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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    APF Software Firewall

    N/AN/AAdvanced Policy Firewall (APF) is a free and open-source iptables(netfilter) based firewall system designed around the Internet 's deployed servers and the unique needs of custom deployed Linux installations. The configuration of APF is designed to be informative and present the user with an easy to follow process, from top to bottom of the configuration file.

    $0

    Cisco Meraki MX

    Score9.2 out of 10
    N/ACisco Meraki MX Firewalls is a combined UTM and Software-Defined WAN solution. Meraki is managed via the cloud, and provides core firewall services, including site-to-site VPN, plus network monitoring.

    $595

    per appliance

    Pricing
    APF Software FirewallCisco Meraki MX
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    MX64
    $595
    per appliance
    MX67
    $695
    per appliance
    MX68
    $995
    per appliance
    MX84
    $1,995
    per appliance
    MX100
    $4,995
    per appliance
    MX250
    $9,995
    per appliance
    MX450
    $19,995
    per appliance
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    APF Software FirewallCisco Meraki MX
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    APF Software FirewallCisco Meraki MX
    Considered Both Products
    Open Source
    No answer on this topic
    Cisco
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    95%
    Would buy again
    124 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    118 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    122 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    108 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    119 Answers
    Features
    APF Software FirewallCisco Meraki MX
    Firewall
    Comparison of Firewall features of APF Software Firewall and Cisco Meraki MX
    Feature
    APF Software Firewall
    -
    Ratings
    Cisco Meraki MX
    7.9
    109 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Identification Technologies00 Ratings8.3104 Ratings
    Visualization Tools00 Ratings8.7102 Ratings
    Content Inspection00 Ratings8.1101 Ratings
    Policy-based Controls00 Ratings7.5100 Ratings
    Active Directory and LDAP00 Ratings7.990 Ratings
    Firewall Management Console00 Ratings6.5103 Ratings
    Reporting and Logging00 Ratings7.7107 Ratings
    VPN00 Ratings8.8102 Ratings
    High Availability00 Ratings9.1103 Ratings
    Stateful Inspection00 Ratings7.497 Ratings
    Proxy Server00 Ratings6.857 Ratings
    User Ratings
    APF Software FirewallCisco Meraki MX
    Likelihood to Recommend
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (145 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (6 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.5
    (7 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.9
    (15 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (112 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    APF Software FirewallCisco Meraki MX
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    The Meraki MX lineup is well suited for organizations that need centralized management of multiple locations, as it allows for both quick deployment and simple/easy remote administration all from a single pane of glass. It also works very well for providing VPN access for remote workers and helps monitor end-device uptime. It does, however, fall a bit short in its firewall's customization, compared to traditional appliances (like our WatchGuard Firebox), so perhaps less suited for organizations that need more customization, as the Meraki MX lineup is primarily designed for simplicity and straightforward cloud-based management.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    • The Cisco Meraki MX series is phenomenal at allowing us to remotely manage networks. So the devices usually act as the brain behind our client's networks, which makes it really, really easy for our team to take a look at what's going on in those client network environments, resolve any issues, and make sure that our client's networks are staying secure.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    • Layer seven firewall rules. Just making them more granular. We've been in meetings with Cisco SES where I've said feature requests many times and that's one of the big ones where it's just a little cumbersome to implement layer seven rules right now.
    • Just making them more granular. We've been in meetings with Cisco SES where I've said feature requests many times and that's one of the big ones where it's just a little cumbersome to implement layer seven rules right now.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    The simplicity and ease of use for the Meraki Dashboard make it an easy choice for our organization to renew our Meraki Enterprise Agreement. We will likely continue using the Meraki MC67-C, MX450, and other MX models in their catalog until we shift away from Meraki completely
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    Some features simply aren't there, but the ones that are there are pretty easy to use. Sometimes it is easy to get lost when trying to find the specific device you want to work on, but that's mostly due to how rarely we have to go into the interface.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    Meraki MX devices support high availability (HA) configurations, which ensures minimal downtime if one device goes offline. This feature has helped us maintain a stable and reliable network, even in cases of hardware failures. ince Meraki is cloud-managed, we've noticed that the cloud infrastructure is generally highly reliable, with minimal service interruptions or downtime. This makes it easier to manage the network remotely without significant availability concerns. Meraki automatically pushes firmware updates and patches, which helps maintain system stability without requiring manual intervention. These updates are rolled out in a manner that ensures minimal disruption to service.
    Incentivized
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    Performance
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    The interface is pretty responsive. The lower end devices are easy to overwhelm if you have a lot of throughput. Be sure the model you get is rated for the amount of traffic you will have. Overbuild if possible, otherwise you won't be fully leveraging the connection from your ISP.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    I haven't ever had a bad experience with Meraki support. On the few occasions where I wasn't understanding the UI or needed some clarification about what a setting actually would do, I contacted them and they were very quickly able to provide help. Returns are simple and fast, too. We had to return a defective device one time and they shipped the replacement before we had even un-racked the one that was faulty. Unlike many other vendors, they didn't ask use to a do long list of scripted diagnostics, they just took my word for it that the device was broken and sent out a replacement immediately
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    great when they offered it, really tested your knowledge with hands on and see what your peers from other orgs know. glad to see that we were ahead of the curve of what our peers knew
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    it was okay as it was moderated but still better than nothing and done via semi self paced webex meeting
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    Implementing Meraki MX devices in phases—starting with a pilot group or select branch offices—was invaluable. This allowed us to identify potential configuration issues, troubleshoot problems, and refine our setup before rolling it out company-wide. It also helped to get feedback from early users and adjust the deployment strategy accordingly. The SD-WAN capabilities in Meraki MX were essential for optimizing our WAN traffic and ensuring better application performance across various locations.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    Cisco Meraki MX provides simplicity and scalability while cutting costs. With Meraki MX, you get a Security appliance, router, and Firewall in one appliance and managed with one GUI. These features enable the network engineers to maintain large-scale enterprises with a single dashboard from a remote site or anywhere with internet, all thanks to the Meraki cloud dashboard
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    When I first started with my company we had various infrastructure and a mix of tech. Since going to Cisco Meraki MX we have noticed better network performance and our new sites are much easier to bring online. Users have noticed an improvement in VPN connection and getting into all our systems.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    • From a positive impact? Basically it allows us to set up shop very quickly. It allowed us to add sites to our network very quickly. From a negative perspective, I think the only thing is that I can see from a negative perspective is I have a preference to working with ACLI in terms of how I engage with the youth tool At the moment, the only way to actually engage with a tool is on a gui and sometimes what I'd actually like is more detailed information in terms of actual configuration that you'll actually get out of ACLI.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots