Check Point Remote Access VPN Reviews

We came to need a solution that would allow us to connect quickly and easily from our homes or from anywhere, and it was at this point that we integrated and enabled the Check Point Remote Access VPN. With it, our employees could log in from anywhere at any time. 

This solution allowed them to have the same experience that they had in the office, and they could access all the resources that were necessary for their work. 

This solution helped us mainly with the shift to remote work. Before the pandemic, everyone worked from the office. Today, more employees have become digital nomads. 

In terms of infrastructure, we can say that we have benefited since employees are happier being able to work from home. They make better use of their time and have become more productive. 

In the case of the organization, the impact is in being able to have to rent fewer square meters. This helps with annual returns since those operating costs have been reduced.

Everyone has told me that it is simple and easy to use. 

One of the most outstanding features is the ability to deliver third-party services and achieve double authenticity with integrated identities. We have SSO (Single Sign-On). It is a 'unified' or 'single authentication' which can be integrated to improve security in startup services. This is an advantage due to the fact that you can use the integrated services or the third-party services that you already have, and you will not incur more costs. 

I would like this service to be easier to manage when you integrate it with third parties. 

Although it is complex to configure, I cannot complain that it is complete and it is worth being able to use and integrate it. However, any administrator would welcome any changes that made configuration simpler. 

We would like the ability to perform remote access with the VPN in the future with any type of device. Lately, Android applications tend to have more errors. I hope that this will be solved in the future. 

I've used the solution for one year.

The solution is primarily used for secure access for remote users. It's deployed as a SaaS over the cloud. 

The solution offers great security features, including zero-day protection, malware protection, anti-phishing, et cetera.

If you are new to deploying the solution, the initial setup might be difficult the first time around. I had trouble setting the policies and then resetting the device. 

I joined my company eight or nine months ago and have been dealing with the solution since then.

I don't have much information on the stability aspect of the product. I haven't spoken to customers about their experience. 

I haven't discussed scalability with customers to get their take on how easy it is. 

We haven't referred to the technical support of Check Point just yet. We did have a replacement engineer assist us in deployment, and they handled it quite well. 

Positive

There was complexity in the initial setup. With one client, once we installed it and then tried to set the policies, the firewall was not responding very well. I was doing it for the first time, so we were unable to do it. The customer was not pleased with that, so we had to send another engineer to deploy that device. That's not to say it's overly hard - it was just my first attempt at an installation.

We had three engineers handling the initial setup. We deployed it over two days. 

I'm hoping that the next time I'm deploying it, it should be done perfectly, without any support from any other engineer.

We do the implementation for our clients. 

I'm not aware of the exact licensing costs associated with the product. 

We are in the business of selling firewalls. We're resellers and Check Point partners. 

I personally have sold just the Check Point solution to only one customer. We are also selling data storage solutions, data backup, and cyber security solutions.

We are dealing with the latest version of the solution.

The solution is available both on-premises and in the cloud. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. I'd recommend it to other users and companies. 

Check Point Remote Access VPN is used to allow our employees to use the corporate resources or remote access to the corporation and lightweight on resources.

The most important feature of Check Point Remote Access VPN is the multiple factor authentication.

Sometimes we have some small problems with Check Point Remote Access VPN. For example, problems with authentication.

I have been using Check Point Remote Access VPN for approximately three years.

We have approximately 1,000 users using this solution. We do not have plans to increase usage at this time.

The initial setup of Check Point Remote Access VPN is simple. The deployment took us approximately two weeks.

Check Point Remote Access VPN is not expensive and the cost is annual.

I rate Check Point Remote Access VPN a nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for work from home. Our main goal is to provide users with the ability to access their workstation from anywhere in the world.

We provided remote access to more than 500 users during the pandemic. Check Point Remote Access VPN has worked smoothly as our appliance is capable of supporting 1000+ users.

We deployed a VPN client-based solution with multi-factor authentication. The compliance check feature is useful.

It is compatible with several operating systems, and it has great protection against malware.

It offers a simple configuration and setup.

We developed work-from-home policies for our organization during the pandemic due to the rise in COVID cases. As network security engineers, it's challenging for us to manage users' personal laptops and computers which are not up to date (OS, Antivirus ..etc). However, when it comes to the Check Point VPN solution, we overcame all the challenges and successfully implemented our infrastructure. Logs are helping us to monitor each user's activity. We can also isolate user laptops or PCs from the internet when its gets connected to our network.

The remote access blade is built in on the firewall, so it is easy to activate through the Smart Console.

Only the VPN client supports only the Windows and Apple Mac operating systems, which also support iOS and Android mobile platforms. The Check Point development team deserves praise for a flawless experience.

Multi-factor authentication and compliance checks help us to ensure maximum security.

VPN logs give us complete visibility and track unusual activities.

The VPN client user interface is simple and perfect.

The VPN client software is lightweight.

It's difficult to configure on Linux workstations as Check Point Remote VPN clients support only Windows and Mac devices.

The configuration of a VPN requires a distinct VPN Tab. Once the VPN blade has been activated, after activating VPN blade, we need to make some configurations in the gateway option settings and others in the VPN communities section. It would be preferable if these two things came together in one place.

Apart from this, it operates flawlessly. To improve our IT Services, we poll our users. The majority of people say how excellent the remote access VPN service is. Additionally, they stated that once connected to a VPN service, they never experience connectivity problems.

I've used the solution for more than two years.

The product offers excellent customer service and support.

Positive

We used a different solution that did not satisfy us in terms of security. As a result, we decided to deploy Check Point for enhanced security.

Before migrating to the Check Point firewall, we conducted market research and solicited feedback from my contacts who are already Check Point NGFW customers. We decided to use Check Point.

The VPN Setup and initial configuration are tricky and not straightforward. For example, you need to:

1. Do some configuration in the gateway option, then:

2. VPN Communities

It would be preferable if step 1 and step 2 were available in one place.

3- Lastly, you must apply the firewall policy

We implemented this solution ourselves.

We now have a reliable VPN solution to offer our staff, which is a significant return on investment.

This product provides a secure connection to the corporate network from anywhere and safe traffic of data regardless of the possible threats in the WAN it's connected to. It also provides secure access to company apps and controls the traffic depending on each company's policies. Through it, we create layers that control or limit data traffic for specific users. I've been trained in the product and know it's one of the most effective in the business and admit to facilitating my customers to get it from our Check Point partners.

A clear example of the positive impact this license has had in my organization was back in 2020. The software was in use since before the pandemic hit so our personnel was familiarized with the product; the transition was smooth and secure from the office to work from home. Access policies were run through the active directory applied on all kinds of end points, from cell phones, tablets, laptops, desktops - you name it. Access could be restricted by location and using network security assessments that prevented connecting to corrupted networks. 

We already use the Check Point Firewall and those are the ones the organization's employees connect to for the remote VPN and it made it really easy to activate this function as new hardware was not needed. 

The team has full visibility of the users that connect allowing them to keep control of who is in the network and what data they are allowing to come in and out. Be it if our users are at home or in the office the same policy applies to them allowing us to view the traffic within our organization.

In my organization, there aren't Linux users, however, I know it has difficulties offering secure access for customers who use this operating system. 

Also, this product has limitations with headcount addition, as there are performance limitations in each security gateway the software has. 

The ability to allow split-tunneling while still following our corporate policy should be offered. 

Some things like the compliance aspect of the VPN Client can be updated so the product stays up to speed with the ever-changing environment in software security.

For the past eight years, I've been working at a company where I was first in software security sales for three years and then five years in hardware sales. Since I have a background in security, I've been part of training and sales where Check Point products are involved. I have tested most products Check Point offers due to our partnership.

Remote Access VPN (Remote Access VPN) allows users in our organization to connect to a private network to access services and resources remotely. This connection is secure and is made through the Internet. It came to support us so that users, whenever they were outside the organization and were supporting customers from any region, could have secure access to the corporation's data. 

Another important point is when our executives travel to regions where certain access to services is blocked. The VPN helps us bypass that block. Since a VPN can hide your real IP address, it can help you bypass geo-blocks, as the platform the one you want to access will think it is from the “correct” geographic region.

The solution is giving us security when it comes to sharing our data safely through the private and secure tunnel that is created when creating the VPN. The VPN hides your IP address and encrypts your online traffic and it essentially ensures that your fingerprints cannot be traced on the Internet. Online hackers won't be able to use your real IP address to discover your personal data, and government surveillance agencies and ISPs won't be able to monitor what you do online by snooping on your traffic.

In addition to helping you avoid government surveillance, it also helps keep your privacy safe from advertisers.

In terms of the way they ensure traffic, an example is when we use Wi-Fi in public areas.

WiFi is everywhere nowadays and it is extremely convenient to use, especially if you have a tight mobile data plan. The only problem with free WiFi is that it's often unsecured, which means you're putting your personal data at risk every time you use it. After all, cybercriminals can find out a lot about you, which can lead to them stealing your:

• Credit card details
• Bank account details
• Email login credentials

However, if you use a VPN, you won't have to worry about those dangers. A VPN uses encryption to protect your online communications, making sure no one can monitor it. Basically, if a hacker tried to see your connection traffic, they would just see nonsense.

That the level of Remote access VPN was higher by default as other brands do it that way. In the case of Check Point, they are not like that. The maximum it is giving us is only 5 licenses and if you need more, they must be purchased separately. From my perspective, it should be added to the same cost as the general license, and that well explained makes the product more attractive. Many organizations would have this need, as many are moving off-premise. We have great executives and entire corporate teams that perform work tasks from home.

I've used the solution for about 2 years.

Check Point Remote Access VPN allows organization users to work remotely. Especially in the pandemic period, work-from-home demand has been higher than ever. 

I have a remarkable case about the solution. That is for a bank. They want to have remote access VPNs that can provide connections for internal users who work remotely, partners who have restricted connections to the bank environment and ATM machines that connect to core banking applications. All VPNs acted in the same internet connections but still ensure these three VPNs were separated from each other. For the requirements, deploying the VPN in VSX appliances helped to solve issues. I created three virtual instances: one for corporate users, one for partners and one for ATM machines. 

Applying security policies for three instances is different. Corporate users must pass two-factor authentication layers and then have access to common corporate services (like email, and chat) and the right business applications depending on their working role, and their department. Partners after authenticating successfully only have limited access to the right place that they are allowed while being unable to connect to other places. 

ATM machines that act 24/7 need to have continuous connections, thus, they must authenticate using a certificate and their VPN clients must be configured to re-authenticate automatically after a timeout.

Check Point Remote Access VPN supports almost all common devices, from Windows to macOS, and from Android to iOS. Connection methods are flexible, including browsers and VPN clients. 

With such an approach, the solution can solve every remote working problem from anywhere, on any device while maintaining security features. The solution allows us to integrate with external systems like directory servers, email servers, and RADIUS servers for using directory users (a unified user instead must remember many usernames and passwords), adding multi-factor authentication via an OTP certificate. VPN users will have controlled access based on who they are and where they are by security policies. 

The solution offers flexible authentication methods to control access by policies and compliance. 

Check Point can integrate with external systems and third-party solutions to provide multi-layer authentications. This helps secure the user accounts from leakage of passwords and also protects corporate from unauthorized access damage risks. 

Security policies help to convert access regulations to policy rule configurations after authenticating. Setting policies allow, block, and limit users' access. 

With the compliance feature, Check Point can define what conditions user machines should have to authenticate the VPN. This feature helps to add more security to the network.

Endpoint Security on Demand, or Compliance Check is a good feature. It allows the creation of compliance policies and adds more security to the network. Machines will be scanned once they connect to VPN to make sure all of them are compliant. Conditions to configure compliance checks are Windows security (hotfixes, patches), Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus software, personal firewall, or Custom (application, files, registry). These are not enough in a complicated environment. Almost of them are supported for Windows machines, however, are just limited conditions for non-Windows. In fact, using mobile devices on Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux is very popular. Compliance Check on Check Point should be improved by having more configurable conditions to support multi-platforms and adding more granularity. 

Besides compliance scanning sometimes causes consumes machine resources. 

I also suggest scanning operations will consume fewer resources and increase speed time.

I've been using the solution for more than five years.

As mentioned in my use case, the solution is running for thousands of corporate users, partner users, and ATM machines. The performance is very impressive. 

With Check Point VSX, the virtual instance extension is just an additional license, thus, it's very easy to add VS for other purposes. Besides Check Point also developed Maestro technology to allow hyperscale, increase throughput, and maximize capacity.

The Check Point Support Team is very professional and has technical expertise. The team is online 24/7 to make sure their customers always be supported. Response time to the customer is quick enough when they provide a solution to fix the issues or when they need some time to investigate or when they need some time to investigate they stay up to date.

Positive

I had used Fortinet Remote Access VPN before. At that time, other security features like Firewall, IPS, Application Control, and URL Filtering had been added to the same box running Remote Access VPN. The Fortinet appliance was overloaded all the time - although specifications in the datasheet could be OK. After changing to Check Point (using Remote Access VPN with other security features), the performance was amazing. CPU and memory usages were always at an average level.

Since SARS-COV2, most users went to work from their home office, so we needed to have an robust, secure, and stable VPN connection. We implemented Check Point VPN and we have had no problems with it. We are almost 50 users working from home securely. Also, the access rules based on VLANs have helped many users get access depending on which connection they have. For example, some users with VPN connections can only access some specific servers and ports, however, when they are on an internal LAN, they have access to the entire network.

We have more control over the activity that users have on the internal network, thanks to the monitoring offered by Check Point and the security provided by the gateway. 

I'm the IT manager for the company, and my work has been improved due to the fact that, in conjunction with VPN, we implemented the Endpoint Security client so we can manage our client's computers even if they are not physically in the office. When we need to remove some users from a VPN connection we just need to lock the account and use the assets console to disable the feature from the client's computer.

The combination of the user accounts for the VPN with the access rules provided by the security gateway gives you more control and specificity about who has access to what. For external users, we can offer a solution based on the internet needs and we are able to share information on a secure channel. We can specifically point to the desired resources in the organization without the need to install any additional software on external client machines.

It needs to improve the capability of the Secure browser VPN connections. Some in-house applications didn't work due to the use of JScript and the backend and front end technology for the applications. In the case of URL translation of the VPN Web portal, the requests made from the front end to the back end weren't valid (due to the use of dynamic subdomains). In the case of host translations, the request was made to the same host, however, we cannot specify the ports, which, in our case, are used to redirect to different servers.

I've used the solution for over two years.

It's very stable, however, I recommend some scheduled restarts for cleaning connections and processes.

It is very easy to manage the solution and also the integration.

I have had a good experience with the support tickets that I have dealt with.

Positive

Previous to Check Point, we didn't have any gateway security.

The initial setup was a little complex as it was the first time working with Check Point.

The implementation was handled by an in-house team.

We expect that investments is recovered in two years.

The pricing is fair and the support team is good.

We were evaluating Fortinet as well.

Check Point is very reliable and secure.

Our company works in the area of developing and delivering online gambling platforms. The Check Point Next-Generation Firewalls are the core security solution we use for the protection of our DataCenter environment, located in Asia (Taiwan).

In addition, there are about 30 Google Cloud projects of different sizes ranging from 10 to 250 virtual machines, and they are used for development, staging, production, etc. For every project, there is one dedicated scalable instance group of the Check Point CloudGuard IaaS gateways.

We user the Check Point Remote Access VPN to provide access for our employees to connect to the specified environments.

We use the Check Point Endpoint Remote Access VPN client to allow our remote employees to connect to our company's offices in a secure and reliable way.

We use the clients for Windows and macOS, with the current software version E82.30. The Endpoint Remote Access VPN clients are fully compatible with the Check Point NGFWs Mobile Access VPN blade, and there are no problems connecting to it.

The clients have additional functions, like Firewall and Compliance blades, which we consider as a strong benefit for using the pure clients.

Several remote sites are supported in the client configuration, which allows us to have the redundancy for the case when one of the Offices becomes unavailable due to ISP problems.

1. It is easy to install the Endpoint Remote Access VPN client to different platforms. Within the company, we use it for Windows and macOS.
   
2. Built-in, centrally-managed Firewall blade, which allows filtering traffic on the client-side.
3. Built-in, centrally-managed Compliance blade. We check the client OS on the presence of the latest security updates and that the corporate antivirus software is up and running, and do not allow the client to connect to the office site in the case where these rules are not satisfied. That prevents the infected computers from connecting to the company's location and spreading the threats.
4. Stable VPN connection.

1. The Compliance software blade is available only for the Windows operating systems family, so no macOS security checks are implemented and performed. This is valid for at least software version E82.30, which we currently use.
2. In addition, there is no full client of the Check Point Remote Access VPN available for the Linux operating systems families. That is important since some of our administrators prefer to use this OS even on their home PCs. We hope that Check Point would develop a client for Linux in the future.

I have been using the Check Point Remote Access VPN for about two years.

The Check Point Remote Access VPN clients are stable on both Windows and macOS.

The Gateway side part of the software scales well.

We have had several support cases opened, but none of them were connected with the Check Point Remote Access VPN. Some of the issues were resolved by installing the latest recommended JumoHotfix, whereas some required additional configuration at the OS kernel level.

Prior to this product, we didn't use any centralized VPN software before.

The setup was straightforward and simple.

Our deployment was completed by our in-house team. We have a Check Point Certified engineer working in the engineering team.

We did not evaluate other options because we already use the products from the CheckPoint ecosystem.

The Check Point Endpoint Remote Access VPN for MacOs and Windows are reliable solutions for remote access VPN, and fully compatible with the Check Point security ecosystem.

The primary use case of this solution is to connect to our internal network for accessing servers and clusters using Check Point VPN. End-users are, for example, students accessing computer labs and licensed software that can check academic licenses only within the campus network; further, our ERP folks could make good use of the VPN solution by remotely working on the Institute Management System infrastructure and can work efficiently without any hindrance. We also use its capsule app on smartphones to connect further.

Using Check Point Remote Access VPN has increased the overall productivity for users staying outside the campus and working remotely during this Covid-19 period. Faculty, students, staff, and research fellows as well as a lot of other eligible users have been benefited by securing the VPN license in order to run login remotely and access the project workstations, clusters, run simulations and submit their research work for the final thesis defense. It also allows for publishing in high-impact factor journals.

Once we install and connect the VPN service, it keeps on running until we disconnect. Moreover, the best outcome is when the end-users are able to check out software licenses through the tunnel and keep on working remotely from their home without any interruption. 

The VPN service works seamlessly in Windows and Mac. Only in the case of Linux or Ubuntu have we had to struggle a bit by understanding the SNX Batch file to get installed and run it. Moreover, in Windows and Apple systems the app is running on the system tray whereas in Linux we have to keep the Terminal Window Open.

The Linux version may have an app (similar to Windows) instead of a shell script. We have seen that in Windows and Apple systems the app is running on the system tray whereas in Linux we have to keep the Linux Terminal Window open otherwise the connection drops. Sometimes, we have noticed that the owing to installation of various antivirus and running of inbuilt firewalls (applicable to all operating systems); the connection for VPN sporadically drops and tries to reconnect. When this happens, we have to manually either disable the firewall/antivirus or reconnect the VPN again.

We've used the solution since 2015 or 2016.

We were using Cyberoam.

Users must pursue Proof of Concept as the functional requirements can vary.

We also looked into Palo Alto and Fortinet.