Steelhead Reviews

Steelhead greatly reduced bandwidth usage and saved significant costs by preventing the need for line upgrades. Users noticed improved network performance when Steelhead was active, reaching up to a tenfold bandwidth increase. Initial implementation saved an estimated £50,000 annually. Organizations optimized WAN without needing additional tools, improving user experience dramatically.

Steelhead's pricing is perceived as high, particularly for hardware and licensing. While initial costs can be significant, yearly maintenance and support are comparatively affordable. Customers acknowledge Steelhead's exceptional performance and support, adding value despite the expense. Licensing can be confusing, with users suggesting improvement for machine-specific licenses. Compared to similar solutions, Steelhead's value proposition is debated, though its ability to optimize network performance is appreciated. Service contract fees may reach up to $30,000 annually.

• "Across our 12 data centers, we spend around $150k annually."
• "The solution is expensive and the service contacts are costly too. The cost of the device makes the value proposition borderline acceptable for us. The service contract fees we pay is approximately $30,000 annually."

Steelhead is primarily used for WAN optimization. It enhances data throughput, improves networking and application performance, and addresses latency issues. Users optimize traffic between offices, manage data replication for banking systems, and connect international data centers. It's employed in diverse sectors like retail, insurance, finance, and engineering. Steelhead is beneficial for limited bandwidth scenarios, optimizing intra-site traffic, and saving on international bandwidth costs by preventing bandwidth exhaustion.

Customer service for Steelhead is efficient and professional, with timely device replacements. Technical support is knowledgeable and provides remote assistance, though responses sometimes require follow-ups. Local support needs improvement in technical knowledge transfer. Users find support satisfactory, giving high marks for handling typical issues swiftly, but complex cases may require persistence. Steelhead's engineers respond promptly based on ticket priority, maintaining an accuracy rate of 80-90%. Riverbed technical support is rated high for non-critical issues, though reaching them can be challenging.

Many found Steelhead's initial setup straightforward, involving basic tasks like IP configuration and inline placement. Some users mentioned the importance of careful planning, particularly regarding appliance pairing and traffic optimization licenses. A larger team often participated in deployments, especially in data center settings. While a few encountered minor challenges, most reported the setup as simple and efficient, requiring minimal resources and time. Regular monitoring post-deployment was emphasized for fine-tuning.

Steelhead is considered highly scalable by users, with many expanding networks efficiently without facing significant challenges. While earlier versions faced some upgrade limitations and hardware constraints, recent designs have improved scalability. Users reported successful deployments in both small and large organizations, supporting thousands of users. Simple license upgrades and deployments help facilitate expansion. Some users found that substantial growth might necessitate new licenses, but the process remains straightforward.

Steelhead demonstrates consistent stability, experiencing rare issues. Users report seamless operation, no unexpected downtime, and swift support responses. With robust performance, it handles power outages effectively, maintaining traffic flow. Two-box High Availability mode enhances reliability, while handling large data transfers efficiently. Some challenges occur with license acquisition and specific server data flows, requiring bypass rules. Reports of RAM leaks and remote access issues are noted. Overall, it is seen as resilient and reliable in diverse conditions.