We performed a comparison between Cisco IOS Security and OPNsense 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."The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are it is one of the most mature firewalls in the UTM bundle."
"There is an easy process for configuring it, and it is straightforward to implement the device from scratch."
"I like how we can achieve total integration."
"This product is definitely scalable."
"The solution is very easy to understand. It's not overly complex."
"In terms of security, we have not experienced any security flaws or loopholes, and it has proven to be quite stable."
"It is easy to use. We chose this product for the possibility to have virtual domains (VDOMs). We are building another company in the group, and we would like to split the firewalling rules and policies between these two companies. Each company would be able to manage its own policies and security rules, which is an advantage of Fortinet FortiGate. We can define VDOMs, and every company can manage its own VDOM as if it has its own physical firewall, but in fact, we would be using the same physical appliance because we are also using the same internet lines. So, it allows us to reuse the existing resources without the disadvantage of having to compromise on policies and security. Each company can choose its own way of working."
"The stability of the solution is excellent, as it is with other Fortinet products."
"The hardware is pretty stable. It's also a very good product performance-wise. Initially, it wasn't mature like a firewall and there were other leaders, but now they have included almost all the features of next-generation security. Basically, it's a good product to work with."
"The solution is stable."
"The product has valuable features for business intelligence."
"Cisco Technical Assistance Center works on a follow-the-sun concept and gives real 24x7 customer support, which is a great advantage when you have a service contract with them."
"Cisco IOS Security increases the overall security of our network, performs authentication, and provides level 15 access and privileges."
"In Pakistan, we only use Cisco because they have good local support infrastructure. Huawei and Fortinet don't offer direct support in Pakistan."
"I'm able to transfer data over internet network security. With the GRE I'm able to transfer data within one bunch to another bunch in a public way, like the internet. The communication is encrypted and is private. It gives me added privacy."
"The VPN connection portal scan works flawlessly, which was a big plus for us."
"The IDS and IPS features are valuable. From the usability perspective, there is a lot of good documentation. As IT professionals, we found it very easy to configure the firewall. It was easy to configure and use."
"The most valuable features in OPNsense are reporting and visibility."
"We can open a new VPN connection easily. It's much easier than with Fortinet in our experience."
"The initial setup is easy. It only takes 15-30 minutes to deploy."
"It's more secure and more reliable."
"The DNS-level filtering is impressive for thwarting time scanners."
"The most valuable feature is the Dual WAN in OPNSense, which offers advanced capabilities."
"I feel that its valuable features are that it is simple and free."
"The Web-filter in this solution is not very good."
"The license renewal process, annual renewal price, and the web application firewall features should be improved."
"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having a frequent ask questions(FAQ) area for people to receive quick answers to popular questions. Additionally, it would be beneficial to have an SMS notification feature. For example, if you cannot access your email you could receive an SMS message."
"Some of the software stability could improve."
"There is a lot of improvement needed with SSL-VPN."
"The routing capability on the FortiGate devices has room for improvement."
"Security is a continuous process. In every product, there is a requirement for improvement. Its pricing should also be improved according to Indian market requirements. They must also improve on the reporting part. Its reporting can be more precise. If we can get a real-time report in a specific format, it will be helpful for customers to know about the current status of their security."
"The search tool needs improvement. It's very difficult to search for policies right now."
"I wish it would be more like the next generation firewall technology. There should be more selection between the application and filtering."
"The configuration and reporting interfaces need a lot of improvement. It needs to be more accessible forsolide without a strong technical background. If you had a simplified dashboard, the lower-level techs could manage the solution and provide services. Cisco IOS Security requires someone who is highly trained to operate it."
"The product's technical support services need improvement."
"With respect to user-friendliness, it is a command-line interface and those with such experience will get along just fine, whereas others may struggle."
"The solution’s setup process could be better."
"While Cisco IOS Security is stable and scalable, I would like to see it improved to be even better."
"Sometimes I find it difficult to manage. Some configurations are difficult for new engineers, for example."
"In the security portfolio from Cisco, the issue is marketing. Cisco is still seen primarily as an enterprise network player rather than being acknowledged as a security vendor."
"Its interface should be a little bit better."
"The only thing that I would like to see improved is the Insight or the NetFlow analysis part. It would be good to have the possibility to dig down on the Insight platform. Right now, we can easily do only a few analyses. If this page becomes more powerful, it surely will be a well-adopted platform."
"The user interface could be improved, and the DNS section should be more intuitive."
"There are a few weaknesses. For example, there is a lack of some features that I have in certain commercial products."
"On the customer-side, because I'm a small business, I need a cheaper or free solution option."
"I would like better documentation concerning the provided packages and their integration."
"We did not like the fact that you have to configure everything with the graphic user interface. We have used other firewalls, such as FortiGate, that you can configure via code. OPNsense is not easy to integrate. When you are deploying via GitHub or another source repository, this is not possible. That's one thing we didn't like much."
"The interface isn't so friendly user. But we have some technicians here who are quite confident with this tool. OPNSense could maybe add sets of rules so it's simpler to manage different groups with particular needs."
Cisco IOS Security is ranked 22nd in Firewalls with 47 reviews while OPNsense is ranked 3rd in Firewalls with 36 reviews. Cisco IOS Security is rated 8.0, while OPNsense is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Cisco IOS Security writes "User-friendly and excels in documentation, making it easier to resolve issues". On the other hand, the top reviewer of OPNsense writes "Robust network security and management offering a user-friendly interface, open-source flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, with challenges regarding initial setup and the absence of official support". Cisco IOS Security is most compared with Cisco Secure Firewall, Meraki MX, Fortinet FortiOS, Netgate pfSense and Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB, whereas OPNsense is most compared with Netgate pfSense, Sophos XG, Untangle NG Firewall, Sophos UTM and IPFire. See our Cisco IOS Security vs. OPNsense report.
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