SonicWall NSv Reviews

I primarily use SonicWall NSv to protect cloud servers. I created firewall rules, check traffic, enable IPS, and use it for VPN access.

My main use case was securing the cloud server. I use SonicWall NSv to control incoming and outgoing traffic and to block threats in the cloud.

In one setup, I had to deploy SonicWall NSv on Azure. I created a virtual machine from a SonicWall image, assigned a network interface, and connected it between the internet and the cloud servers. After deployment, I configured basic firewall rules and NAT. In another setup, I configured SSL VPN for remote users. I created user accounts, assigned them to the VPN group, and configured the portal. The user connected through the SonicWall NSv VPN client and accessed the cloud server securely.

The best feature SonicWall NSv offers is its simple and clean interface that makes it easy to create rules, check logs, and manage security, even in the cloud. The IDS and IPS features work well and block common attacks, scanning attempts, and malicious traffic before it reaches the cloud servers. SonicWall NSv manages very stable VPN connectivity, as seen in the SSL VPN example where remote users can connect securely to cloud resources without issues.

There are many features available, including application control features that can detect and control applications in the traffic. This helps block unnecessary or risky applications. Additionally, SonicWall NSv supports NAT and routing very easily, which is important for hosting applications in the cloud. The most valuable aspect is that it is lightweight and flexible compared to other cloud firewalls, and you can scale the VM size up or down based on your needs.

SonicWall NSv has reduced the risk of attack, which is very impactful for any organization, especially larger organizations. With IPS and threat protections enabled, the risk of attack and malware on cloud workloads is reduced significantly. You can have centralized management where you control everything centrally, giving you one place to manage all cloud security rules, VPNs, IPS, and monitoring. This makes management easier for the IT team. Since it is a virtual firewall, you do not need physical hardware, which reduced costs and removed the hardware maintenance effort. It has improved cloud security, reduced attack risk, allowed secure remote access, saved hardware costs, and made management simple for the IT team.

There is minimal room for improvement, perhaps one to two percent. The reporting and analytics should be improved. The reports could be more detailed and easier to customize.

I have been working in my current field as a network security consultant for more than five years.

SonicWall NSv has been stable in our environment. We had no major downtime. From user feedback, it has been rated around eight to nine out of ten for stability.

One challenge was the initial setup. Some options were not very clear in the beginning, so it took some time to configure everything properly. The second challenge was performance. When the traffic increased, we had to upgrade the VM size, otherwise it would slow down. Performance totally depends on the VM size.

Customer support for SonicWall NSv is excellent.

Positive

One challenge was the initial setup. Some options were not very clear in the beginning, so it took some time to configure everything properly. The information provided was very knowledgeable and very helpful.

The return on investment was approximately five thousand to eight thousand dollars in savings.

The licensing cost was a bit higher compared to other options, but it is negligible.

SonicWall NSv is very helpful to deploy and manage. Everything can be managed easily and it is very simple, so I cannot justify switching to other options.

My advice is to select the correct VM size. There could be a little bit of improvement regarding the VM size selection to ensure optimal performance. My overall rating for this product is eight out of ten.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

Our organization has more than 60 locations across GCC, and we have deployed SonicWall NSv in all of our locations to establish secure VPN connectivity from the branches to the head offices.

We have multiple head offices; mainly, we have three head offices. We have deployed SonicWall NSv models on the head offices, and every branch connects to these head office SonicWalls and sends data through secure VPN IPsec tunnels.

The best features SonicWall NSv offers include the auto-creation of firewall policies, which is easily useful when we have multiple zones and multiple rules. This feature is one I appreciate greatly. Additionally, the web filter and content filtering policy were amazing, as we had every option to add the subdomains or domains to whitelist, remove from the whitelist, or specifically block any website, and it was working very well. These two are the main features I liked.

When I had to establish multiple new branches and add multiple firewalls at a time for the new openings, the auto-creation of firewall rules saved me so much time on the configuration of firewalls. It was stressful for me to create every rule in every firewall that I was adding into the centralized VPN connectivity, but with this feature, I do not have to spend much time on these multiple firewalls I'm adding.

SonicWall NSv helped our organization maintain and send traffic consistently through our secure VPN channels between the SonicWalls, serving around 300 employees in our organization.

I would appreciate the app filter rules, which are already there, but managing it on the web console is a bit confusing for me. I would prefer to have it easier, similar to how we handle the web filter on SonicWall NSv.

SonicWall NSv is better in all aspects mostly, but I would prefer to see improvements in the quality of the OS running on it, particularly if there are some bugs.

The improvement needed is about the user interface.

I have been using SonicWall NSv for two years.

SonicWall NSv is stable, as most of the firmware versions are stable.

When it comes to on-premises, scaling up with SonicWall NSv is easy; we just need to have the hardware. We can utilize the SonicWall migration tool to migrate the configuration from the old model to a scalable model, making it very easy at the configuration level.

I appreciate the customer support of SonicWall because, in most cases, issues have been resolved quickly. One of the things I appreciate about SonicWall support is that when I call, they definitely answer my call and connect me to a SonicWall engineer. I would rate the customer support of SonicWall a 10.

Positive

I would suggest others looking into using SonicWall NSv that if they want a stable solution and support that is easy to access, along with reduced license and installation costs, I would recommend SonicWall NSv.

SonicWall NSv has positively impacted our organization, and since upgrading to NSv 7th Gen models, I have seen that it made the connectivity more stable and resilient.

I have noticed that it improved the VPN connectivity and throughput, along with the speed it takes to create a tunnel between the branches. I would rate this review overall a 10.

On-premises

My main use case for SonicWall NSv is as a firewall, specifically using it as an on-premise VM.

I can give you a quick specific example of how I use SonicWall NSv in my environment: we are using an internal firewall, so it's not a perimeter. We are using an internal firewall and only using an IPS.

Another use case I have is using SonicWall NSv in AWS, which has BYOL. BYOL fits into my workflow because generally, there is no need to buy new hardware. I can use the CPU and RAM, and if it needs to grow, I can increase the CPU and RAM only without needing to change the hardware.

Real-time memory inspection in SonicWall NSv is quite unique and valuable, especially for security-focused environments.

SonicWall NSv has positively impacted my organization by being cost-effective, with latency monitoring as an added advantage for us, along with full SD-WAN.

I can share specific outcomes or metrics: it results in cost savings, especially with zero-touch deployment while maintaining it in our VM, which is more cost-effective for us.

To improve SonicWall NSv, we need to address that it is currently available only on AWS and Azure, and I think we need to move on with Oracle and GCP.

Regarding improvements, I find that logs are required. I chose 8 out of 10 because logs are unable to restore in the same system, requiring a separate analyzer or analytics. Competitors have seven-day storage available, which is very useful.

I have been using SonicWall NSv for two years.

SonicWall NSv has been stable for me with no downtime or reliability issues.

I would describe the scalability of SonicWall NSv as excellent. It can easily grow with my organization's needs.

The customer support for SonicWall NSv is really good, and I have found it helpful when I needed assistance.

Positive

I would rate the reporting and analytics features of SonicWall NSv as detailed enough for my needs.

I would describe the ease of management and configuration for SonicWall NSv as very useful, making it simple to create a policy in a single dashboard, which is easy to configure and maintain.

The security capabilities of SonicWall NSv compared to other firewall solutions I have used are moderate because deep inspection is required to prevent the URLs, making it very difficult to secure those.

My advice to others looking into using SonicWall NSv is that it is cost-effective. You can purchase it easily and maintain the firewall without issues.

I have rated this review 8 out of 10.

Public Cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

My main use case for SonicWall NSv is cloud space, specifically for Azure, AWS, and GCP deployments.

I use SonicWall NSv to secure cloud infrastructure instead of relying on Azure barebone security or AWS security. This allows me to get more granular control with my security settings.

I also use it to protect our private data center. We have customers that utilize it in a similar manner to Azure infrastructure, but within our own environment.

SonicWall NSv offers the option for Classic or Policy Mode, which allows me to choose between the two. If I need more granular control, I would prefer to use Policy Mode. If it is a simple configuration with one network that does not require much complexity, then Classic Mode is perfect.

When I use Policy Mode for more granular configurations, I can address situations where that flexibility makes a difference, such as wanting to have one network or one zone over another. I am not limited to the global security service configuration and can have multiple different security policies.

SonicWall NSv has positively impacted my organization. One specific outcome I have noticed is the low cost of licensing and that it is a trusted security appliance.

The low cost and trusted security have led to measurable benefits such as cost savings, which allow us to invest in other technologies.

SonicWall NSv can be improved, particularly in the SAML implementation, which was introduced in 7.2 firmware. I have 7.3, and I am waiting on that first jumbo hotfix from SonicWall. There is a need to continue improving the SAML implementation.

I have been using SonicWall NSv for about seven years.

SonicWall NSv is stable.

With NSM, the Network Security Manager, SonicWall NSv is quite scalable. You can operate multiple different NSvs under one management plane.

Customer support from SonicWall could see some improvement. With the number of items that SonicWall has going on at the moment, the wait line can be quite intrusive.

Neutral

Before choosing SonicWall NSv, I evaluated other options such as FortiGate virtual servers. For our customers, it always comes down to cost, where their budget is, and whether they need to go with FortiGate or SonicWall. Along with the cost, it also factors in how granular they need to utilize it. If they know they need to have BGP, then I might forgo SonicWall.

I have seen a return on investment. The relevant metric includes the time saved in deployment, especially if you go with Classic Mode over Policy Mode. Not much has changed since the release of Gen 7.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that licensing is fairly simple. I work with account managers at SonicWall, submit quotes with my distribution group, and the process is seamless.

I did not purchase SonicWall NSv through the AWS Marketplace. I bring my own license.

Integration is something worth discussing.

SonicWall NSv integrates well with my existing systems. I have a built-in syslog system called ForVideo, and I can ingest all logs from SonicWall NSv appliance that I may not be able to get from a FortiGate.

My advice to others looking into using SonicWall NSv is that if deploying SonicWall NSv, I would really consider using Policy Mode over Classic Mode. I know it is quite a change going to that mode, but if you have to change to Policy Mode in the future, then you are looking at redeploying SonicWall NSv. If you deploy it from the start, you have that scalability to continue to grow.

I would rate this product a seven out of ten.

Hybrid Cloud

Microsoft Azure

My main use case for SonicWall NSv is to provision users, VPN credentials, and add users on the VPN.

I also update the firmware, the SSL when it expires, and perform other internal updates within SonicWall NSv.

A specific example of a task I recently completed with SonicWall NSv includes updating the firmware, adding a new employee, resetting the password, and checking for any new firmware updates.

The best features SonicWall NSv offers include the user interface itself, which is quite friendly to understand and perform tasks, and the support. Whenever I am stuck, it is easy to reach out to the support team.

The user-friendly interface of SonicWall NSv makes it easy for me to accomplish whatever tasks I am given due to the proper arrangement of words and the way it is designed. SonicWall NSv has positively impacted my organization by helping us access our whitelisted web apps since we manage web apps while ensuring proper standards to prevent any information leaks. Our VPN has made a huge impact on the organization, and the support team responds quickly to my queries whenever I get stuck on the platform.

As far as SonicWall NSv improvements go, I cannot really say there is much needed. I think it is on the right path, and I am impressed with its support. I am fully satisfied with the designs and services.

I have been using SonicWall NSv for five months since I joined Bluegrass.

Regarding security, we have not had any issues since we have been using SonicWall NSv, and everything is usually up to date. We have not experienced any incidents where there was any disappointment. SonicWall NSv is stable.

I cannot really say how SonicWall NSv's scalability is because I have not gauged that.

SonicWall NSv's customer support is perfect. Whenever I am stuck, I receive assistance at the same time, and I receive email responses within the day. I would rate the customer support an eight.

Positive

I did not use any different solution prior to SonicWall NSv.

I have not really seen a return on investment.

The pricing, setup cost, and licensing are all managed by the admin. Since we have been using it for years, it makes it a bit more affordable.

We did not evaluate other options before choosing SonicWall NSv, as the management had already decided that they needed SonicWall NSv as their source of VPN and firewall.

My advice to others looking into using SonicWall NSv is that I am impressed with their services. I would rate this product an eight.

On-premises

My main use case for SonicWall NSv is that we are using it for our network switches, utilizing the Sonic switches and SonicOS for configuring all the switches in our networking.

A quick specific example of how I use SonicWall NSv with my network switches is that we use it for configuring our network, setting up the infrastructure, and configuring the switches.

Since using SonicWall NSv, it has positively impacted our organization by making the switches seem to be more efficient as we have changed to layer three networks in our network.

When I say it's more efficient, I mean the management is easier when compared to other switches.

The management process is smoother and less time-consuming now, and we have used Zabbix for monitoring, so it's smoother.

The best features that SonicWall NSv offers in my experience are the CLI that it provides, which I find really useful, and I consider it one of the best compared to OS10 switches because it's much more responsive.

What makes the CLI so useful or responsive for me is that it totally seems to mirror OS10 switches; it's much more efficient and fast.

SonicWall NSv can be improved due to the lack of proper documentation, because even though there are a lot of documentation available, there are particular use cases that are not included. For example, when we are configuring a network in the ring structure instead of the tree structure, there is less documentation regarding how to implement that.

I have been using SonicWall NSv for over the last two years for our network switches.

SonicWall NSv is stable.

I am not sure about SonicWall NSv's scalability.

The customer support is really nice, and we have interacted with them.

I would rate the customer support a 10 out of 10.

Positive

We previously used OS10 network switches, but now we switched to SonicOS.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that it's okay.

I have not seen any return on investment; there are no metrics at all.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that it's okay.

Before choosing SonicWall NSv, we evaluated Cisco and OS10 again, but that is when we finally decided to go with Sonic.

My advice to others looking into using SonicWall NSv is that I can actually refer them to it. I would rate this product an 8 out of 10.

On-premises

Within our organization's cloud security setup, SonicWall NSv is used repeatedly, and they are not encountering many challenges to deploy it.

It is used for security, specifically as a firewall.

The features of SonicWall NSv that are most effective in enhancing the network include the Application Firewall, which provides enhanced security to the client.

SonicWall NSv handles network threats effectively, and I have noticed improvements with new advanced features such as sandboxing; we are very impressed with it.

The sandboxing feature is very interesting, and we are looking forward to developments in AI-driven security initiatives.

Currently, we are getting challenges with user-wise reports and other reporting details. At present, they do not provide detailed reports compared to other products.

My overall experience with SonicWall NSv has been since 2008 or 2009.

It takes no more than a few hours to deploy, as we have local support here, so we do not have to log any cases for other challenges.

I have a very confident feeling about its stability.

It rates around eight to nine in terms of stability, and it is quite good.

I do not need much support in SonicWall NSv for scalability.

It is a scalable product.

On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate its scalability as eight to nine.

I would rate the responsiveness of the technical support from SonicWall as 9 to 10.

Positive

There are two support engineers involved in the installation as of now.

I am somewhat satisfied with the price for SonicWall NSv, rating it as eight because, compared to other products, the price is a little bit higher.

The pricing could be improved, and there are extra expenses. For instance, the Global VPN will be chargeable in our product, unlike Fortinet or Sophos, where it is free—this is a major difference.

I would definitely recommend SonicWall NSv to other organizations for obvious reasons.

My overall rating for SonicWall NSv is nine.

My main use case for SonicWall NSv is to secure cloud, such as using it for threat prevention, IPS, anti-malware, and VPN.

I use SonicWall NSv for threat prevention and VPN in my environment by managing different zones depending on what we're serving, which is practical because it's all software-based. We have been successful using and managing the environment.

I generally use SonicWall NSv as a firewall, so anything that is needed as a firewall is handled well.

The best features SonicWall NSv offers mainly include site-to-site VPN and segmentation, which are especially helpful in our hybrid cloud environment.

Segmentation is helpful because you are able to have people working in the same department, even though they are geographically dispersed, and they all will have the same access and user privileges. This allows us to reduce traffic, for example, for broadcasting on the network, and helps in bringing the team together, even though they are geographically dispersed.

SonicWall NSv has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to secure and manage the network in a secure fashion and providing easy access. This is helpful as it doesn't require somebody to be senior to perform small tasks.

A specific outcome that shows how SonicWall NSv helped my organization is that for any change in configuration, we need to make changes on the firewall. Using SonicWall NSv has been beneficial because of the ease of use and maintaining system security, making it business as usual.

SonicWall NSv can be improved by incorporating AI to help with configuration, propose scenarios, and check the changes before deployment, which would be helpful.

I have been using SonicWall NSv for three years.

SonicWall NSv is stable.

SonicWall NSv's scalability is good, as we can expand it to cover our network, making it suitable for the future as well.

Customer support for SonicWall NSv is good.

I did not previously use a different solution. We used to use a regular firewall, but now with SonicWall NSv, this has been helpful.

I have seen a return on investment with SonicWall NSv, as I have saved money by saving time and needing fewer employees due to the ease of use, allowing us to manage our resources better.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for SonicWall NSv is favorable.

Before choosing SonicWall NSv, we evaluated other options and used to have the physical SonicWall, the regular SonicWall where you purchase the device.

My advice to others looking into using SonicWall NSv is that if they are using regular firewalls, this will be a game-changer, but there are also other NGFW options. The ROI is good, so that's the main thing, as the ratio between technical and financial benefits is favorable, and you can save money using it. I would rate this product 9 out of 10.

Hybrid Cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS)