VP of Operations at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Stable, easy to setup the rules, versatile, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of this solution is the flexibility of it, it's pretty versatile."
  • "The UI needs improvement because it can be a little weird at times."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of this solution is as the main company firewall.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of this solution is the flexibility of it, it's pretty versatile.

Also, the firewall aspect in terms of setting up rules. They worked pretty well.

What needs improvement?

The UI needs improvement because it can be a little weird at times.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Sophos XG in the last twelve months.

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Sophos XG
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable. We haven't had any real issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't know if this solution is scalable. We haven't explored this area yet.

As we grow, we plan to increase usage.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

Initially, the setup was a bit complex.

It was complex because we were coming off of a different setup. It was just getting used to the software, but it's not too bad.

We require one and a half staff members for the deployment and the maintenance. They seem to do a pretty good job of updating it and keeping it current.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented ourselves. We did not use a vendor or integrator.

What was our ROI?

We're military contractors, and the cybersecurity compliance aspect of it has been the most helpful.

We know how the networks operate from our end, even though we are relatively green. We don't what we are comparing it to.

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

We prepaid in advance to get the max discount.

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
IT Support Executive at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Simple, stable and secure with regular timely updates
Pros and Cons
  • "The simplicity and timely updates."
  • "The interface could be simplified and diagnostic system graphs improved."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case is as a firewall, failover management of the internet lines. We have over 50 people using the product on 200 devices and we use it on a daily basis. I'm an IT support executive and we're a customer of Sophos. 

How has it helped my organization?

We are using sophos XG as the firewall for our offices, 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?

I like the simplicity of the solution and the timely updates. It works well. 

What needs improvement?

The interface could be improved by simplifying it and making it much smarter. I would also like to see an improvement in the diagnostic system graphs. They could be modified to provide individual graphs. The present page has all graphs in a single page and it slows things down and takes more time to refresh and load. 

Additional features they could consider including in any update would be symbols and tools. They could also include URL groups and all Office updates, the regular things that people do on a daily basis. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for the past year and a half. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't yet tried scaling, that will take another six months. I'll be in a better position to answer then. 

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is fine overall.

How was the initial setup?

I've now configured three times and although it gets easier, deployment is a little complex. We had some issues with the company, unrelated to the product, more to do with the licensing procedures in India which could be simplified. Deployment only took about half an hour and the solution doesn't require any maintenance. 

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

Licensing costs are generally set for three years. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

PaloAlto, FirtiGate

What other advice do I have?

Before installing this product it's worth taking some lessons from the website which also provides some support. It's almost better than the technical support which is offline. If you have a good vendor with hands-on experience that's also helpful for first time deployment. After you've implemented once, it's easier the second time. 

I would rate this solution an 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
Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
May 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
772,679 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Support Services Manager at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Real User
An easy to use firewall solution that improves our security
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution seems pretty stable. We've had no issues so far."
  • "It's easy to use, but it's hard to configure exact settings. They need to make it easier to access advanced features."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution mainly as a firewall.

What is most valuable?

The solution improves security.

What needs improvement?

It's easy to use, but it's harder to configure when you want detailed settings. They need to make it easier to access advanced features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution seems pretty stable. We've had no issues so far.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't had to scale anything so far, so I'm unsure about the scalability of the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never had to deal directly with technical support.

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

We did not previously use a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

Implementation is straightforward. The only thing that was difficult was that we had some special cases and we had to dig in a lot to find the information for accessing very specific features. Deployment took about a week, however, we did about 6 months of research beforehand. You can deploy the solution with maybe one or two people, but we used five. We only need one person for ongoing maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

We handled the implementation ourselves.

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

We don't have any costs above the licensing of the solution itself.

What other advice do I have?

We are using the on-premises deployment model.

The solution is easy to implement, however, if you do decide on this solution, I would make sure that you have someone that has experience with this kind of solution or to hire someone to implement the solution properly. It will make everything much easier in the long run.

I would rate the solution 9.5 out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Presales Consultant/ Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
MSP
Top 5
Good security, easy to use, and has a simple installation
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very easy to use and straightforward."
  • "The initial setup, specifically when activating the license, is a nightmare and is quite difficult."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used to secure networks, just like PSF, but much better. Sophos XG has a UTM, which is much more security inclusive than a firewall, as it takes a look at the threat management landscape from a unified point of view. They have a firewall and they have an IPS inside the same box. They have a sandbox, they have a web filter, they have a web application firewall, they have a mail gateway, and they have a DMP. These are all inside one box. It's excellent at protecting networks from security threats as well.

What is most valuable?

The solution offers everything in one product.

It's excellent at protecting networks from malicious threats.

The solution is very easy to use and straightforward. 

Once you get past the license activation, the installation is easy.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see the technical support improve. They have the worst technical support I have ever seen in my whole life.

The initial setup, specifically when activating the license, is a nightmare and is quite difficult. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five years now. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We're a distributor, however, the company is still quite new. At my last company, I had 150 clients on Sophos. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is just awful. They are not helpful or responsive. We are not satisfied with the level of support on offer. They need to improve this aspect. They simply do not reply.

They have very bad response times. It's very strange. Before, when I was dealing with Cyberoam, before Cyberoam was acquired by Sophos, it was good. Now, it's Sophos XG, and, while Cyberoam support was amazing, Sophos support has just gone down the drain. I don't know why.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is a nightmare. The installation, getting the box to get up and running, is a hectic process, due to the fact that the box basically would not activate any feature unless the license is activated. And the license is only activated with the cloud. When you are doing that, it's just a sort of a nightmare. Now they have a new feature in which you can just create a license and you can activate the license on the appliance. However, generally speaking, it's one of those appliances that, if it's not registered on the portal online, won't even start. It can be a nightmare sometimes. That said, after the license is activated, it's just plain simple and easy.

What about the implementation team?

I previously was an implementor and would set up the solution for clients.

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

You need to pay for the license. You need to pay for the hardware as well. The cost depends on the model of the hardware and on which license. They have different editions, and licenses you're going to go with. They have different modules, and the cost depends on which modules you'd like to activate for security features. Not everyone will buy Sophos to utilize all the features. Usually, it's just the firewall, and IPS, sandbox, and the web filter that people are looking for. Not many people have Sophos or VM servers on-prem to protect them.

What other advice do I have?

We use both cloud and on-premises deployment models. 

Now, I am using the solution personally at home, however, before, where I was working, I used the solution for three years, specifically implementing Sophos XG for customers.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. 

I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies. For small and medium businesses, Sophos is a good security vendor.

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
IT Manager , SAP HANA Administrator at Tara Paints & Chemicals
Real User
Overall work well, reliable, but reporting needs more information
Pros and Cons
  • "Overall the solution works well."
  • "The reporting could be improved in this solution by adding more details."

What is most valuable?

Overall the solution works well.

What needs improvement?

The reporting could be improved in this solution by adding more details.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There used to be problems with the stability of the solution a few years ago but now the solution is stable and reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 400 users using this solution in my company and we plan to increase usage in the future.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support has been good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial installation is straightforward.

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

The solution is priced well.

What other advice do I have?

I am satisfied with the solution.

I rate Sophos XG a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Sales Manager at INFOSEC
Real User
Stable with a good cloud-based console and great for enterprise-level organizations
Pros and Cons
  • "The product has a console that is based in the cloud for all their products. In this console, they have email security, firewall security, endpoint security, et cetera. All of the products on offer in the console are very useful for us."
  • "The manuals or guides we are given are too simple. When we are implementing the product, it is difficult for us as we don't have more detailed information."

What is most valuable?

The product has a console that is based in the cloud for all their products. In this console, they have email security, firewall security, endpoint security, et cetera. All of the products on offer in the console are very useful for us.

The solution is stable.

The solution works well for enterprises and large-scale organizations.

What needs improvement?

The manuals or guides we are given are too simple. When we are implementing the product, it is difficult for us as we don't have more detailed information. 

The technical support on offer is slow. When I have questions, they answer me very slowly. Sometimes within 24 hours, I have a response. However, it can be longer. In Mexico, Sophos doesn't have technical support locally. It's in Argentina or in other countries. It would be nice if support was available in the country.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is okay. That said, as an enterprise solution, it can be a bit unstable during the initial implementation.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution works well for enterprise-level organizations.

How are customer service and technical support?

We're not overly satisfied with technical support. We'd like to see local support, from within our country. Due to the fact that it is coming from outside, the response is very slow. We'd like it to be faster. We aren't completely satisfied with the level of service we get. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is difficult in that there isn't enough documentation available to walk a user through the process. It can cause some issues. It's not exactly straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

Sometimes we need to work with other resellers. We don't always implement the solution by ourselves. 

What other advice do I have?

We are partners with Sophos.

We are using the 130-type of solution.

We take a hybrid approach to deployment. Some servers are on-premise and some servers are in-cloud.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior IT Manager at a agriculture with 11-50 employees
Real User
A stable, flexible, and easy-to-use solution that works well and comes with a web management portal that can be accessed from anywhere
Pros and Cons
  • "It is stable, flexible, and easy to use. It has got a web management portal that can be accessed from anywhere."
  • "I would like to have more artificial intelligence in the web monitoring service that comes with it. It should alert us when particular events happen. It has already got some of that. I know that it is more of a service, and Sophos is already looking at it. It is called SIEM."

What is our primary use case?

It can be used as a firewall, SD-WAN enabler, and secure web gateway. You can also use it for unified threat management, email detection, mobile device management, and wireless management. I use it in the cloud and on-premises, and I have its latest version.

What is most valuable?

It is stable, flexible, and easy to use. It has got a web management portal that can be accessed from anywhere.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have more artificial intelligence in the web monitoring service that comes with it. It should alert us when particular events happen. It has already got some of that. I know that it is more of a service, and Sophos is already looking at it. It is called SIEM.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a few years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have roughly 700 users who use this firewall.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have interacted with them a few times. I am very satisfied with their technical support.

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

We were using FortiGate.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to install. I have done the installation in less than a day.

What about the implementation team?

We did it ourselves. We have two people for its deployment. We have one engineer and one admin.

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

It is not that expensive compared to the other solutions. It is about the same price range as Fortigate, which we used previously. Licensing is on a yearly basis.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. We're very happy with the product. It works very well, and we don't have too many issues.

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
IT Analyst at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Seamless VPN connection that is easy to manage and reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the VPN aspect."
  • "In the Firewall, the Intrusion Prevention System can be improved."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the VPN aspect. It has been beneficial for my users who work from home. Connectivity and from a security aspect.  The security aspect of this is quite good. It measures up to the standard that I expect.

From a Firewall perspective and then user management, easy to manage and the user experience, profile, are giving me what I am expecting.

During this COVID era, the VPN has really been helpful. We can seamlessly connect to the applications remotely and work from home.

What needs improvement?

In the Firewall, the Intrusion Prevention System can be improved. Now because COVID has come to stay, people tend to work from home, and cybersecurity has been on the high side. 

It can improve more on the security aspect of this so that it can combat any major threat or common bug. I am not saying that the security has become compromised, as it is usually active, but they can improve on it.

Local and technical support can be improved.

When firmware updates are complete, there were issues with connectivity and VPN users. Recently, I stopped updating the firmware because I didn't want to obstruct the connectivity of the staff working remotely at different locations. 

I have stopped doing any updates until the issue can be addressed.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for approximately 12 months.

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

When you compare with Barracuda, Sophos is quite a bit cheaper. 

With Sophos, you can upgrade on what you need and upgrade as time goes on. I think that it's relatively open, compared to other products.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.