This can be problematic when I need urgent support, such as when my device is in a production environment. 

How are customer service and support?

The support is really good. With all the firmware upgrades, maintenance, feature and general firmware releases which occur nowadays, I really appreciate Sophos support. It is really good. 

This said, it could be faster, as it is not immediate. This can be problematic when I require urgent support, such as when my device is in a production environment. 

How was the initial setup?

When it comes to the firewall, everything hinges on the configuration. Every firewall is good, but one can see the importance of the configuration in the firewalls of Sophos and SonicWall. This is the most important thing, since users occcasionally disable the app control, IPS or anti-spyware features. They do this out of a lack of familiarity with the security, something which allows attacks to occur. Therefore, the configuration is key. I configure every firewall I employ, be it Sophos, SonicWall or Fortinet. 

I have not encountered any issues when it comes to the configuration. 

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

I was a gold partner with Sophos XG. As such, I make suggestions about the appropriate model in line with my customer's requirements. Essentially, over the last two years of the COVID-19 crises, most users required an SSL VPN license, something for which SonicWall charges but which Sophos offers for free. 

SSL VPN involves two factor authentication. This is free of charge. Both email and key OTP are options. While SonicWall also offers SSL VPN capabilities, it is problematic. When I needed a license, I purchased an additional perpetual SSL VPN license. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

SonicWall makes available all the different models, such as TZ and NSA. I am familiar with all the models. Sophos only has an entry-level model, which is actually 87, 107 and 116. 

Fortinet offers the Forti ATF model. 

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the solution to other clients, but make certain to first understand their individual needs. I would be doing them a disservice were it otherwise.

I really like Sophos.

In the past, when Sophos employed XG firewall, I was forced to deal with a slow GUI. This is because its back-end kernel is Linux. Now that XGS is provided, many changes can be seen in the hardware appliance. The hardware has been upgraded. The XGS firewall is faster than the XG series, so the problem has been resolved. 

While I rate Fortinet as a nine out of ten, I give Sophos XG a rating of eight. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
May 2023
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2023.
709,643 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Saurabh Bhansali - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of IT at Venus Jewel
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Robust, user-friendly interface, effective web filtering capabilities, and enhance security
Pros and Cons
  • "Everything is consolidated into a single box, offering comprehensive functionality, including Wi-Fi access and other features."
  • "SD-WAN would benefit from further improvement, particularly in terms of incorporating optimization techniques that are not typically found in traditional firewalls. Nowadays, WAN optimization features are being integrated into many firewalls, and implementing similar capabilities in SD-WAN would enhance its performance and functionality."

What is our primary use case?

Sophos XG is of firewall security device for our data center or branch data center.

How has it helped my organization?

The security measures implemented in this system are robust, particularly at the network level. It includes effective web filtering capabilities to enhance security and protect against potential threats.

What is most valuable?

Everything is consolidated into a single box, offering comprehensive functionality, including Wi-Fi access and other features.

What needs improvement?

SD-WAN would benefit from further improvement, particularly in terms of incorporating optimization techniques that are not typically found in traditional firewalls. Nowadays, WAN optimization features are being integrated into many firewalls, and implementing similar capabilities in SD-WAN would enhance its performance and functionality.

The user interface of Sophos is very simple and good compared to Azure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Sophos XG for more than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Sophos XG has been exceptional, and we have not encountered any issues. 

I would rate the stability of Sophos XG a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XG is very scalable. I would rate the scalability of Sophos XG a nine out of ten.

Our network scalability is not extensive, but it does offer certain features such as the ability to create and utilize devices in an Active-Active configuration. Additionally, using devices with an active password is also supported, providing users with various facilities and features.

We have 1,500 users in our organization daily.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good.

I would rate the technical support a nine out of ten.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It was easy.

The total deployment time was ten days.

What about the implementation team?

We had comprehensive documentation containing all the necessary details, including firewall configurations, host information, and corresponding IP addresses.

It was very easy to install it without any downtime.

We had a total of two people to deploy it.

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

Sophos XG is expenses. I would rate the pricing a ten out of ten as high.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

After evaluating SonicWall and considering recommendations from colleagues, friends, and industry professionals, we found that Sophos received positive feedback. Additionally, our own hands-on experience and thorough examination confirmed that Sophos was a suitable choice. Therefore, based on these factors, we made the decision to proceed with Sophos for our requirements.

What other advice do I have?

If Sophos XG meets your business requirements and fulfills your account needs, it is highly recommended to choose Sophos XG as your preferred solution.

I would rate Sophos XG an eight out of ten.

The product demonstrates excellent stability, accompanied by a user-friendly interface and reliable support services, including the availability of premium support options. However, there are certain features such as WAN optimization, load balancing, advanced techniques, and advanced web filtering that are currently not available. These features have become increasingly crucial in today's environment and are in high demand.

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.
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Associate Technical Director at INTELEC3
Real User
Top 20
Simple to configure and implement, good pricing, and suitable for medium-sized enterprises
Pros and Cons
  • "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."

What is our primary use case?

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.

What is most valuable?

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

What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos technology for four 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?

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.

How are customer service and support?

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. 

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

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.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to implement.

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

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.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it a nine out of 10.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Sr Information technology consultant at onkar international pvt ltd
Real User
Top 20
Scalable, simple the set up and easy to understand
Pros and Cons
  • "The product offers many great features."
  • "When upgrading the firewalls, the process could be easier."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is mostly used for setting up a firewall and policies. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is very easy to understand. 

It's simple to set up the firewall and policies. Setting rules is very easy on Sophos as compared to other solutions. 

The product offers many great features. 

Technical support is very good. 

The initial setup is easy.

We have found the solution to be very stable.

A company can easily scale the product if they need to. 

What needs improvement?

When upgrading the firewalls, the process could be easier. 

While we do have network control, we don't have network monitoring. If I have 200 nodes and I want to see what's happening, I don't have visibility, especially if people are working remotely. 

If we could control roaming users through the firewalls and make it so that it's more of a  complete security solution, which we prefer, that would be ideal. If we have to install some clients on these machines, that's fine. The only concern is the DLP. We want to protect our data from being stolen. We'd also like to monitor activities from the perspective of productivity. We want to be able to track and calculate what users are doing on their machines.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for more than ten years. 

Earlier, Sophos was known as Cyberoam, Before that, I use Cyberoam and now this has turned into Sophos.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. It does not crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. the solution is reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The level of scalability depends on the box. We do have the option to scale if we need to.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have found the technical support to be very helpful and responsive. I am pleased with the level of support I can get. They always provide proper solutions to all issues, whatever we face.

How was the initial setup?

It is not difficult to set up the solution. One ISP, internet service provider, is required, and that is sufficient. If you do have a landline, some switches are available, and we can add to that a firewall. That is secondary. However, the initial requirement is nothing. It is just a plug-and-play setup that is very straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We had a vendor assist us with the installation. 

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

There's no additional cost for installation. The provider from which we purchased, the vendor, himself arranged all installation and configuration. They helped us. However, even through customer care, a company can ask for assistance. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm not providing any services. I'm using the product as a customer only. The company, one day, would like to become a partner, however. 

I would recommend the solution to other companies. 

I would rate the solution at a seven out of ten, specifically if I compare it to other options on the market. It's pretty good. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Information Security Manager at a recruiting/HR firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Easy to use, scalable, and provides good security
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is stable. I've had very few problems with it."
  • "I do prefer when updates come out a bit quicker."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for a firewall. We use it as a security device.

What is most valuable?

The product is very easy to use. We enjoy the ability for it to fit into our high-level security framework. 

It gives us some separation from being on Microsoft tasks. We've got multiple levels of security. We're government contractors. It's great that it's been a separate product that gives us the ability to do the security to a high level without having to resort to needing a big team.

The solution is stable. I've had very few problems with it.

We have found the solution to be scalable. 

What needs improvement?

We're always looking for the best products and the best pricing. Pricing is always a concern for us.

When they do updates, they could handle them a little bit better. We've only had one problem, however, I do prefer when updates come out a bit quicker. We do the patching and updates and different things, however, in terms of the patch and timing and the criticality of it, it could always be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for five or more years at this point. We've used it for a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is reliable and stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product has proven to be scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.

We have 430 end-users on the product.

How are customer service and technical support?

We're mostly happy with the technical support. It's better than Microsoft. Any issues we have may simply come down to the SLA. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward, and, over the last six years, it's gotten simpler, especially when it comes to cloud products.  A company shouldn't have any issues with the process. 

The deployment was very quick. It does not take long. 

My team is quite small internally. I have five to seven IT staff.  I have many service providers that I outsource a lot of the day-to-day management of the infrastructure to.

What about the implementation team?

Sophos assisted us with training at the outset, which we really appreciated. 

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

We pay annually for the licensing for the overall on-prem solution, however, we also have some Sophos access points at permanent IT sites and different things. I have different Sophos products I may pay a monthly fee for.

What other advice do I have?

We're just customers and end-users.

While this deployment is on-premises, for the cloud, we use Sophos Central.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We're pretty pleased with its protection capabilities. 

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
Alexandre RASTELLO - PeerSpot reviewer
Alexandre RASTELLOSenior IT Consultant - Sophos Architect at ARENTIA S.A.
Top 10Real User

Well done! Happy to see it was easy.


Next step is Synchronize Security with Sophos Endpoint (formely Sophos Central), to block "lateral movement"!


https://www.sophos.com/en-us/l...


https://techvids.sophos.com/wa...


Regards,

CEO at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Top 5
Migration from pfSense or Astaro is easy
Pros and Cons
  • "The two most valuable feature of Sophos XG is, one the option to filter according to different applications and two, the integration with the Active Directory."
  • "Integration with Active Directory is not reliable."
  • "Over the last six months, we have noticed that the hardware is slow, especially the VPN connections."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Sophos XG, but not the latest version. The solution works as the main gateway. We are a small company of 250 employees so we also use the solution as a router.

The hardware and VPN connections are slow so we are planning on upgrading the solution. Next month we will be replacing the Sophos XG we have as it is reaching the end of life next year. We will be purchasing the XG 3000 to gain more options in the VPN tunnels.

What is most valuable?

The two most valuable feature of Sophos XG is, one the option to filter according to different applications and two, the integration with the Active Directory.

What needs improvement?

Over the last six months, we have noticed that the hardware is slow, especially the VPN connections.

Sophos would benefit if they could improve the integration with Active Directory. It does not function consistently and we have to reconfigure it to make it function again. 

Integration with IPA, which is like Active Directory for Linux servers, would be a nice feature to include.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is very stable. We have not had any problems in the three years we have been using Sophos XG. We did have one infection that gained access to one server in the DMZ but it was because the rules were not well configured and not because of the product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't had to scale the solution. 

How are customer service and support?

Support from Sophos XG has been fine for what we have required.

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

We had been using Astaro. We selected Sophos XG because we knew it would be easy to set up and configure as the two solutions are similar.

How was the initial setup?

Previously we were working with Astaro, so the setup and configuration of Sophos XG was easy. The implementation took less than a month.

What about the implementation team?

The company that sold the firewall solution provided support hours while we were migrating the rules of our old firewall. They provided us with advice on some of the rules, especially on the routing to connect to a branch office.

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

We purchase an annual standard license.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend Sophos XG if you are coming from pfSense or Astaro as the migration will be really easy. The learning path will also be easy. If you are coming from Barracuda or Cisco it will be more difficult especially the web interface of the firewall is not intuitive.

I would rate Sophos XG an 8 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
Network Engineer at Spectrum Engineering Consortium Ltd.
Real User
Reliable and flexible for small and large companies, but has some feature issues to resolve
Pros and Cons
  • "Sophos XG Firewall is very usable, very easy to install, and very user friendly."
  • "We are facing some problems on this firmware version, version 18, that require improvement. We want to improve the email security because it doesn't give proper security with the data protection. Also, our clients are facing some problems where most of the sites which they're accessing are getting blocked. I want to improve those sites, that email security, and the data protection on the Firmware version 18."

What is our primary use case?

You can use Sophos XG in small or large companies. In a small company we are using it as a router and firewall. In larger company, like in the Bangladesh government, they are using Sophos Firewall in various sites, including the Bangladesh Navy. Many of the sites are using Sophos Firewall as a router and firewall and also for security purposes.

How has it helped my organization?

Sophos XG Firewall is for security purposes and we are also using it as a router. Wherever we are deploying it as a router we are mapping and also port forwarding. More clients take it as a router and also a firewall.

What is most valuable?

Sophos XG Firewall is very usable, very easy to install, and very user friendly.

The features that I have found most valuable are the infiltration prevention and data protection. We provide immune security. There are also many features on the VPN. We provide a social VPN. We deployed so many features.

What needs improvement?

We are facing some problems on this firmware version, version 18, that require improvement. We want to improve the email security because it doesn't give proper security with the data protection. Also, our clients are facing some problems where most of the sites which they're accessing are getting blocked. I want to improve those sites, that email security, and the data protection on the Firmware version 18. Also, sometimes it gets frozen and we cannot access it. After we shut it down and restart, then it's perfect. That's a point that we want to improve. 

In the next release, I want them to please improve version 18 so that it has more features and is more user friendly and it should have a VRF option.

For how long have I used the solution?

We are using Sophos XG for five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Sophos XG is stable.

Maintenance, once it is established on the network, requires about two to three people dedicated to Sophos Firewall. We have to give about two to three days monthly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is good.

We have about a thousand or more users and have plans to increase usage of this product.

How are customer service and support?

The Sophos support team is good now.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is easy. It took about one hour to do the initial setup.

What about the implementation team?

I am an implementer so I deployed it by myself.

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

Sophos XG is on a subscription basis. We can take a one year or two year subscription.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale of one to ten, I will give Sophos XG a seven.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2023
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.