Check Point Quantum Security Gateway vs BIG-IP

Likelihood to Recommend

Check Point Next Generation Firewall is a great solution for larger companies that have the ability to dedicate a large budget towards information security controls. In order to get the best return on investment, however, the company should have a highly functioning information security maturity level and the ability to invest in dedicated training so that all features are utilized effectively. The SmartEvent dashboards are able to provide ongoing data that can track this effectively.

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Verified User

Manager in Information Technology

Maritime Company, 1001-5000 employees

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As a load balancer for larger networks, in use with their security appliances this is a robust system. it is a load balancer as it's primary function, we were able to analyze traffic through the interface and stop some traffic which was undesirable. It gave a dashboard which helped with the traffic, the other connected devices throughput, so it can be some help with monitoring of your network trafic to help make decisions.

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Verified User

Manager in Information Technology

Hospital & Health Care Company, 51-200 employees

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Feature Rating Comparison

Check Point Quantum Security Gateway

BIG-IP

Identification Technologies

Visualization Tools

Content Inspection

Policy-based Controls

Active Directory and LDAP

Firewall Management Console

Reporting and Logging

VPN

High Availability

Stateful Inspection

Proxy Server

Pros

Logging -- Logs are clearly displayed with all information about the packet
Canned reports -- The reports "out of the box" are pretty nice and give you a lot of detail
Rule Configuration -- Defining (basic) rules is easy to do, and understandable

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Verified User

Analyst in Information Technology

Financial Services Company, 201-500 employees

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Easy connection: you can connect to your corporate network with two clicks.
IP restriction: F5 has a list of possible insecure IP numbers, if someone tries to connect using one of these numbers, F5 BIG-IP won't connect.
Always on feature: Very handy feature, if you install always on, you won't need to click connect.

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Verified User

Analyst in Information Technology

Information Technology and Services Company, 501-1000 employees

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Cons

Check Point has a complex range of reporting tools, some of which can take time to learn and be comfortable with.
The firewall is solid and needs to have someone with training to manage it which means any little mistake can bring down the network and have you on the phone with Check Point support.
They are pricey for some of the hardware and reporting tools.

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Ramesh Ramrattan

Systems Administrator

UA Brands (Uniform Advantage)Retail, 201-500 employees

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Pricing - Aside from there being other cheaper alternatives out there I can’t really think of anything negative to say, we migrated to them about 4 years ago and we’ve been very happy since. Even considering the price I’d say it’s worth it.

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Verified User

Professional in Information Technology

Information Technology and Services Company, 10,001+ employees

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Usability

No score

No answers yet

No answers on this topic

BIG-IP 9.0

Based on 1 answer

Great customization and easy to use help reference menus

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Alan Matson, CCNA:S, MCP

Senior Network Security Engineer

InsightInformation Technology and Services, 5001-10,000 employees

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Support Rating

Check Point Quantum Security Gateway 10.0

Based on 1 answer

Check Point has a variety of support options that can be used to optimize your investment in the product. Companies with a larger information security and certified checkpoint engineer employee base can benefit from a standard SLA, while companies with a smaller security engineering footprint or more critical implementations can opt for premium, elite or diamond packages that even include the ability to provide on-site engineers for major security incidents. Check Point PRO support also provides the ability to outsource maintenance concerns by automating case creation and follow up when application components fail.

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Verified User

Manager in Information Technology

Maritime Company, 1001-5000 employees

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BIG-IP 8.1

Based on 7 answers

On the occasions when we've had to engage f5 support, they have been great. They have always resolved our issues quickly and been easy to work with and professional. The reason I give them a 10 out of 10, however, is because when we've had issues that have crossed over between the f5 BIG-IP, our Cisco switches, and our Microsoft IIS server the f5 support representatives have been extremely knowledgeable about every product and device involved and have been able to troubleshoot end-to-end without having to engage other vendors.

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Paul Luchini

Network Engineer

Kentucky Administrative Office of the CourtsGovernment Administration, 1001-5000 employees

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Alternatives Considered

At the time when we were evaluating Fortinet, it was not a layer 7, while Check Point did offer this. It appears that since then they have created next-gen firewalls as well. The interface of Check Point is a little easier to use (although the interface tends to use a lot of bright pink colors)

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Verified User

Analyst in Information Technology

Financial Services Company, 201-500 employees

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I can't recall the name of the previous software we used for remote intranet access, but it was much less reliable. F5 BIG-IP is consistent and easy to use--the authentication process happens quickly and reliably via my cell phone's facial recognition feature which is convenient and secure. No need to carry a key fob or enter a verification code. The previous software required email codes be sent and entered to verify access.

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Verified User

Professional in Human Resources

Internet Company, 10,001+ employees

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Return on Investment

Although there are better alternatives out there, Check Point delivers results for the price we paid for the system.
Since implementation, we have not have any major issues with the product, minor issues were resolved in a timely fashion.
Check Point currently fulfills our need for an outside facing firewall, when our organization grows larger, we will be looking at higher level enterprise solutions.

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Ramesh Ramrattan

Systems Administrator

UA Brands (Uniform Advantage)Retail, 201-500 employees

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Load balancing is a requirement in most serious web environments, and this allows us to keep sites up and running in the event of partial server outages.
Keeping sites extra secured with the advanced security and routing features is a plus.

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Verified User

Technician in Information Technology

Entertainment Company, 51-200 employees

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Pricing Details

General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No

General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No

Rating Summary

Check Point Quantum Security Gateway

BIG-IP

Check Point Quantum Security Gateway

BIG-IP

Check Point Quantum Security Gateway

BIG-IP