ExtremeControl vs Sophos Network Access Control comparison

Extreme Networks and Sophos are both solutions in the Network Access Control (NAC) category. Extreme Networks is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.7, while Sophos is ranked #7 with an average rating of 7.5. Extreme Networks holds a 2.1% mindshare in NAC, compared to Sophos’s 2.3% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of Extreme Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

ExtremeControl

Read 8 ExtremeControl reviews

847 Views
839 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Sophos Network Access Control

Read 24 Sophos Network Access Control reviews

1,276 Views
1,238 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ExtremeControl

Sophos Network Access Control

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Sophos Network Access Control and ExtremeControl are products focused on managing network access for improved security. ExtremeControl is the preferable option due to its extensive features and perceived long-term value.

Features: Sophos Network Access Control offers robust threat detection, seamless integration with existing network infrastructure, and effective risk assessment capabilities. ExtremeControl provides advanced visibility, comprehensive control over diverse network environments, and extensive third-party integration. ExtremeControl's advanced monitoring tools further enhance its network management capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ExtremeControl features a straightforward deployment model and efficient onboarding processes, making it suitable for organizations with limited IT resources. Its customer service is known for quick response times and comprehensive support. Sophos requires more in-depth configuration during deployment, potentially extending the setup timeline, though it does offer reliable deployment options.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos Network Access Control attracts budget-conscious buyers with its lower initial costs and competitive pricing strategy, providing a satisfactory ROI for those prioritizing budget control. ExtremeControl's higher upfront cost is justified by its advanced functionality and integration options, promising a favorable ROI over time.

To learn more, read our detailed ExtremeControl vs. Sophos Network Access Control Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeControl vs. Sophos Network Access Control

March 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

ExtremeControl

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

11th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Sophos Network Access Control

Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of ExtremeControl is 2.1%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Network Access Control is 2.3%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Access Control (NAC) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Sophos Network Access Control	2.3%
ExtremeControl	2.1%
Other	95.6%

Network Access Control (NAC)

Featured Reviews

Jan Zontek

System Engineer at Poczta FM

Features support flexible integration and high compatibility with third-party equipment

I have a little experience with reporting and analytics tools for network visibility in ExtremeControl, but I am not a specialist. I'm not a big fan of this analytics feature because it is an in-built component, and customers usually don't use it frequently since they often don't measure it. It is not very popular among my customers right now. I would definitely recommend ExtremeControl to customers because we can support many features as they need, and we can provide a demo license for even 80 days for testing all required features, which is not a problem for us. On a scale of 1-10, I rate ExtremeControl a 10.

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HirenPatel2

Manager at rspl

Have faced delays in support despite strong multi-layer policy configuration

I have observed some disadvantages as we have experienced one particular problem. We were facing an issue of synchronization of the endpoint with our firewall with help on a cloud for heartbeat syncing. However, it was not syncing as per our requirement. The user has to connect our firewall with the help of VPN. We were supposed to assume a solution on a cloud, which has good synchronization on a cloud with Sophos Central. It will sync with our firewall as well with the help of Sophos Central. Endpoint and firewall synchronization is not as smooth as we are expecting from Sophos Network Access Control. We have to connect with VPN. We are expecting that if we have already installed an endpoint on our system and it is connected to the internet, then it must be synchronized on a cloud with Sophos Central. Through Sophos Central, it must connect with our firewall. If the endpoint is configured on Sophos Central and the firewall is also configured in Sophos Central, then there should be no need to connect to VPN.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Overall, I would rate ExtremeControl nine out of ten."

"The solution is easy to use."

"Integrating ExtremeControl with ExtremeConnect provides an additional layer of security and control over what devices are onboarding to the network, granting full visibility."

"There is information on migrating most of the cloud system's features."

"It has effectively enhanced network security and integrated with other security tools to streamline operations."

"On a scale of 1-10, I rate ExtremeControl a 10."

"The company also uses Cisco ISE in other places. I have been told that ExtremeControl is easier to use than ISE. The other reason we prefer ExtremeControl is stability. That's why they chose it for this big hospital in Oslo."

"I can know which end users are using which features."

"Sophos Network Access Control has a useful interface, and I like its dashboard, which is very useful for us to check everything."

"The pricing is very reasonable and you can negotiate on the price."

"We get full visibility into the network as a product, which is one of the key features of the product because recently they have acquired another product called Secure Wave, which is integrated into Sophos Network Access Control and provides advanced capabilities for managed detection and remediation, MDR, a major plus for customers."

"What Sophos has done is integrate almost the entire OSI layer infrastructure. It gives me visibility across my infrastructure. It gives me visibility into all the mobile devices that are on my network and into the security I have on those mobile devices."

"Sophos has helped us to save time and money and to better manage web activities. It has also helped us to reduce misuse of the network and restrict hacking attempts."

"The user interface makes it easy to configure and use."

"The platform's most valuable features include robust reporting and analytics capabilities, which provide deep insights into our sales performance and customer behavior."

"Web protection, URL filtering, and application filtering are the most valuable features of Sophos Network Access Control."

More Sophos Network Access Control pros

Cons

"One improvement could be better clarification, namely that the system only works optimally with all components purchased together."

"The initial setup was not easy. It requires an experienced person to deploy ExtremeControl, and deployment can take from days to weeks depending on the complexity of the network."

"I'd like to have access to more information on the traffic passing through."

"I would rate their technical support five out of ten. They have strict upgrade policies."

"In terms of cost, I believe ExtremeControl is reasonably priced for big enterprises, but for smaller ones, they need to consider that the price for less than 1,000 users is important, as this is the minimum number of users required for a license. Below this number, we are not competitive with other vendors."

"There isn't enough development for the on-premises controller."

"The installation is easy, it can take between five minutes to four hours depending on the complexity of the environment. The speed of the installation could improve for more complex environments."

"I would like to see mobile administration capabilities in the next release so that we can administer the device from a mobile device."

"Sometimes we encounter intermediate-level support staff who use trial-and-error approaches, but sometimes we receive support from excellent staff members who resolve issues within seconds."

"In order to provide better management, it would be ideal with they offered better plugins for their firewall."

"An area that could be improved is the information about licensing, which is fairly confusing at present."

"What needs to be improved on is the fact that Sophos consumes a lot of processor resources and, once it starts scanning, the RAM utilization is very high."

"I would like to be able to fully customize the reports."

"It would be beneficial to consider some improvements regarding the dashboard."

"I would like more details on the incoming connection, like what is the download speed and how it fluctuates. If Sophos can give that information, it would be really good."

More Sophos Network Access Control cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"ExtremeControl can be expensive compared to other options in the market."

"Sophos Network Access Control is an expensive solution."

"I rate the price of Sophos Network Access Control a five out of ten."

"Sophos Network Access Control is very cheap compared to other solutions like Cisco, Barracuda, and Palo Alto."

"Sophos Network Access Control is costly but has a similar price range as CrowdStrike and Check Point. The product can get more market share if Sophos can play around with Sophos Network Access Control pricing and improve it."

"It provides a moderate pricing option for all of its features and benefits."

"It is quite expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

University

Government

Performing Arts

Manufacturing Company

Government

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ExtremeControl?

It has effectively enhanced network security and integrated with other security tools to streamline operations.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ExtremeControl?

Regarding improvements for ExtremeControl, I think it is good as it is; however, some other products can support features like certificate management, which ExtremeControl currently lacks. Adding c...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ExtremeControl?

The main use cases for ExtremeControl among my customers are to authenticate the users here for the end systems in their companies and to manage authentication, authorization, and systems, and they...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Network Access Control?

The pricing of Sophos Network Access Control is good, but it is somewhat high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos Network Access Control?

In my opinion, one feature that should be added is the ability to trace emails from individuals who change their IP address or send misbehaving emails from alternative networks. If someone sends a ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sophos Network Access Control?

Sophos Network Access Control serves primary use cases for both networking purposes and security purposes.

See all answers

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Compared 13% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Network Access Control (NAC)

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Sophos Network Access Control

February 2026

Download Sophos Network Access Control product report

Also Known As

Extreme Access Control, Enterasys NAC

No data available

Overview

ExtremeControl lets you manage secure and automated access for both, BYOD and IoT devices from one convenient dashboard. It makes it easy to roll out granular policies across your wired and wireless networks to meet industry and company compliance obligations. Identity based network access control keeps unauthorized people and devices from accessing your network.

Extreme Networks

Sophos NAC Provides comprehensive, easy-to-deploy network access control that protects enterprise networks from the threats posed by non-compliant, compromised, or misconfigured endpoint computers. The software solution is vendor-neutral and works with existing network infrastructure and security applications. Computers are permitted or denied access to the network, based on a centrally defined, policy-driven assessment - and isolated, quarantined for remediation, automatically remediated, or sent alerts. Administrators can define and manage policies uniquely for managed and guest computers, including checking their security status and ensuring that no unwanted applications are run.

Sophos

Sample Customers

Street Crane, Robert Bosch, Molex Chengdu, Weir Valves & Controls UK, Renault, AESSEAL, Ducati, Alexander Dennis, UK Ministry of Defence, Manz

Rushmoor Borough Council

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeControl vs. Sophos Network Access Control

March 2026

Free Report: ExtremeControl vs. Sophos Network Access Control

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