Sophos XGS Reviews

Sophos XGS changes every two years, so we must update our knowledge. We can only test it with real requirements or problems to find scalability and reliability. We can't find these in normal testing. We can see reviews based on Gartner reports, but sometimes, we really feel problems. It can create many issues, even compatibility problems with fiber modules. Only system integrators or installers find these problems.

I think Sophos technical support's immediate response is good compared to Fortinet's. If the technical engineer is good, they get the solution immediately. If not, it might take two days. For improvement, immediate response is required, whether by email, phone call, or WhatsApp. Sometimes, we can't wait three or four days for a solution. In urgent situations, we might use a spare Sophos device while waiting for support.

I recommend what my customer needs and what fulfills their requirements. I suggest products based on price, quality, scalability, and reliability. Customers now ask for specific features at a certain price, not product names. I'm a system integrator and face technical support problems before implementation. I need pre-sales tech reports. If the distributor and support are good, I'll support that product even if the price is high. Urgent deliveries can be a problem if distributors don't cooperate.

I don't blame any product; all are good nowadays. Cisco products have high prices and compatibility issues. Fortinet has easy power replacement, while the tool needs specific adapters. I rate Sophos XGS seven to eight out of ten. Some models are very good, others not so much. It depends on the project, market, price, and features needed.

Nowadays, we have to integrate everything. Most products support this at some level.

The major support that my company gets from Sophos is in the areas of web and content filtering. Users are able to filter out the web traffic, so they can consume whatever they need, and they can stop at the gateway level whatever they don't need. If social networking websites are not required for my company's developers, I can stop them right away. The categorization of the websites is pretty good, and people are very happy when they can do the customization. If users need to have some kind of exceptions, they can go for the exceptions very easily without any disturbance to the other end users. The best part of the product is associated with its web and content filtering features.

As my company does not cater to the needs of customers with very large networks, I haven't faced any challenges with Sophos XGS and my company is happy with the solution till date.

When it comes to the telemetry data, which comes under what you call the tool's service part, better known as MDR, I feel Sophos should add more telemetry data to its products. The tool should support multiple vendors and multiple OEMs. Right now, I think there are only less than a dozen vendors or OEMs supported by Sophos. I feel Sophos should support tools from more vendors.

I have been using Sophos XGS for four years.

When it comes to the process of scaling up, it is okay upto 5,000 users that I manage. Sophos has the appliances to cater to the requirements of 5,000 user networks and I know it because it is the customer range in which I deal. I don't go to a customer or a client that has more than 5,000 user networks.

The solution's technical support is excellent. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.

Positive

My company does deal with other vendors in the market, but we feel that Sophos XGS is much more customizable and a readily available solution. A good thing about my company is that we have very good hands-on expertise, especially in areas like pre-sales and post-sales, where we have tech teams that are well-versed in areas like technologies, training, and modules while also ensuring that they stay up-to-date so that the team has all the sufficient knowledge to support themselves and also our customers' networks.

The product's initial setup phase is very straightforward. The GUI and everything else associated with the product are very straightforward.

The solution can be implemented in a couple of hours.

Only very large enterprise customers will have an edge with a tool similar to Sophos XGS because they have that kind of device and hardware, which can cater to around 10,000 or 20,000 user networks. My company does not deal with any large enterprise-sized customers, and so we are happy with Sophos.

Speaking about how the tool is deployed in our company's customers' network environment, I would say that it is done at the gateway level. With the gateway-level firewall, my company protects the network of our customers by applying the firewall, as well as the endpoint security, both provided by Sophos.

Speaking about the tool's threat intelligence capabilities on security posture, I would say that after content filtering, it obviously comes to threat monitoring. Sophos has SophosLabs, and it always gets updated. Users need not worry about the new threats or new landscapes coming in, as Sophos will take care of the aforementioned areas by default. Users need not depend on any third party for threat intelligence as the tool is sufficient to manage any kind of threat.

Sophos XGS has contributed to the reduction of the overall security costs of our company's customers. The biggest good point about the tool is related to the area of sizing. Sophos offers firewall tools for each and every size of the network. Irrespective of whether I have a small network in a branch office or a large network, I can get the appliances from Sophos to fit any size. I need not worry even if I am a company with just 25 users, as I need not spend lakhs of rupees. If I have a large network, even then, my hardware will be sufficient enough, and the cost offered by Sophos is obviously very competitive compared to the solutions offered by competitors in the markets.

Considering the sales, support, and post-sales services, I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

The prominent use cases for Sophos XGS depend on the type of customer. Local governments, schools, production companies, sales companies, and the finance sector use it.

It’s popular because it’s easy to manage, the cloud console is excellent, and it supports VPNs. It can also integrate with endpoints, though this is optional. Regarding threat intelligence, customers in Central Europe often prefer managing their threat hunting rather than using the more expensive service from Sophos. This feature is handy for large international companies with many employees. Threat intelligence requires separate licensing and is optional. Customers can either manage it themselves or purchase the additional service from Sophos, which includes further actions and is more expensive. Smaller companies often don’t have the budget for this.

One area for improvement would be including automatically generated certificates for HTTPS, which was available in earlier versions but might not be in the latest.

I’ve worked with Sophos XGS for over ten years, starting with Astaro and then Sophos.

Sophos XGS is not expensive and is scalable. It can fit small schools and companies with just ten employees, showing its flexibility for different sizes.

Sophos has two levels of support. The first level is qualified but may not handle complex issues well. I usually skip it and go straight to the second level for better results.

Positive

Deployment is quick and easy. Small installations take about three hours, and even remotely if necessary. It might take up to two days for more extensive infrastructures, including initial setup and follow-up checks.

Sophos XGS does use AI, particularly for sandboxing and analyzing suspicious documents in the cloud. It’s practical, as I haven’t had any major security breaches in the past five years.Overall, I’d rate Sophos XGS as nine out of ten. It has improved significantly over the years.

We use the solution for the firewall.

The configuration is fantastic, highly efficient, and robust. We don’t have to spend more considering the organization’s size. It's easy to configure what you want to do. The response time is very good. VPN connections have been stable.

The payment plan could be improved.

Sophos XGS comes with mostly eight ports, excluding the five ports. It would be better if they could increase the eight ports to ten. Most times, we don't want to use two. I will need to get another switch if I have five ISPs. Sophos engineer should look into that.

There were issues while switching the firmware to an upgraded version.

I have been using Sophos XGS for five years.

The product is stable.

The solution's scalability is good. It depends on what you have and the advanced structures from purchasing a particular version.

We have 80 users and 30 servers in our organization.

The initial setup is straightforward but a bit complex on production. You will need to configure the IP addresses of each device. We have scheduled downtime to safeguard stakeholder data periodically. We anticipate smooth transitions during these times. However, there may be instances where complexity arises, particularly regarding backups. For instance, when transitioning from firmware version 19.0 to 20.0, you must first downgrade the new device to version 19.04 before restoring the backup. This process requires a good understanding of the techniques involved. While we aim for simplicity, complexities may still arise. The migration takes two hours to complete.

We terminated one cable and continued the conversion using the backup from production. We quickly transferred it and pushed it into the new one. When we noticed it was running, we didn't even remove the whole one. We pushed it to the top and started to unplug the cable, then plugged it in again, repeating the process while waiting for the new box to learn the IP addresses of all the devices.

The solution’s pricing is good.

The first thing to consider is the size of the organization. When evaluating pricing, consider your current needs and what the device offers. You may not need all the features immediately. For smaller enterprises like mortgage institutions and microfinance, we recommend Sophos. It's suitable for them. However, larger organizations can also integrate it, perhaps for specific functions. The configuration, efficiency, and scalability are excellent.

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

Most of the features that we take advantage of are packet tutoring, web and application filtering, bandwidth management, and also multi-link management.

The most useful aspect of the solution for us is the reporting. Commonly, the reporting is separate, whereas, with Sophos, it's already in-built, so you don't need to invest in another reporting tool.

It offers an easy initial implementation.

The first time a person sets it up, they will need training.

We’d like to see an easy migration. They did an upgrade on VMware that might have affected things. We’d like them to return to something like they were running before from 2018 going to 2019.

The scalability could be better.

I’ve been dealing with the solution for the past year. IN total, I have used it for about seven years.

Every appliance has some problems. That said, while Sophos once had these issues, the company could immediately address those problems.

It is stable if you will be going to use VMware. They will give you an option if you want to try the new VMware.

The scalability is limited. In their firewall, there’s only a maximum of two appliances, or you have to cluster it. However, if you expand beyond that, there will be some limitations.

Right now, we have about 50 users. If you count the other branches, it’s closer to 200.

The support has been quite good. We are happy with their capabilities.

I’ve used Fortigate, SonicWall, Check Point, and NetBox brands in the past. We switched to Sophos for the easy interface and user-friendliness.

The initial setup is not really complex. If you're already familiar with the firewall, it will be simple. It will be already easier for the engineer as well. That said, if you're just starting, it will be a bit complex. You will need training

For us, since we have some other branches that we use to interconnect with our main branch, the deployment takes about three days with the other branches.

You only need two people to manage the deployment and maintenance.

I’m not sure of the exact pricing. However, some of it does go towards acquisition costs. In general, my understanding is that they are a bit cheaper than other options.

We both use and sell the solution.

We are using an older version of the solution. It’s not the most up-to-date.

I’d rate the solution nine out of ten.

I would recommend the solution to those who are implementing their security infrastructure to reach compliance. It does not hamper the business operations either.

For network security and filtering through our infrastructure, we rely on Sophos Firewall, specifically using Connect Sophos Cloud in our branches. 

Endpoint protection is crucial, so we integrate with DuoSet, and the system allows for VPN connections with various devices like SaaS, Alibaba, Fortinet, and Cisco, supporting encryption detection and more.

It's crucial for our company, as well as other companies and customers. When our customer licenses expire, they request to renew or make changes to their Sophos XGS boxes. This process is significant and managed by our technical team or engineers.

The Sophos XGS product is highly versatile and well-suited for various companies, including small, medium, and large enterprises. Its effectiveness lies in its inspection firewall capabilities, making it a commonly chosen option in our country due to its reasonable pricing. Sophos Firewall's support for VPN encryption and thorough inspection makes it a suitable choice for many companies, and I recommend it accordingly.

At the moment, I can't propose any new features. The primary concern is traffic stability, which needs improvement. Although the traffic stability is generally good, it has been noted that it can impact RAM and CPU, affecting workflow and inspection.

In my view, Sophos operates effectively in a reactive mode, focusing on static detection and forwarding traffic. However, Fortinet takes a more proactive approach, blocking both connection and route connections. While Sophos forwards any connection in both inbound and outbound traffic, I believe this is a positive aspect, especially in a country with various sizing considerations. This is my perspective, emphasizing the significance of Sophos XGS in software work.

I have been using Sophos XGS for two years. 

It's a stable solution. I would rate it around nine. There is room for improvement, especially in terms of support. As I mentioned earlier, when the CPU and memory reach their maximum capacity, the tool forwards traffic. This is a critical aspect—no inspection, no traffic, and no log.

It is a highly scalable solution. I can't provide an exact count because I work with multiple solutions, including Sophos XGS, Fortinet, and Palo Alto. Counting all the users across these platforms is challenging.

Positive

In the last two years, I have worked with Sophos Firewall, and it is an excellent firewall. It's easy to set up with encryption and inspection features. In my view, it's well-suited for all.

The initial setup of Sophos XGS has been quite smooth and user-friendly. Unlike my experience with Fortinet and Palo Alto, which posed challenges, Sophos XGS stands out for its ease of use. End users can handle the setup themselves without requiring an engineer to configure the firewall or register the device.

It's highly effective and well-suited for medium and small companies. The pricing is attractive, and our customers find it suitable for regular license renewals.

We use the solution as a VPN and for web filtering. It helps to connect sites to our data center. 

It's a competent solution. 

It's easy to deploy and connect.

The initial setup is not complex. 

We can scale the solution.

It is stable. 

It's reasonably, competitively priced. 

The solution could have a bit more functionality.

We'd like to have a log viewer. We'd like to have visibility to see what traffic has crossed the firewall. 

They need more local support and different language options available for when they need help.

I've used the solution for four or five years. 

The solution is stable, and the performance is pretty good. It's a good platform. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.

We have between 2,000 and 2,500 users on the solution right now. 

The solution can scale. 

At this point, we have no plans to increase usage, although we may expand in about two years. 

Technical support has been okay. However, they need more local support. They need to, for example, speak French.

Neutral

We also use Palo Alto. We've used it for about six months. It has more functionality than Sophos. 

The solution is very straightforward and simple. It's not overly complex. 

Originally, when we deployed, we migrated from another platform to Sophos. To do the migration took us two weeks. 

I'd rate the ease of setup a three out of five. 

We do have some maintenance tasks we need to perform after setup. For example, we need to do backups and some configurations. We have an internal team that can handle these tasks in terms of network infrastructure. 

The first time we deployed the solution, we did it via a third party, a partner.

The pricing is good and very competitive. 

The costs depend on what model of Sophos we take. A central firewall on the cloud with a cluster might be 70,000 to 80,000 euros for a three-year license. The price of the license and hardware are all under that pricing. You can integrate other features on top.

I'd rate the solution a four out of five in terms of affordability.

We are using the latest version of the solution. We're customers. 

I'd recommend the solution. It has pretty good functionality and good pricing. It's a good product.

I'd rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Our main use case for Sophos XGS is to protect our network and internet connection, which consists of Aruba, HP, Avaya, and Sophos switches. It's a very new product for us at this time, having previously used a variety of other security solutions including Sophos SG (now UTM), Sophos XG, as well as those from vendors such as Fortinet, Hillstone, and WatchGuard. At the moment, I am only working with Sophos SG, XG, and XGS, with the new Sophos switches.

Sophos XGS is deployed on-premises as we tend not to work in the cloud for our kind of environment. We have many different departments where it is currently in use, including accounting, IT and development, administration, and so on, and there are probably around 200 users throughout these departments.

All the features are valuable, in my opinion, but for us the most important features are the network security, application control, and web server protection. Sophos Sandstorm is another good feature off the top of my head.

Having previously worked with the Astaro Security Gateway platform (now called Sophos UTM), I can attest that the configuration and dashboard for this older platform was easier to manage than that of both Sophos XG and XGS. If it were up to me, I would prefer to go back to the older SG dashboard. I am hoping that in future, the dashboard for Sophos XGS will be simpler and easier.

I have been using Sophos XGS for about three or four months. 

So far, the stability of Sophos XGS is better than Sophos XG. With XG, we have faced so many problems with not only the interface, but also with the system itself including the hardware and software. Thus, in comparison with XG, XGS appears more stable at this point.

Currently, our maintenance of Sophos XGS only needs to managed by one person, because alongside the Sophos switches, all the management can be done through the central management system.

I would say it's scalable, as we already have around 200 people using it across not just one single department, but several, including accounting, IT and development, and administration.

When it comes to expanding our usage further, in general, I am not sure. We are currently watching the situation in Lebanon, and whether we have plans to extend it depends on what's happening in the country.

The technical support is helpful.

Positive

Although I am using Sophos XGS in a personal capacity at our company, we are also partners and resellers of not only Sophos XGS, but also many other products from different vendors. For example, I have worked with Hillstone, Fortinet, WatchGuard, and Genesis products, and whichever product we end up using depends on the client's requirements.

It was very easy to set up and it only took a couple of minutes. However, even so, it is still not as easy compared to Sophos SG version 9 (UTM).

We did the whole deployment of Sophos XGS in-house. And further, for maintenance and management, we only require one person, since everything can be managed centrally when you have the Sophos switches.

The licensing is reasonable. Comparing the cost of Sophos XGS with that of Fortinet or Palto Alto firewalls, for instance, it's not that expensive. However, the overall cost depends on the hardware you're using in addition to the licensing cost.

Because it's such a new product for us, I would need some more time to determine whether there are any issues with bugs or hardware failure, so for now I would rate Sophos XGS an eight out of ten because it otherwise ticks all the boxes for us in terms of features.