#1 most frequent
United States of America
46.1%745 installations of 1,615
What is WatchGuard Network Security?
WatchGuard Network Security is a network security and firewall software. WatchGuard includes secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, and network intelligence products and services designed for SMB’s.
Categories & Use Cases
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Screenshot of WatchGuard Cloud Customizable Dashboard
Top Performing Features
High Availability
Built-in capacity to prevent exposure if primary firewall stops working
Category average: 9.3
VPN
VPN's implement encryption and anonymize IP addresses
Category average: 9.1
Stateful Inspection
Stateful inspection analyzes packet headers and contents of packets
Category average: 8.8
Areas for Improvement
Active Directory and LDAP
Integration with Active Directory and LDAP directories
Category average: 8.6
Firewall Management Console
Either command-line or web-based interface for centralized control and management
Category average: 8.2
Visualization Tools
Visualization tools present administrators with data on applications traversing the network, who is using them, and the potential security impact.
Category average: 8.2
Who Buys & Uses WatchGuard Network Security
#2 most frequent
Germany
7.5%121 installations of 1,615
#3 most frequent
Canada
7.1%115 installations of 1,615
Pros
- Strong VPN capabilities for secure remote access (18% of reviewers)
- Effective network security features, preventing attacks and intrusions (32% of reviewers)
- Unified security platform enables centralized management, saving time and increasing efficiency (73% and 36% of reviewers respectively)
Cons
- User interface is perceived as not user-friendly and difficult to navigate (27% of reviewers)
- Documentation is sometimes lacking and would benefit from offline availability (18% of reviewers)
- Some users find the platform takes time to get used to and settings are hard to find (14% of reviewers)
WatchGuard Network Security at a Small Business
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
We use this as our onsite firewall and for local network management as well as VPN for offsite employees.
Pros
- Network setup and VLAN management.
- Easy integration with other network equipment.
- All the security features we need for access control and defense.
Cons
- Better integration with VoIP services, such as templates for policies handling traffic for Bria or Asterisk endponts and servers.
- Get webblocker to work without breaking secure websites.
- Lower cost on endpoint agents for antivirus and include application control and webblocker with the agents.
- Make the cost per endpoint with TDR and Netowrk access control lower than the cost of Antivirus licensing that is not integrated.
- Make it easier to set up network access control and VLAN assignment by device, perhaps with templates.
- Get webblocker and application control working with QUIC.
Return on Investment
- This has saved money be preventing downtime from security issues.
- It is far less expensive than farming out to an MSP. Easily in the lower 25% of costs and has all major features needed.
Alternatives Considered
Fortinet FortiGate
Other Software Used
Bitdefender GravityZone, ManageEngine Endpoint Central, Microsoft Defender for Business
Comprehensive Perimeter Security for Small Businesses.
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
We use WatchGuard to provide perimeter security for our office network. Having a comprehensive advanced security solution in place allows us to have one place to manage our security and assist us in preventing/reducing spam, phishing, and Ransomware from entering our network. Our firewall is one of multiple layers that we trust to protect our organization and our data.
Pros
- Intrusion Protection.
- Monitoring of the traffic that is experienced on the specific interfaces (especially the WAN).
- Scheduling of upgrades of the firmware.
- Cloud Management of the Firewall.
Cons
- Integration with MSP Tools (HaloPESA).
- Integration into existing SIEM tools.
Return on Investment
- WatchGuard is a well-established company in the industry, and we are confident in its security solutions.
- This solution meets/exceeds our security objectives for CMMC and the DoD standards.
- I wish their cloud management were much stronger and provided more features similar to those of Meraki. If it did, we would exclusively sell these devices.
Alternatives Considered
Cisco Meraki Dashboard and Cisco Meraki MX
Other Software Used
ThreatLocker, Todyl
Great Products
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
I utilize the WatchGuard Network Security Firewall to secure the network that my Radiologists use to read studies. It is easy to use, setup, and track any issues. The firewall secures the network allowing us to stay HIPAA compliant. It also gives me peace of mind knowing that that is one less thing to be concerned about regularly.
Pros
- setup
- updates
- logging
- dashboard evaluation of traffic flow
Cons
- automatic updating at a specified time would be nice
- add a wizard to setup VPN tunnels this would add all relevant configurations as well
Return on Investment
- secured a separated business network
- reliable operation
- Neutral impact: This is a necessary component of doing work across the internet. I went with an option that was easy to use and wouldn't break the bank. I got a perfect product for my needs and great support to go along with it.
Best Firewall For MSPs
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
We needed a solution to help mitigate malicious URLs, have more oversight of software, and a much better solution for IPS. We have over 40 clients who have fireboxes that we manage. Each of our clients has a specific need. So we also needed something that would scale to the client's size, as well.
Pros
- WebBlocker does an excellent job at blocking known-bad domains, and then when we need to add specific domains, WatchGuard has made it simple.
- I love how easy and effective the setup and deployment of Site-to-Site VPNs and EKIv2 VPN are.
- We have never had an issue with the gateway AV. IT does a great job at protecting the networks.
Cons
- The log manager in WatchGuard Cloud is not great. I wish we could get logs for longer than 30 days without putting a ticket in.
- I would like to see other options for system logs. Some of our tools do not play well with WatchGuard cloud.
- I think the interface for locally managed fireboxes was way better than Cloud and would like to see more streamline functions. Such as to manage a firebox configuration you have to click 5 different times just to get to the config page.
Return on Investment
- Becoming a Gold member, the return is much better.
- We have been able to upsell clients due to them having few issues after an installation of the firewall and network gear. That is a testament to how easy it is to set up a Firebox.
Alternatives Considered
Sophos XG Firewall, Fortinet Secure SD-WAN and Fortinet FortiGate
Other Software Used
Blumira, Liongard, Huntress, CYRISMA
WatchGuard for SMB - A wise choice
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
We use WatchGuard Network Security for our SMB clients as part of our standard security baseline. With LAW 25 in Quebec, CIS and NIST frameworks, we need to show due diligence in protecting the network infrastructure. WatchGuard addresses network perimeter security and allows for VPN access for the end-users. It's easy to setup and easy for the clients to use.
Pros
- Intrusion Protection
- VPN
- IPS
Cons
- The interface could be simplified but once you get used to it, it's not too bad. We've seen worse.
- A free built in MFA solution for VPN would make this way better.
- Extra features get expensive fast.
Return on Investment
- Definitely a financial incentive to resell hardware. The margin is within an acceptable range for this type of product.
- Financial benefit at renewals, which are easy to do. Again, margin is acceptable.
- ROI is also in our reputation offering a 1st tier product, which can't be underestimated
Alternatives Considered
Sophos Firewall and Netgate TNSR
Other Software Used
Sophos Firewall, Blackpoint MDR, NinjaOne
