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Dhiren - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead - Network and Security at a outsourcing company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Jul 30, 2024
Good security and filtering with great next-gen firewall features
Pros and Cons
  • "I love the application filter, as the user cannot access any applications that are not relevant to them."
  • "They just need to improve the technical support and professional services in India."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of many organizations is to protect their environments from outside cyber threats across multiple layers of infrastructure. For example:

1. At a perimeter level, it protects the network at the parameter; many organizations use this firewall.

2. It provides scalability and seamless traffic flow in a network. 

3. It has all-in-one next-generation features, so many organizations save money using this firewall.

How has it helped my organization?

Check Point NGFW helps in many ways, including:

1. Using the application filter feature, I can block all the unwanted applications which are not used in the organization. Due to this, less bandwidth is used in the network. This leads to a cost cut in the ISP bill. 

2. With the help of URL filtering, I can block very easily. If this is not blocked, users may surf malicious websites or download malicious files.                             

3. Evaluation licensing helps us to conduct POCs and explain all features to customers. 

What is most valuable?

I love the application filter, as the user cannot access any applications that are not relevant to them. This reduces the likelihood that someone may access an application that contains a malicious link or file that the user may download, which in turn reduces ransomware attacks and DDoS attacks.

What needs improvement?

They just need to improve the technical support and professional services in India. We have received many complaints about them from clients and also face the same issue ourselves. 

Buyer's Guide
Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)
February 2026
Learn what your peers think about Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2026.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

For the past one and half years I have been using Check Point Firewall for security.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have a good impression of stability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The performance is very good; there is no issue with performance.

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

I've only deployed Check Point Firewalls and have used other older Check Point devices that reached EoL.

How was the initial setup?

The initial set up is simple. Users just need to run the wizard to set up, and they are done.

What about the implementation team?

I deployed the solution for many customers in the banking sector.

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

Costing and licensing are high as compared to other OEMs.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I mostly work on Check Point; others which I have evaluated include Cisco and Fortigate.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
SanjeevKumar20 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 5
Jun 3, 2024
Issue-free with excellent support and training
Pros and Cons
  • "I came across the Check Point Infinity AI feature in one of the Check Point webinars, which I believe is unique and will be very useful in the future."
  • "The upgrade process of Check Point could be simplified to match other products."

What is our primary use case?

Currently, we utilize Check Point firewalls, IPS, site-to-site VPN, and remote access VPN features for our various client operations.

We have implemented a cloud firewall for one of our customers and primarily handle perimeter security using Check Point firewalls for multiple customers.

We also handle POCs, implementation, upgrades, and daily security operations as part of our services.

We are distributor partners who also distribute Check Point products to our customers. We recently convinced our clients to use Check Point firewall services and signed a contract with them.

How has it helped my organization?

We have not received any issues from any clients using Check Point services so far. It is really great to use and up-to-date. In Check Point, we have never seen it hit any vulnerabilities like other products.

Also, the TAC support from Check Point is excellent. I really appreciate it when dealing with complex issues. It allows us to easily obtain vendor support without many issues compared to other products.

Certifications and training from Check Point are valuable. I recently attended a boot camp and found it both knowledgeable and enjoyable.

What is most valuable?

Recently, I came across the Check Point Infinity AI feature in one of the Check Point webinars, which I believe is unique and will be very useful in the future.

Also, Check Point Harmony and Quantum deliver uncompromising performance with advanced threat prevention, policy management, remote access VPN IoT security, SD-WAN, and more.

Infinity Threat Prevention is an innovative management model. It provides zero-maintenance protection from zero-day threats and continuously and autonomously ensures that your protection is up-to-date with the latest cyber threats and prevention technologies.

What needs improvement?

The upgrade process of Check Point could be simplified to match other products.

For some of the MSSP partners, Check Point should personally go and give demos to them. This way, the MSSP can show their clients what Check Point is capable of and what kind of new technologies and features Check Point is coming up with.

Adding automation for upgrades and hotfix installation would be a beneficial new feature for administrators from an operations standpoint. Additionally, Check Point should pay more attention to endpoint security; they are currently lacking in that area compared to other competitors.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Check Point products for more than eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is 100% stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution offers 100% scalability.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is very good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

No; we have multiple clients, so we use multiple products.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is fine; I've only faced issues during upgrades.

What about the implementation team?

The expertise of the vendor is excellent. I'd rate them ten out of ten.

What was our ROI?

The ROI is really good.

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

In terms of cost, pricing, and licensing, Check Point is not very expensive or complex.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other options. 

What other advice do I have?

My overall experience is really good. I am enjoying working with Check Point products, especially on the firewall. It's much easier compared to other firewalls.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)
February 2026
Learn what your peers think about Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2026.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Champika Wijewickrama - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Security Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 5
Feb 20, 2024
Enables exceptional security with its comprehensive suite of features and ensures robust protection against cyber threats
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the most advantageous features of Check Point firewall is its multi-interface capability."
  • "There's a significant area for improvement when it comes to pricing."

What is our primary use case?

Our customers have been using it for the network security.

How has it helped my organization?

Unlike Fortinet, where the log loading process can take up to a month, Check Point stands out for its efficiency. While other solutions may only provide logs for a short period, such as one or two months, Check Point impressively retains logs for up to six months on some machines and at least three months on others. This extended log retention period is a significant advantage for our customers, providing them with valuable insights and enhancing their overall security posture.

What is most valuable?

One of the most advantageous features of Check Point firewall is its multi-interface capability. While traditional firewalls typically have a single interface, Check Point stands out by offering tools with multiple interfaces. This capability, now known as SmartConsole, allows users to manage policies, security objects, and routing points all from one dashboard. This contrasts with other firewalls where users often have to log in separately to access different functionalities. The hierarchical structure of communication and management in Check Point firewalls adds complexity, making it more challenging for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities. Additionally, Check Point introduced SD-WAN functionality in December 2013, further enhancing its capabilities and staying ahead of the curve in network security.

What needs improvement?

There's a significant area for improvement when it comes to pricing. While frequent updates and patches are released, which is commendable and adds significant value, the loading time for SD-WAN updates can be excessively long.

The feature we're eager to see enhanced in Check Point is reporting, particularly in terms of highlighting past reports. Currently, if we create a rule for a report in the morning, we expect to receive an email highlighting it. While we can set this up, the issue lies in segregating the project into separate reports.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with it for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Occasionally, we face certain issues and downtimes. Downtime varies depending on the type of changes or updates being made. For instance, a version upgrade typically requires only fifteen minutes for reboots. However, for patch updates or version updates, downtime can extend to at least one hour. In some cases, especially in custom environments, downtime may exceed two to three hours.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It provides good scalability. Despite having only three customers, I've implemented the firewall for over a thousand users. These users are situated in factory environments, meaning there are thousands of endpoints, including those connected via VPN.

How are customer service and support?

I am relatively satisfied with the level of technical support provided. We primarily work with Indian support teams, and while some technical engineers are exceptionally intelligent and quick to resolve issues within ten to fifteen minutes, others may take longer. However, the crucial aspect is that they eventually provide an answer or escalate the issue if needed. When I contact support, I first inquire about the assigned person, and if I am familiar with them, I proceed with the interaction. Otherwise, I prefer to escalate the query to another region to avoid wasting time. I would rate it eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We have experience working with Fortigate and Palo Alto in the past. In Sri Lanka, Check Point has a strong marketing presence, which influences customer decisions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup can be complex and may pose a challenge, especially for those without prior experience. Setting it up for the first time requires careful attention and a level of expertise to navigate effectively.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment process begins with configuring the firewall's IP and other settings. Once this initial configuration is complete, we proceed to the AI portal. In the AI portal, the first step is to configure the interfaces. After configuring the interfaces, we proceed to install the created interface. Next, we move on to the SmartConsole. To access the SmartConsole, we download it from the app portal. Once the SmartConsole is installed, we can easily create rules for logging purposes, manage objects, configure networking, and VPN, and other technical tasks from the SmartConsole. Routing and related tasks are typically handled in the data portal. One individual is enough for the deployment. The duration of the setup process varies depending on factors such as the complexity of the customer's environment and the site architecture. For instance, in a relatively simple scenario with just two VLANs and a couple of VPNs, the configuration could be completed within a few working days. Maintenance is essential, with upgrades and patch updates being mandatory at least once every six months. This ensures the system remains up-to-date and secure.

What was our ROI?

Our customers are pleased with the return on investment. The occasional bugs and updates, common to all firewalls including Check Point, are being addressed promptly. The platform is regularly updated to ensure optimal performance.

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

The price is on the higher side.

What other advice do I have?

While the cost may be a consideration, the level of security provided by Check Point is exceptional. In my experience, I have not encountered any cyber attacks. The only negative experience was not related to the firewall but rather to customer issues with the router. It's important to remember that compromising security for cost savings can ultimately lead to vulnerabilities. Therefore, investing in high-security solutions like Check Point is worthwhile. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Sachid Doshi - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Enterprise Security Architect at a security firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Oct 9, 2023
A reliable and robust security solution with a wide range of capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "Its simplified management, enhanced remote support capabilities, and the ability to facilitate secure VPN connectivity for numerous offices and employees are highly beneficial."
  • "The current model is predominantly hardware appliance-based, which can incur substantial costs"

What is our primary use case?

The primary objective was to replace the Cisco ASA firewalls with Check Point NGFWs. In addition to their firewall functions, these NGFWs also provide features like Web Application Firewall and Network Data Security. We used this approach to consolidate security measures into a single, comprehensive solution, much like having a master key at the main entrance rather than separate keys for each window and door. This streamlines security management and ensures a more efficient and robust overall security strategy.

What is most valuable?

There are several crucial advantages to using Check Point NGFW including its ease of use, as it provides a unified interface for managing multiple security functions. It offers impressive scalability to meet the demands of a large organization and can handle substantial traffic. Its simplified management, enhanced remote support capabilities, and the ability to facilitate secure VPN connectivity for numerous offices and employees are highly beneficial.

What needs improvement?

The current model is predominantly hardware appliance-based, which can incur substantial costs. These appliances must be purchased separately, contributing to a significant investment.

For how long have I used the solution?

Our most recent engagement with Check Point NGFW was a year ago when we implemented it for one of your financial sector clients.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the firewall has been exceptional, with very minimal disruptions. There was only one instance of downtime, and it wasn't attributed to any fault in the firewall itself or the hardware, but due to a configuration issue. I would rate it eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Check Point firewalls is a notable strength. These firewalls can handle a substantial number of connections. For instance, they can manage up to one million connections on the NDSW server. Regarding its VPN capacity, it can support around 5,000 to 8,000 users per box, which is quite impressive. This scalability makes Check Point firewalls well-suited for organizations with high connection and user requirements. I would rate it eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Their support team has demonstrated an approximately 24-hour turnaround time, which is considered quite good. We have rarely needed to engage with Check Point support because most issues are resolved internally. Typically, we turn to OEM support only when we encounter challenges that are beyond our capabilities.

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

I also have experience with Fortinet and Cisco, both of which have made significant developments recently. They have introduced software-based firewall and system solutions, which have garnered attention from customers. This shift in the competitive landscape has led to changes in customer preferences, with more organizations considering Fortinet as a viable option for their security needs.

How was the initial setup?

This process can be a bit complex at times, mainly because it depends on the specific client architecture and how they want to set it up.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment process can be rated at about six in terms of complexity. Several factors influence this complexity, but getting the infrastructure ready is often the most challenging aspect. To successfully deploy, you need to account for downtime, ensure proper backups are in place, and ideally test it in a sandbox environment before going live. After deployment, thorough checks and adjustments are necessary. It typically requires at least two days of parallel operation, where both the new and old equipment run simultaneously. In an environment with no existing infrastructure to replace, the process is generally smoother. Deployment typically involves a team of 2 or 3 people working full-time for 4 to 5 days, equivalent to nine hours a day. Maintenance is handled by a networking team, which includes a Network Operations Center. The team consists of approximately eleven people managing various network components, including L1, L2, and L3 devices.

What other advice do I have?

When considering a POC for a security solution, it's essential to assess the various use cases and functionalities it offers, such as NDSW which is particularly useful for protecting sensitive data. Check Point NGFW is not solely a firewall; it's a comprehensive security solution with various capabilities. It can address a wide range of security requirements, making it a valuable and versatile asset for organizations looking to enhance their security posture. I would rate it eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
Genwhisper - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
Sep 11, 2024
Offers a lot of integration capabilities but lacks to offer flexibility during deployment
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution's technical support is fine."
  • "If you check each and every point from this part, you will find some flow in an area, or you will discover another flow in another area."

What is our primary use case?

Generally speaking, it's like any other NGFW. It's quite a versatile solution for many aspects. It's not like a separate solution for firewalling, but a separate solution for web access. It's just very convenient to have everything in one box. On the other hand, when you need something, like a very top-rank solution for very specific things, like network intrusion prevention or network intrusion detection as a component of NGFW, I would say it looks weaker compared to the well-designed solution for its purpose. It has the same issue as many other versatile or unified solutions, so it's really convenient.

What is most valuable?

From our point of view, including me and my colleagues, I would say it's really good that they have a lot of integrations with third-party companies. Integrations with third-party companies are really convenient. API offers many convenient ways to integrate with open-source solutions. It's very, very good when you have everything in one package and one bundle.

What needs improvement?

If you check each and every point from this part, you will find some flow in an area, or you will discover another flow in another area. It's unfortunate, and not a usual situation and it is not just for NGFW but for any other tool, making it a disadvantage where improvements are required.

For the next release, I would prefer the tool to be more flexible in terms of general deployments because some additional companies must be deployed as a basic one. For those who have been working with their solutions for a relatively short amount of time, it would be better for the tool to offer an adequate knowledge base, not just very superficial information, or maybe not too much in that spot, something like average stuff. The tool should be more flexible in terms of deployment, and a more adequate knowledge base should be available.

About the UI, it is hard to comment because it has been more or less the same for many years. Professionals have already been using the tool's interface for many years. From a contemporary angle, the tool's interface looks a bit outdated from a UI point of view. The UI has been more or less static in terms of changes for the last couple of years. People can get to the UI and work with it in a couple of months, but compared to any other solutions on the market, which are more flexible and more rapidly evolving, I would say that UI should be considered for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Check Point NGFW for two to two and a half years. My company is a partner and reseller of the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

For stability in high-load networks, I rate the solution a six to seven out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, I rate the tool an eight to nine out of ten.

There could be some performance issues under the heavy deployments and heavy load, but generally, if you are talking about the general scalability, it is quite good.

The tool is suitable for large and very large enterprise businesses. From our company's practice, I would say it is meant for banks and financial institutions. It is also quite popular in heavy industries. I would say it has a more or less wide list. It is more or less very popular in banking.

The tool can be scaled up, but even despite high scalability, it requires a lot of extra companies to bear a high-load environment and high-load networks, making it a bit unfair, especially when comparing some of the numbers with the real-world statistics it likes too far from reality.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support is fine. I rate the technical support a nine to ten out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

If ten means easy, I rate the product's initial setup phase a six to seven out of ten. It is not a plug-and-play solution. It requires much more skill and effort for the specialist to set it up properly. Even if there are any PoCs, you can easily discover the difference between the easy setup process and the more difficult setup phases, and I would say that Check Point falls under the latter category as it takes much more time and effort. Sometimes, it could be buggy, and you just need to fix some other firmware or software update.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model for large and very large enterprises.

The time to deploy the solution depends on the stage because you can talk about the initial deployment or you can talk about the deployment, including the integrations. I would say that the integrations would be really time-consuming. For the initial deployment, I would say it is a couple of days if it is not really a large installation and a couple of weeks are needed for the initial deployment.

What was our ROI?

ROI is like an artificial point in connection to a solution like Check Point NGFW, and its numbers are quite questionable.

Suppose the company has too many different solutions from different vendors. In that case, it becomes a greater burden in terms of support and everything, especially in terms of management of these solutions. I would say that Check Point would be a good choice if they are planning to migrate. If it is something like a choice between one NGFW from a vendor and you want to move into the Check Point NGFW, it becomes a bit more tricky. It becomes really hard to say about the ROI because it is just like a different approach. If you are moving between a lot of different solutions from different companies, then ROI will be really good and attractive.

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

The tool's price is reasonable in case you are not using it in a high-load environment. If you are not expecting significant increases or peak increases in loading, it should be fine. If it is a really highly loaded VLE environment, and if you try to rely on the tool's official numbers, I would say you can put your environment and network in jeopardy because it becomes really unstable. For the last couple of years, the situation has changed, and it has become really tricky to understand why the tool's official numbers aren't aligned with real-world numbers, which is a big problem for the VLE customers because when they are just trying to consider their official stats and official scalability numbers, it might be tricky. VLE customers should have, like, a 20 to 30 percent extra, or else, at this point, it becomes much more expensive.

The tool's prices don't make any sense because we are not talking about MSRP prices for VLE. We are talking about the discounted prices, which could be a really, really huge gap between the MSRP and the discounted price. I don't think these numbers will highlight any beneficial aspect of the price for you.

What other advice do I have?

There needs to be accuracy in terms of scalability. It should be well-designed, and if the customer does not have enough resources or their own resources, it is better to involve an adequate number of SIs. The system integrator will do the trick, and if a person is experienced, then everything can be really good in terms of the certifications, the statistics, and everything else. The system integrator should do everything properly, but it will be quite expensive, especially if we are talking about large and very large enterprises. For mid-sized businesses, it should be fine because it is less tricky, and even the normal specialized person on the customer side should be fine with using it, as it can be quite easy. In any case, scalability is a bottleneck here.

I rate the tool a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Senior Implementation Security Engineer at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Aug 29, 2024
Serves as a perimeter firewall at a cheaper rate but doesn't have a friendly GUI
Pros and Cons
  • "Google has a premium partnership with Check Point, involving extensive verification processes for major customers. This strong partnership indicates a significant level of collaboration between the two companies."
  • "The GUI is not very user-friendly, and configuring it can be challenging."

What is our primary use case?

I used Check Point NGFW to secure the data centers of medium to large enterprise companies. In many cases, it serves as a perimeter firewall, though its use can vary based on specific needs. Primarily, it functions as a defensive firewall.

What is most valuable?


What needs improvement?

The GUI is not very user-friendly, and configuring it can be challenging. The management console often has issues, sometimes requiring high CPU usage on your FTP or Windows system to open or manage sessions. It can be resource-intensive. Additionally, when viewing or monitoring logs, they sometimes do not appear immediately and may be outdated or missing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Check Point NGFW for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable device.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

They support a range of enterprises, from small to large. Their solutions can accommodate environments with as few as 50 users to those with thousands or more. So, handling a large number of users is not an issue.

How are customer service and support?

Support is very good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not straightforward and can be more complex than that of other devices like Palo Alto or Fortinet firewalls. The setup for the CMA and management center requires careful implementation. Additionally, integrating components such as MDM and other security devices, including sandboxes, can be challenging to achieve a cohesive and secure environment.

The time required for deployment depends on the amount of configuration needed. Typically, it might take a full day, but with sufficient time, a basic configuration can often be completed in about eight to ten hours.

I have worked with both on-premises and VM versions. The CMA is typically deployed as a VM on a server, while the firewall is a physical device. 

What about the implementation team?

I have already deployed many times by myself, so there is no need for many people.

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

It is a cheaper device than what other vendors offe.

What other advice do I have?

For security features, I typically use the templates or standards provided by the vendor. Based on my experience over the past three years, I haven’t encountered any significant complaints from customers about attacks or major issues while using the firewall to protect their data centers.

Google has a premium partnership with Check Point, involving extensive verification processes for major customers. This strong partnership indicates a significant level of collaboration between the two companies.

I haven’t handled any maintenance, but the support center has been very helpful. They provided excellent support and demonstrated strong knowledge whenever I reached out for assistance. They are proficient in various languages and have a good grasp of Linux, which is essential for effective support.

They provide good step-by-step implementation guides, similar to what is available for Fortinet's FortiGate. However, I find the implementation process for other vendors to be easier. Pricing varies among the three vendors, so there are differences in cost. Palo Alto offers the best options for sizing, though I haven’t worked operationally.

I recommend it, but you should know Linux and its commands to work effectively with this device.

Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Top 20
Jun 18, 2024
Reporting is quite easy and good, and you can see traffic in real-time but complex rule management
Pros and Cons
  • "The firewall scanning, like antivirus scanning and malware scanning, are very good. Blocking the user is also very easy."
  • "If you want to make a rule for a specific connection, like assigning some users to one ISP and other users to another ISP, you have to use another device, like a third-party firewall intervention."

What is our primary use case?

Mostly enterprise customers use it for their system security as their main firewall. For example, some customers have multiple backup connections, including fiber connections, for redundancy. 

They use Check Point as the main firewall, and others use it for email scanning and file scanning to detect any vulnerabilities.

What is most valuable?

The firewall scanning, like antivirus scanning and malware scanning, are very good. Blocking the user is also very easy. If you want to block a user, we can just do it within the solution.

The reporting is quite easy and good, and you can see traffic in real-time. But compared to Sophos, Sophos is still better. There are still areas in Check Point that need to be improved.

What needs improvement?

It's actually quite good, but the only problem we faced was during COVID when people wanted to work from home. 

We had to use third-party software to give users access because the Check Point option didn't work as expected. So we used Check Point in the front, but we used third-party software for the virtualization of the applications and everything.

When using redundant connections, sometimes there are issues like one connection going down and switching to another connection. Also, breaking rules can be complicated. 

For example, if you want to make a rule for a specific connection, like assigning some users to one ISP and other users to another ISP, you have to use another device, like a third-party firewall intervention and routing, to get the desired results. Other than that, it's good performance-wise.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Check Point for the past six or seven years. We always work with the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable. No issues there.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Our clients have raised questions to technical support. They all have accounts, so we give them the login details. They send an email to support and get a support request. But normally, we try to handle everything on our own. 

If there's something we can't handle, like a firmware-level issue, only then do we get support from Check Point.

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

It depends on the client requirements also. Some government agencies need Check Point, and some clients need others like Cisco or Sophos. After Cisco, a lot of clients have changed to Sophos. So, we provide solutions depending on the client's requirements.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward, just like any other normal firewall. 

  • Deployment strategy: 

The deployment process depends on the client. For example, if it's an existing customer with an existing firewall, we first see what their current requirements are from the existing firewall, what they need to implement but cannot, or what challenges they are having. 

Then we compare the features of the existing firewall and Check Point firewall, and we tell them what the rules will be, like incoming and outbound rules. We try to see what is the fastest way, without any downtime, how we can point or configure the checkpoint. 

Then, after that, we do the testing, because almost all of the offices need that. So, normally, once we set it up, we give them one month for testing. Normally, for a better line or something, we just use a certain IT department or a sub-department for testing. After that, if it's okay, we hand it over.

In a nutshell:

Requirement Analysis →  Feature Comparison  → Rule Definition → Testing and Validation → Phased Rollout → Client Acceptance

  • Deployment time: 

Normally, for a site, more or less, less than one month. It depends on the number of users. If there are a very large number of users, like 600,000, then it will take around one month or more.

  • Deployment resources: 

Normally, we have two technicians working. One is from the Philippines, trained in Sophos and Check Point. We don't need many more staff for the implementation.

  • Maintenance: 

It's very easy. Only the licensing. Every year, we have to pay, but sometimes clients talk about the cost. Also, very recently, there was a ransomware issue. The only issue is, for example, if it's ransomware, and it doesn't get detected by Check Point and gets infected from another source, we have to prove that it's not from the outside but from the inside. Because there are a lot of case scenarios like this, those are the things mostly.

  • Integration capabilities: 

Integration is a little bit challenging. It's much easier for integration with other applications and domains. When integrating with a domain, there are still some small issues. For example, when applying a group from the domain controller, we sometimes need to test a firewall and do some reporting. There are small issues like that for the integration of LDAP. Other than that, it's good. It can pull up the users and groups, but there are some minor issues when we apply them.

What was our ROI?

It's effective and good.

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

Compared to Sophos and others, Check Point pricing is good for the current market.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

In terms of features, Check Point and other firewalls are almost the same. There are no special or advanced features.

What other advice do I have?

I can recommend it to other people. Overall, I would rate it a seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
PeerSpot user
Prakash D - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 20
May 29, 2024
Offers a vital anti-spoofing feature but needs to upgrade the IPSec VPN port
Pros and Cons
  • "The spoofing prevention feature is the most valuable feature."
  • "Needs to upgrade the IPSec VPN port"

What is our primary use case?

The solution is used to provide firewall security to cloud integrations.  

What is most valuable?

The spoofing prevention feature is the most valuable feature.

What needs improvement?

The solution provider needs to upgrade the IPSec VPN port because VPN branch-to-branch configuration can be easily implemented at our company, but several difficulties arise in a cloud environment like AWS or Azure cloud. The aforementioned cloud providers often need to create VPN interfaces, but in a few cases, these teams don't have the knowledge for configuration or IP points; their knowledge remains limited to the architecture of the clouds on a networking level. 

In future releases of the solution, a remote access VPN feature should be added. Our organization expects the aforementioned feature because we have a secure validated configuration in our remote access VPN, and the feature would allow easy configuration.

For instance, if a customer wants to connect a VPN to a particular domain laptop, our company can integrate the domains with our network's remote access VPN, but the user is unable to connect with other personal laptops.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Check Point NGFW for five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of the solution as seven out of ten. The tech support is not operational sometimes, and in a few cases, the tech team of the vendor is unable to provide support with a proper explanation or resolution. Check Point NGFW fails to provide workarounds for certain issues and thus leads to huge time consumption for a single task. The support team of Check Point NGFW on a few occasions takes five to ten hours to resolve an urgent VPN issue which impacts the stability. 

At our company, if we raise an RMA for Check Point NGFW, it takes immense time, which is around 15 to 30 days, to obtain the box, whereas other vendors offer it within five to seven business days. Due to the aforementioned issue, our organization needs to implement a test device on the environment and purchase temporary licenses for that device so that the customers in a stand-alone environment can access the internet. 

In Check Point NGFW, sometimes the logs consume excess storage, and even the storing or indexing process is not implemented correctly. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

Support is available for Check Point NGFW, but the support team, in most cases, is unable to provide an effective and on-time solution after collecting logs. I would rate tech support a seven out of ten. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

I worked with Palo Alto previously before transferring to Check Point NGFW. I wanted to learn about Check Point NGFW in-depth as it's considered a difficult solution compared to others, so I ventured into it. 

How was the initial setup?

In our company, we have the option for both cloud-based and on-prem deployment of the solution. The management server integration is different for the aforementioned options. If the traditional management server is present locally, in that case, at our company, we are using the solution for integration, but if a cloud is involved, some keys need to be integrated with the cloud management to let the firewall have internet access. 

Almost every time when the management server reaches or expands to another country in our organization, we face difficulty with integrations. The deployment time of Check Point NGFW depends upon customer requirements, but it takes approximately 15 to 30 days. More feature integrations demand the involvement of more teams in the deployment process. In my area of business, about 50 to 70 customers are using Check Point NGFW. 

If the solution is in a cluster environment, a maintenance window is not required and most of our customers are using the solution in a clustering or stand-alone mode. 

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

It's an expensive solution. 

What other advice do I have?

Most of our organization's customers are using Check Point NGFW for networks, as enhancing the firewall's performance is not required; if the firewall goes inactive, total protection decreases. Our organization's customers don't want to depend on any particular product and are thus investing in multiple security products. 

On a few occasions, integrating a RADIUS configuration with Check Point NGFW has been difficult because some versions are not supported. I have also faced trouble regarding authentication when integrating Check Point NGFW with Azure EAD. 

Recently, Check Point NGFW has been integrated with zero-threat AI security features. In our organization, we are installing the solution on the Blade architecture, where the aforementioned features function well enough. I would recommend Check Point NGFW to others. I would rate Check Point NGFW overall a six out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.