We performed a comparison between Cisco Secure Firewall and SonicWall NSa based on real PeerSpot user reviews.
Find out in this report how the two Firewalls solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI."Unified Threat Management (UTM) features."
"The product is easy to use and is stable. The SV1 functionality is a benefit."
"There is an easy process for configuring it, and it is straightforward to implement the device from scratch."
"The SD-WAN function is very developed. It has SD-WAN functionality with security features in one device. We can manage from one single console SD-WAN and the security policy."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is load balancing. It can provide central management and VPNA. Additionally, it has enhanced our security environment."
"The SD-WAN is the most valuable feature."
"The base firewall features are quite valuable to us."
"It is simple to manage, and there are a lot of functionalities in the same box."
"URL filtering is valuable."
"Its VPN and ASN features are very stable."
"We are using the Cisco AnyConnect for our end-user VPN with the ASA."
"We have not had to deal with stability issues."
"The stability of Cisco ASA is excellent compared to other products on the market. Because of our customer experience as an integrator company, our clients never report any performance problems. We have a good performance reputation with Cisco ASA."
"The most valuable features are the provision of internet access, AnyConnect, and VPN capabilities."
"Feature-wise, we mostly use IPS because it is a security requirement to protect against attacks from outside and inside. This is where IPS helps us out a bunch."
"Firepower has reduced our firewall operational costs by about 25 percent."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the GUI pre-filtering and the ATP (advanced threat protection)."
"Compared to Cisco, SonicWall NSa is much easier to configure."
"Support is usually good when it comes to helping with issues."
"The features that I have found most valuable are the firewalling, which is very good and the GUI which is very intuitive. It is easy to use, and provides great security."
"It has excellent stability."
"SonicWall's technical support is very good."
"SonicWall has USCS and anti-virus at the gateway level. Everything is filtered, and if it detects an intruder, it drops the line."
"The antivirus and items of that nature were quite helpful to have."
"The solution's framework needs to be frequently updated in order to have a stable solution."
"We had some issues in the beginning while setting it up, but after doing the firmware update, it is working fine."
"The search tool needs improvement. It's very difficult to search for policies right now."
"The solution could have licensing fees reduced in the future."
"The ease of use could be improved."
"It can be a little bit more user-friendly in terms of policy definition and implementation. It seems a little bit complicated, and it could be simplified."
"Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. However, my issue is the performance only. When I use all the profiles, this affects the performance. From the beginning, I should have had a better sizing of the box."
"Maybe they could make some features more accessible, such as a way to translate directions between two networks that share the same subnets."
"The ASA needs to incorporate the different modules you have to integrate to achieve UTM functions, especially for small businesses."
"REST API stability needs improvement in order for customizing resource allocation available to the user rather than just being there transparently. This way users can customize REST API and tailor it to their needs."
"While this applies to all vendors, pricing can be always lower. In my opinion, Cisco is the most expensive. The pricing can be reduced."
"Most of the features don't work well, and some features are missing as well."
"The throughput highlighted on the datasheet (10Gbps) should be reviewed. This throughput is only for a UDP running environment, which you will never find in the real world. Rather consider a multiprotocol throughput."
"The policies module in FMC specifically isn't the most user-friendly. Coming from Cisco ASA, Cisco ASA is a little bit easier to use. When you get into particularly complex deployments where you have a lot of different interfaces and all that kind of stuff, it's a little bit tricky. Some usability improvements there would be nice."
"The Cisco ASA device needs overall improvement, as configurations alone do not completely secure my network."
"Integration aspects and traffic shaping need improvement."
"Needs a more detailed reporting feature."
"Competitors provide SSL encryption licenses for free, whereas SonicWall only provides two licenses by default, but you have to pay for the rest of the licenses."
"The content ID needs to be improved."
"One area for improvement in SonicWall NSa is the GUI. It isn't easy to understand. The support for SonicWall NSa is mediocre, which is another area for improvement."
"There are a few areas that need improvement including the VPN, user management, and reporting."
"Initially, it may be difficult for some people to learn and become acquainted with it."
"After-sales support and hands-on training facilities are not available in my country."
"It only has a single power interface, which has limitations in terms of high availability."
Cisco Secure Firewall is ranked 4th in Firewalls with 404 reviews while SonicWall NSa is ranked 19th in Firewalls with 77 reviews. Cisco Secure Firewall is rated 8.2, while SonicWall NSa is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of Cisco Secure Firewall writes "Highlights and helps us catch Zero-day vulnerabilities traveling across our network". On the other hand, the top reviewer of SonicWall NSa writes "Great performance and security with reasonable pricing". Cisco Secure Firewall is most compared with Palo Alto Networks WildFire, Netgate pfSense, Meraki MX, Sophos XG and Huawei NGFW, whereas SonicWall NSa is most compared with SonicWall TZ, Meraki MX, Sophos XG, Netgate pfSense and WatchGuard Firebox. See our Cisco Secure Firewall vs. SonicWall NSa report.
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