Tag: buyers guide

Reviewing the Features and Specs of the New Sophos XG 86 and XG 106 Firewalls

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On April 12, 2019

buyers guide Sophos xg 106 xg 86 xg firewalls

Sophos XG 86 and XG 106

Spring is the season for the New, and Sophos has sprung forth with the XG 86 and XG 106 firewalls – the latest additions to the XG firewall family. These models replace the Sophos XG 85 and XG 105 appliances – providing new options in the desktop firewall market for small business and other small office networks. While the physical appearance, software offerings, and most technical specifications remain the same as their predecessors, the XG 86 and XG 106 come complete with 4 GB of RAM – double that of the previous iterations. And at 16 GB, the XG 86 also features two times the embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) storage of the XG 85.

Before we go further discussing these new firewall models, let’s back up and talk about the Sophos XG firewall family. XG firewalls are known for top notch visibility into both known & unknown threats. They see & stop malware, and ensure your network is secure – automatically. Top 3rd-party evaluators like Gartner, NSS Labs, and SC Media have found Sophos XG firewalls to be leaders of the network security pack. As part of a Synchronized Security Solution, Sophos XG firewalls can be managed with the Sophos Central cloud console, offering real-time communication with your endpoints and other security solutions around the clock through the Sophos Security Heartbeat. With that background, we turn our video spotlight to the new XG 86 and XG 106 firewalls in our latest feature review:

Sophos XG 86/86W Spec Snapshot

Here’s a quick snapshot of the technical specifications for this small business firewall:

Sophos XG 86

Max Firewall Throughput: 3 Gbps

NGFW Throughput: 310 Mbps

Available Interface Ports: 2xUSB; Micro USB; RJ45; 4xGbE Copper

Concurrent Connections: 3,200,000

New Connections/Second: 15,000

See the full Sophos XG Firewall Series Datasheet

Sophos XG 106/106W Spec Snapshot

Here’s a quick snapshot of the technical specifications for this small business firewall:

Sophos XG 106

Max Firewall Throughput: 3.5 Gbps

NGFW Throughput: 480 Mbps

Available Interface Ports: HDMI; 2xUSB; Micro USB; RJ45; SFP; 4xGbE Copper

Concurrent Connections: 3,200,000

New Connections/Second: 28,000

See the full Sophos XG Firewall Series Datasheet

More firewall feature reviews to see

If you’re still shopping around for the right firewall, we have more videos to compare your options. You’ll find feature reviews of the:

Sophos XG 125
SonicWall SOHO 250 and TZ 350
SonicWall SonicWall NSa 2650
Fortinet FortiGate 50E

Already watched all the videos? Not to worry, we’ve got plenty of additional resources to help you find the firewall that’s right for your network. Take a look through our firewall buyer’s guide series and peruse our convenient comparison tables.

Focused on Sophos?

To take a deeper dive into your Sophos network security options, read through our Sophos Buyer’s Guide. In it, you’ll find information about different Sophos firewall series, security bundles, services, & even a glossary of terms to help you navigate your Sophos NGFW shopping journey.

Get the SOPHOS Buyer’s Guide

Firewall Buyers Guides: Learn About Firewalls, Bundles, & More with our Most Helpful Firewall Guides of 2018

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On December 28, 2018

Firewall Buyers Guides: Learn About Firewalls, Bundles, & More with our Most Helpful Firewall Guides of 2018

buyers guide fortinet SonicWALL Sophos

Demand for convenient and comprehensive firewall buyers’ guides exploded over the past year. 2018 was witness to a whirlwind of advancements in next generation firewall defenses. Research teams at FortiGuard Labs, SonicWall’s Capture Labs, & SophosLabs pushed the envelope to hone the capabilities of artificial intelligence, behavioral-scanning, and machine learning in network security.

With product launches like the SonicWall NSa 2650 through NSa 6650 series, a revolutionary power-up to Intercept X Advanced (now with EDR), and the continued growth of the Fortinet Security Fabric, there’s a lot of acronyms, brand terms, and tech data to cover! That’s why in 2018, our Buyers Guides were a huge hit. They generating a ton of buzz and engagement from administrators, small business owners, and IT consultants alike.

Here’s a quick review of all of our firewall buyers’ guides from 2018! *Update: Our latest Ultimate Firewall Buyers Guides are now live. The buttons below will take you to the latest versions.* Arm yourself with the knowledge. Make your best network security investment.

2018 SonicWall Buyers Guide

Check out how SonicWall CGSS and SonicWall AGSS security bundles come with all the tools you need to secure your NSa series next generation firewall. An SMB or mid-range firewall with SonicWall TotalSecure transforms even small business networks into big-time security powerhouses. This guide includes everything you need to know about current SonicWall firewalls, including SonicWall configuration options.

2018 Sophos Buyers Guide

Covering everything from XG Firewalls, recommended user counts, TotalProtect bundles, to Synchronized Security operating through the super-intelligent Sophos Central security hub, our 2018 Sophos Buyers Guide can you teach you how to lockdown endpoints with real-time behavior scanning and integrate your whole network’s security infrastructure with Sophos Security Heartbeat. See how the XG 115, Intercept X, and Sophos Central are linking up to provide enterprise-grade security to small business networks.

Fortinet Buyers Guide

The Fortinet Buyers guide made its debut in October 2018, and it was packed to the brim with information about FortiGate firewalls that can help both Fortinet SMB and Fortinet enterprise customers when they’re looking to build, upgrade, or expand a secure network. FortiGate firewalls are powerful, smart, and best in class in terms of total cost of ownership. Pound for pound, FortiGate firewalls can stack up against any competitor and with reinforcements from FortiCare support contracts and FortiGuard security services, you’re never facing a fight alone. Go see how the Fortinet Security Fabric wraps up all the loose ends of network security.

Compare Fortinet Firewalls: How to Buy the Right FortiGate with 4 Easy Tools

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On November 29, 2018

Compare Fortinet Firewalls: How to Buy the Right FortiGate with 4 Easy Tools

buyers guide fortinet fortiwifi

The Fortinet firewall catalog can be a bit daunting to outsiders. With options like wireless FortiWifi appliances, ruggedized outdoor firewalls, and a slew of brand terms (What is FortiGuard?), it’s hard to find clear comparisons between the Fortinet series, models, and services available to end users. Below, you’ll find 4 tools that can help you compare Fortinet firewalls and make your wisest security investment.

2018 Fortinet Buyer’s Guide

Next Generation Firewalls are technically-dense subject matter and for those who haven’t dedicated their nights and weekends to memorizing the brand terms, bundle taxonomy, and hip manufacturer lingo, it can be a challenge to get started with new purchases. The Fortinet Buyer’s Guide is designed to demystify the marketing mumbo jumbo and arm firewall buyers with insightful info about their options. The Fortinet Buyer’s Guide covers:

How to Accurately Size a FortiGate for your Network Environment
Overviews of Security Services, Bundles, & Licensing Models
FortiGate Series Comparisons
Glossary of Fortinet Terms & Acronyms

Download the Fortinet Buyers Guide

NSS Labs Comparison Series

Interested in how a Fortinet FortiGate stacks up against its biggest competitors? Firewalls.com recently published a series of head-to-head comparisons based on the results of NSS Lab’s 2018 NextGen Firewall tests. These articles lay out contrasts between security effectiveness, throughput performance, total cost of ownership, and more to provide no-nonsense recommendations backed by lab-tested outcomes.

Fortinet vs Cisco

Fortinet vs Palo Alto

Fortinet Comparison Table

If crunching numbers is more your speed, then the classic tech-spec table is a faithful fallback. Indulge your inner data nerd with our “Compare Fortinet FortiGate Models” webpage and see how a FortiGate firewall performs under a variety of workloads. Whether you’re planning to roll your firewall out with a full Unified Threat Management deployment or just want to confirm how many wireless access points your next FortiGate can support, we’ve got the answers all laid out in a crisp, stripped-down data table.

Take Me To The Table

Talk to a Trusted Expert

All the tables, guided tools, sizing wizards, blog posts, and videos in the world don’t hold a candle to the informed recommendation of an expert you trust. Next generation firewalls are a highly focused niche subject best handled by a specialist. Top resellers are not only friendly and helpful, but knowledgeable! When evaluating whether a firewall vendor is worth the webpage they’re not printed on, look for signals such as genuine & descriptive reviews, product knowledge certifications, a comprehensive offering of related services, and at least some level of specialization. Much like a gaudy family restaurant with a 15-page menu, eCommerce sites that seem to sell anything and everything under the sun are likely aiming to win a numbers game rather than dedicate themselves to truly understanding their products. If you want to properly compare Fortinet firewalls, hop on a phone call with a vendor you trust!

Give Firewalls.com a call at 866-957-2975 to see for yourself why 5-star reviews, repeat customers, and industry recommendations keep pouring in. Whether you’re a VLAN veteran looking to tackle a complex deployment or a network novice trying to get your bearings, our Fortinet-certified team has the answers needed to compare Fortinet firewalls and choose the perfect FortiGate for your goals.

Want to save a little money on your next Fortinet firewall?

Check out the Firewalls.com Partner Program to learn about discounted pricing.

2018 Fortinet Buyer’s Guide

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On September 27, 2018

buyers guide fortigate fortinet fortirugged fortiwifi

Fortinet, Defined

FortiGate? FortiWifi? FortiRugged? FortiFabric? What feels like forty-million options offered by the Fortinet product catalog can be a turn-off for small business owners looking to make the wisest investment in their cybersecurity. Unfortunately, this deters many organizations from getting their hands on one of the greatest product lines in the security industry. Fortinet consistently rocks benchmark tests, with their super smart FortiGate series of next gen firewalls winning massive praise from the likes of Gartner and NSS Labs. Don’t miss out on great security solutions; download our Fortinet Buyer’s Guide!

Here’s a FortiFact: In 2018, Fortinet reported LOWEST total cost of ownership among 10 brands tested by NSS Labs. (Just $2 per secured Mbps—compare to Check Point’s whopping $57 per Mbps)

Marked as a Leader in Gartner’s 2017 Magic Quadrant for Next Gen Firewalls, Fortinet has been making waves with their E-Series firewalls featuring dedicated security content processors, their FortiRugged outdoor appliances, and FortiWifi devices with built-in wireless access points. So how can a consumer with little to no Fortinet knowledge conquer this big, bad maze of killer options?

Another FortiFact: The FortiGate NGFW blocked 100% of the evasions that testers at NSS Labs threw at it.

Meet the Firewalls.com Fortinet Buyer’s Guide

In the pages of our short PDF Fortinet buyer’s guide, you’ll find helpful tables and definitions that demystify the catalog and examine the golden threads Fortinet spun into their FortiFabric.

More FortiFacts: FortiFabric is an end-to-end suite of security appliances, services, and licenses. Together, Fortinet’s integrated services outperform piece-by-piece security patchworks deployed by many organizations…

What Does the Fortinet Buyer’s Guide Include?

Recommended Users Counts

Glossary of Fortinet Terms

Service Definitions

Product Series Overviews

Follow-up Info on Buying Options

Third-Party Testing Reports

Get Your Copy of the Fortinet Buyer’s Guide!