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Untangle NG Firewall

Untangle NG Firewall

Overview

What is Untangle NG Firewall?

Untangle NG Firewall is an open-source firewall and gateway security platform. It offers a free core firewall platform with paid add-ons, and a cloud-based management platform with a variety of deployment options for smaller teams.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Untangle NG Firewall has become a go-to solution for organizations seeking improved internet performance, filtering capabilities, and …
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Excellent SMB Firewall

9 out of 10
January 13, 2023
Incentivized
Untangle NG Firewall serves many purposes for our clients including comprehensive firewall, easy to configure VPN, fast routing, and …
Continue reading

Honest opinion

9 out of 10
July 19, 2021
Currently used for both hosted and on prem services. This covers multiple services within our company such as VPNs, Access controls, Proxy …
Continue reading
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Popular Features

View all 11 features
  • Content Inspection (6)
    8.0
    80%
  • Policy-based Controls (6)
    8.0
    80%
  • Identification Technologies (6)
    8.0
    80%
  • Visualization Tools (6)
    7.0
    70%
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Pricing

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Open Source Firewall

$0.00

Cloud
free under the GNU General Public License (GPL)

NG Firewall Complete

$25.00

Cloud
per month

z4 appliance

$299

On Premise
one-time purchase

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.untangle.com/cart

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Starting price (does not include set up fee)

  • $25 per month
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Features

Firewall

A firewall is a filter that stands between a computer or computer network and the Internet. Each firewall can be programmed to keep specific traffic in or out

8.2
Avg 8.5
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Product Details

What is Untangle NG Firewall?

Untangle NG Firewall is an open-source firewall and gateway security platform. It features a free firewall platform with paid add-ons for customizable functionality. These features, many of which have a free version, include intrusion protection, virus blocker, app control, SSL inspection, bandwidth control, reporting, and VPN (including OpenVPN). Untangle also provides a cloud-based management console for remote management. It can be deployed on-premises or as SaaS, and virtualized or cloud-based. The vendor claims the platform is designed for small IT teams with limited budgets.

Untangle NG Firewall Video

Untangle NG Firewall Demo

Untangle NG Firewall Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsNA
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Untangle NG Firewall is an open-source firewall and gateway security platform. It offers a free core firewall platform with paid add-ons, and a cloud-based management platform with a variety of deployment options for smaller teams.

Untangle NG Firewall starts at $25.

Reviewers rate Active Directory and LDAP and Firewall Management Console and VPN highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of Untangle NG Firewall are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(19)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Untangle NG Firewall has become a go-to solution for organizations seeking improved internet performance, filtering capabilities, and enhanced security. Users appreciate its versatility in various use cases. For educational institutions, the software ensures compliance with regulations such as CIPA, providing reliable internet access management for students. Managed Service Providers also gravitate towards Untangle NG Firewall due to its strong partner program, making it a preferred choice for comprehensive firewall solutions.

Flexibility is a standout feature of Untangle NG Firewall, as it is built on Debian and offers extensive customization options. This allows users to tailor the software to meet their specific needs. Web filtration, antivirus protection, intrusion detection, and ad blocking are common use cases that reduce malware infections and bolster employee productivity. Organizations spanning multiple locations benefit from deploying Untangle NG Firewall in their main facilities, offsite clinics, and private clinics to ensure comprehensive network protection.

Additionally, the integration with Active Directory and user group-based policies makes Untangle NG Firewall suitable for enterprises, homes, and schools that require robust internet filtering. The introduction of SD-WAN functionality simplifies the connection process for remote offices, making it an invaluable tool for businesses operating across multiple locations. For companies transitioning to remote work setups, Untangle NG Firewall played a crucial role in securing connections to internal services while protecting end devices.

Users consistently praise the support and awareness training provided by Untangle, ensuring that they have the necessary knowledge to maximize the product's capabilities. Notably, Untangle NG Firewall is lauded for its ease of use and intuitive interface that caters to users familiar with firewall and router systems. The software remains up-to-date with regular updates to provide the latest security measures and new features, maximizing user protection.

Overall, Untangle NG Firewall's diverse range of applications including firewall management, web filtering, VPN connectivity, and achieving regulatory compliance positions it as a versatile solution for businesses and clients seeking robust network security with limited access to necessary traffic.

Comprehensive and Effective Multi-Layer Security: Users have praised Untangle NG Firewall for its multi-layer security approach, including features like Web Filter, Virus Scanner, Bandwidth Control, Application Control, SSL Inspection, IDS IPS, and Threat Prevention. Many users have found this comprehensive suite of security features to be effective in protecting their network from various threats.

Detailed Logs and Reporting: Reviewers have appreciated the detailed and extensive logs and reporting provided by Untangle NG Firewall. While some beginners may find it overwhelming at first, many users have mentioned that once they became familiar with the system, the reporting feature has proven invaluable in identifying potential security issues. The rich and detailed reports not only provide insights into network activity but also help in addressing any problems that may arise.

Strong Support and Community Forums: Users have expressed satisfaction with the support provided by Untangle. Many reviewers have specifically mentioned the helpfulness of the support team as well as the strength of the community forums. This robust support system ensures that users can get assistance whenever they need it, enhancing their overall experience with Untangle NG Firewall.

Cons:

  1. Limited scalability: Several users have experienced issues with the scalability of Untangle NG Firewall, finding it difficult to handle large amounts of traffic or a growing number of devices.
  2. Steep learning curve: Many reviewers have mentioned that there is a significant learning curve associated with using Untangle NG Firewall, making it challenging for new users to understand and configure the software effectively.
  3. Occasional performance issues: Some users have reported occasional performance issues with Untangle NG Firewall, including slow response times and delays in processing requests.

While some users felt that the software provided limited scalability, others highlighted the steep learning curve associated with Untangle NG Firewall. Additionally, a few reviewers mentioned occasional performance issues they encountered while using the software.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-9 of 9)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
January 13, 2023

Excellent SMB Firewall

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
Untangle NG Firewall serves many purposes for our clients including comprehensive firewall, easy to configure VPN, fast routing, and internet filtering.
  • Secure firewall
  • Easy to use VPN (with OpenVPN)
  • Active directory connector with 2fa for VPN is very easy to implement
  • Fairly intuitive internet filter
  • Great support
  • Only issue is that the device limits are anemic. Far too low for most SMBs in an iot era.
SMBs looking to implement a well-supported firewall / vpn appliance with the capacity for internet filtering would do well to consider Untangle's NG Firewall. We have successfully implemented Untangle NG Firewall in medical practices, law firms, manufacturing plants, accounting firms, and more. The support is generally very good and the partner plan is fair.
Bryce Holland | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
LCA uses Untangle as its primary router, firewall, and filter. It serves the entire organization. Since it is the primary edge security device, it solves the filtering and security issues that existed before its implementation, as well as improves the overall performance of the Internet connection. Untangle is the primary reason why LCA's Internet access is CIPA compliant for the students.
  • Multiple security apps (Web Filter, Virus Scanner, Bandwidth Control, Application Control, SSL Inspection, IDS/IPS, Threat Prevention, etc) all work together to provide a multi-layer security approach.
  • The logs and reporting are detailed and extensive. That can sometimes be overwhelming, but also invaluable once you know how to use them.
  • Untangle is much, much more than "just" a web filter. The academic discount is completely worth what is provided.
  • Of course, Untangle support is very good. Their community forums are also very strong.
  • These areas of improvement have already been submitted to Untangle for review. One of them is the ability to filter by user groups the login access used by the Captive Portal app.
  • This is always under improvement, but working on the reports to help them to not be as overwhelming to new users. Also the ability to have a dedicated reporting "dashboard" for specific users, especially if parents request that information. It can be done, but it isn't that easy to set up.
  • Finally, due to recent academic developments, the ability to expand an existing Untangle appliance to the cloud for cloud-based filtering would be amazing for schools. That is easy to say, but obviously more difficult to achieve.
Untangle is very strong in the "traditional" sense of security. That means an edge appliance that either works with an existing router or is the router itself (recommended). This approach has also been adapted well to cloud environments in order to protect virtual servers and VDI workstations.

As mentioned earlier, many schools are using cloud-based filtering for their 1:1 solutions for their students. This is an area where Untangle is unable to serve. Some have used an instance of Untangle in the cloud with VPN to serve their remote needs, but it is not the same as solutions that are designed for cloud-based filtering of devices without VPN.
July 19, 2021

Honest opinion

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Currently used for both hosted and on prem services. This covers multiple services within our company such as VPNs, Access controls, Proxy server, Webfilters, Virus controls.
With the the world knowing the amazing year that was 2020, this brought big changes to us as a company. With all staff going to remote working we needed to secure connection to internal services that were not available outside of the office but also protect all end devices that staff would be using working from home. Without Untangle this would have been a much harder project to have completed in a short amount of time.
The support and awareness training supplied by untangle was at a top level.
  • VPNs.
  • Access Control.
  • Location Control.
  • Web Filter.
  • Proxy.
  • Threat Prevention.
  • Firewall.
  • Application Control.
  • Reporting.
  • Active Directory/LDAP connections.
  • Intrusion Prevention.
  • Ease of use.
  • Documentation.
  • More access to logs via Web UI.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Untangle is a modern firewall/router platform that you can buy their hardware or use your own. I purchased a used Dell R720 server to run this on and use it as our main firewall. We also purchased a few other modules that we needed for our organization. It is very easy and intuitive for anyone that has worked with other firewall and routers. It helps protect use while on the internet and provides VPN access to other locations. It has proven itself over and over since I first started using it about 10 years ago. They constantly update it to provide up-to-date security and new features. I have used this for home and office use. It does have a large following for school applications and if anything is good for schools it's great for businesses.
  • Easy to understand with its graphical interface.
  • Runs on Linux so it's durable and safe.
  • Supports major VPN's and is compatible with Cisco.
  • Protecting kids while on internet with modules it has that some cost.
  • Can run on many types of hardware from servers to some home firewall units.
  • The full suite can be expensive for business but will be powerful enough.
  • The full suite for home or small office isn't that bad of a price but may be out of reach for most home users but remember the basics are FREE so anyone can get started with it.
  • I would like to see it promoted for mid to large businesses as I think it can handle it.
Midsized business is where I have used it. Have used it to connect to other Untangle boxes across town and in other countries with NO issues and works with MS Domains across these VPN connections. Probably less appropriate for small home networks or large businesses.
January 10, 2020

Awesome Firewall

Matthew Ingram | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
We are an MSP, so we are a huge target. I started looking hard at our security. I was trying to decide on a firewall that we could use for ourselves as well as our clients. Untangle NG Firewall has a great partner program. These firewalls are fantastic. The reporting is fascinating. I feel so secure since installing Untangle NG Firewall on our network. The software is built on Debian, so it is incredibly flexible.
  • Security
  • Reporting
  • Support documents a little vague.
  • Interface can be confusing.
Untangle NG Firewall is excellent in just about any business. It doesn't matter if you have three workstations or 1000, it will work well. Of course, you need the hardware power. I'm not sure where it would not work. Maybe if you only have 1 or 2 workstations.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Untangle NG firewall is being used as a firewall, as a web filter, as a VPN and most importantly as a way to achieve PCI compliance and as a way to keep the internal network as safe as possible by limiting access in any direction to just what is needed and by checking all traffic.
  • The firewall is easy to set up and manage.
  • The open VPN while not as feature rich as some other options is rock solid and consistently needs nothing
  • The web filter app is great, it's easy to block broad categories or specific things as well as white list whatever is needed.
  • Support is responsive and accurate.
  • The dashboard could be a little more customizable.
  • I've run into situations where custom reports do not save correctly.
  • It's not always clear where certain configurations are located, but it's still easy to find them quickly.
I think for anyone that is concerned about security or connectivity Untangle has you covered from a home user protecting the family with a free product to a large organization using the full paid service NG Firewall is a very capable tool in the toolbox for anyone looking to keep the bad stuff out while still maintaining full functionality.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
I use Untangle mostly for homes, and schools and enterprises where internet filtering is required. Untangle does a fantastic job of integrating with AD and creating user/group based policies, traffic rate-limiting/squashing; permitting pertinent social media, but blocking things like Facebook games that add no value to a day to day business environment. The newly created integration of SD-WAN functionality makes connecting your remote offices a breeze (which I've done with a company that manages 10 different apartment complexes in 3 states).
  • Web Filtering is strong, and can also do application fingerprinting to allow Facebook, but not Facebook games. Secondly, a separate partition called a "rack" can be set up to give one subnet or group of users different web filtering policies than another. For example, teachers would get more freedom to browse the web than students at a school.
  • Built-in SD-WAN connectivity as part of your license. IPSEC tunnel creation is also amazingly easy.
  • Will install on any x86 hardware created in the last 5-10 years. Ram and processor requirements per user are very low.
  • Reporting is phenomenal, however you can get death by details very easily.
  • The UI could be a little flashier.
  • Getting your license file moved from one firewall to another can be tough at times... but support is great if you need it.
  • Ability to upload reports to a portal versus getting them emailed would be best (some reports can get 100+ Mb depending on all the bells and whistles).
Places where it's well suited:
  • Churches/schools/small to medium businesses
  • SD-WAN
  • Web filtering appliance
  • Captive portal for guest wifi
Ken Thomas | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Untangle NG Firewall at our main facility, our offsite clinic locations and I installed one for a private clinic. We use it mainly for web filtration but we also utilize the antivirus, intrusion detection, ad blocking etc. Untangle protects our whole organization. Untangle has almost completely stopped malware infections and prevents bandwidth from being wasted on non-business related activities. We have policies configured so that some users are directed through specific racks that are not as restrictive as the default rack. It just works and does not impact the business processes of the organization.
  • Web filtration works well and is very easy to manage. The interface is intuitive and makes dealing with end user issues quick and easy to resolve.
  • Bandwidth control is a nice feature that quickly lets you determine where the offending bandwidth consumer is.
  • The reporting feature is rich and the emailed reports help you determine any potential problems that may need to be addressed.
  • Probably the documentation, the online tutorials could be a little more up to date and clearer.
I think the Untangle NG Firewall is well suited for any environment even for home use. It's possible it may not be well suited for very large networks but I think they build appliances to accommodate several sizes of networks.
Gary Lamontagne | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Untangle NG Firewall to protect our network from viruses, spam, phishing, and advertisements. In addition to those features, we use it to prevent users from going to websites that they shouldn't be going to while at work. It is deployed for the whole organization and has helped reduce malware infections from our domain computers while improving employee productivity.
  • Filters websites by category.
  • Blocks and quarantines large amounts of spam.
  • The reporting module is very detailed.
  • Support team is very responsive.
  • The dashboard is a great feature.
  • A network inventory app would be helpful.
Untangle NG Firewall is well suited in most scenarios where you are looking for a piece of software that can perform many functions, such as web filtering, spam prevention, phishing prevention, application control, and IP Sec VPN. They offer different licensing options with the paid product. The free product comes with a handful of apps and does not include technical support.
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