F5 BIG-IP software from Seattle-based F5 Networks is a load balancing and application protection solution suite available on cloud or via virtual editions, on a subscription or perpetual licensing basis.
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Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Score 8.4 out of 10
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GlobalProtect™
delivers the protection of next-generation security platform to the mobile
workforce in order to stop targeted cyberattacks, evasive application
traffic, phishing, malicious websites, command-and-control traffic, and known
and unknown threats.
Previously we were using Microsoft Network Load Balancing. In comparison to f5 BIG-IP, it was very limited and basic. It was also substantially less secure. One limitation was it only supported Windows Server, while BIG-IP supports any devices you want. Also, BIG-IP includes …
Definitely in larger environments, more mature organizations that obviously have the budget to spend and want best in class. Where it struggles is those organizations that don't have the funding and money to spend on it and need more basic functionality. So I'd say that's smaller customers we've worked with and kind of mid-market. They tend to get scared when they get the quotes. Also we've had some struggles with account team consistency. So for the sales team, just a lot of turnover and a lot of missteps on customer calls.
I still think Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access is the best SASE/SSE product out there. It just has such good granular controls and up to date security definitions that you can feel absolutely secure in your purchase. GlobalProtect was a lifesaver for me when COVID hit so yes I had to work my butt off to get it up and running quickly and as secure as I possibly could but it worked amazing and had excellent performance after we got it running and tied to MFA, certificates and security policies.
I mean from a basic level, it actually satisfies all the use cases we have, which is basically to have multiple web servers for the front end and then you want that to be equally split across. The traffic comes in from all over the world. We use DRA protection and everything, but then we also internally want to make sure all the servers are being utilized and we provide much more availability across all servers. We just make sure BIG-IP sits in between and handles the traffic accordingly. And it's pretty basic and it comes to drawing traffic. It's pretty easy to configure and set it up and then forget.
Recently we have been deploying F5 web application firewall and we have started the deployment. We have already moved applications out there, but we are not yet to the point wherein I could comment any positive feedback or any negative feedback because we are still going through it, right. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't see any drawbacks or any shortcomings on the F5 product lineup.
It's not difficult to understand the parts of application configurations and features. Setting up new virtual servers with multiple profiles, certificates, and nodes is easy for new users through the web interface, which also translates to programability in scripts, DevOps, or other configuration management use-cases. Users from different backgrounds such as networking and infrastructure can use F5 BIG-IP, while users who are familiar with API calls can easily configure objects without needing to understand the platform at all.
I still say that Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access is the best. I love their GUI, their policies are easy to manage, the sales team is VERY helpful (especially when support is not). I still recommend them to everyone I talk to.
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.
That's the one thing that really stood out. It was a lot easier to use from an administrator standpoint, so I think that's the one thing that really made our team decide to go with this product versus another competitor. Just ease of use.
The McAfee product really isn’t a great option. The configuration is a nightmare and requires a lot of time. The policy management has a high learning curve.
