I would describe primary use cases as a solid and cost-effective solution, especially when compared to other comparable solutions like Fortinet or different Cisco firewall suppliers and network security providers. However, I must say that it's not so intuitive to install, maintain, and configure. Nevertheless, it remains a solid and cost-effective solution.
WatchGuard Firebox Cloud (BYOL)
WatchGuard TechnologiesExternal reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Effectively stops network security threats and quick deployment
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
We have seen it effectively stop some network security threats. It provides cost-effective protection and is easier to set up compared to other solutions. With other providers, it sometimes takes four to six or even eighteen weeks to deploy or receive the equipment. With WatchGuard, we have solutions that can be quickly deployed.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature, in my opinion, is the dimension logging platform and the network traffic filtering. The VPN feature is also very useful and valuable. Additionally, the remote site connection and VLANs are important.
What needs improvement?
One area of improvement is the deployment process; it is not intuitive.
The centralized administration and management, as well as the cloud-based interface, specifically the user interface (UI), menus, and module configurations. The administrative UI/UX could be significantly improved.
Compared to other solutions, I would say it's not a complete solution in certain settings. The centralized administration and XDR capabilities need improvement. One aspect that many firewall and network security manufacturers fail to understand or integrate well is the endpoint, XDR, or EDR solutions. For example, Cisco has its own endpoint solution, which is not very good, and other manufacturers like Check Point or Palo Alto have their own EDR solutions. The primary issue is that they haven't effectively integrated these solutions with other manufacturers to create a more comprehensive and cohesive offering. It's important to have a solution that integrates anti-malware and antivirus XDR features. In terms of mobile device management, that's a feature I haven't seen.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using it with some of my clients for about three to five years, depending on different situations. One of them is not selling or reselling it, and another one is in settings where clients decided to switch from our supplier and buy WatchGuard.
We normally use Total Protection.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of WatchGuard a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of WatchGuard a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
There is an area of improvement in customer service and support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, but there is room for improvement. It's generally straightforward, but there are areas that can be enhanced.
What was our ROI?
There is an ROI for some time. However, after the first year, it becomes less straightforward to see a return on investment when equipment needs to be changed or licenses need to be renewed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is very good, but the follow-up on the sales channels, especially the local ones, is not so good. Some MSSPs or suppliers do a better job than the brand's direct channel administration.
What other advice do I have?
My advice would be to rely on a reliable partner who understands your operations and has experience in deploying and scaling WatchGuard.
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Reliable and stable solution
What is our primary use case?
The WatchGuard Firebox is our version of a firewall. It has several use cases.
What is most valuable?
WatchGuard Firebox's two-factor authentication feature is particularly useful and provides an added layer of protection. It's been a reliable and stable solution for us.
What needs improvement?
When working with WatchGuard, specifically in configuring Panda Security on the portal for the first time, it was challenging for me. Creating the partner center and setting up the account in Panda Security was not straightforward. Although working with the Panda Security part itself is easy, I faced difficulties in creating the partner center. So, maybe this could be an area of improvement.
Another area of improvement is the license. The price could be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
We currently use WatchGuard Firebox T20 model.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are around 26 users using this solution. In terms of user capacity, the T20 model can support up to 20 users.
How was the initial setup?
WatchGuard Firebox is easy to use and set up. I work with the solution every day, so I'm quite familiar with it. In my experience, setting up WatchGuard has been straightforward. It didn't require much effort.
Although I have spoken to others who mentioned that implementing it for the first time can be challenging, I personally found it easy. I had no issues with the setup.
Whether it was deployed in the cloud or locally, it took a month. I maintain the solution and provide technical support.
What about the implementation team?
I recall when I bought the first Firebox; someone advised me to start by seeking assistance from the WatchGuard support center. I found all the necessary information to implement the solution. That's why I believe it was relatively easy for me to implement it the first time. However, I am aware that many people find it challenging to implement WatchGuard on their first attempt.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Currently, we use an internal lead to sell WatchGuard to our clients. So, the price varies. However, it's worth mentioning that our internal use of WatchGuard includes Panda Security as well.
We do pay for a license. It's a three-year license. It is an expensive solution. The price could be lower.
What other advice do I have?
WatchGuard is not a widely known solution in my country. People here tend to use CheckPoint, Fortinet, and Palo Alto more. However, I believe WatchGuard is a good solution that more people should be aware of and consider. We are actively working to promote it in Angola. In fact, there might be more companies in our country that could benefit from using the WatchGuard solution.
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
It's easy to configure user policies
What is our primary use case?
WatchGuard integrates with our firewall to provide threat detection and remediation.
What is most valuable?
I like WatchGuard's network segmentation features. It's easy to configure user policies.
What needs improvement?
WatchGuard should offer more visibility into user activity. For example, we should have more details when WatchGuard denies a user access to a port.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used WatchGuard for about 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate WatchGuard nine out of 10 for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate WatchGuard nine out of 10 for scalability.
How was the initial setup?
WatchGuard is easy to set up.
What was our ROI?
We have seen an ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is excellent.
What other advice do I have?
I rate WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response nine out of 10. I recommend it.
Provides good stability and high availability of devices
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution as an internet gateway. With its help, we can establish the connection between our company's HQ and branch.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution provided us with site connections and internet policies.
What is most valuable?
The solution's valuable feature is its pricing which is better than other competitors.
What needs improvement?
The performance of the solution's processor needs to be faster than other vendors. Also, it is time-consuming to configure it whenever multiple policies are involved. This area needs improvement as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly stable. I rate its stability a nine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have around 200-300 solution users in our organization. I rate its scalability a nine.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is excellent.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Fortinet is faster to configure and access policies than WatchGuard.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup process was simple, as I already have experience using it. It takes a month to complete. The process involves setting up the solution in a lab. Later, deploying it in a production environment once it meets all the configuration requirements.
What about the implementation team?
Initially, we took help from a third-party vendor to deploy the solution. Afterward, we did it in-house. It requires three to four network administrators for deployment and two network administrators for maintenance.
What was our ROI?
The solution is worth buying.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the solution's pricing as an eight.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution as an eight. It offers more variable license bundles and has high availability than the other products.