TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

VMware SD-WAN

Score8.5 out of 10

22 Reviews and Ratings

What is VMware SD-WAN?

VMware SD-WAN (formerly VeloCloud) aims to deliver high-performance, reliable branch access to cloud services, private data centers, and SaaS-based enterprise applications. VeloCloud was acquired by VMware in 2018.

Categories & Use Cases

VMware SD-WAN

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

VMware SD-WAN help connect remote sites where there aren't point to point circuits that are own by our company so we utilize internet links to build tunnels between these remote sites back to our headquarters. We know VMware SD-WAN can do split tunneling but for visibility purposes we tunnel everything back into our headquarters.

Pros

  • Connect Remote Sites back into our network
  • Provide encryption over these tunnels
  • Can remotely manage and upgrade these boxes

Cons

  • VMware SD-WAN could provide cli access for troubleshooting
  • VMware SD-WAN boxes could have more ports
  • VMware SD-WAN box could have more applications to provide more health and visibility of the traffic passing through

Return on Investment

  • User friendly
  • Quick upgrade speeds
  • Virtual option

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Palo Alto Networks Virtualized Next-Generation Firewalls - VM Series, Cisco Firepower 1000 Series and Netskope CASB

Other Software Used

Cisco Catalyst Center, Cisco ThousandEyes, ExtraHop Performance Platform

My VMware VCE Review and Experience

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use VMware SD-WAN at our multiple locations. The SD-WAN solutions provide us with multiple internet connections for bandwidth optimization. The VMware solution also offers a built-in firewall, which we utilize. We also utilize the traffic control feature which allows us to set QoS for our critical applications and routes. We enjoy the ability to monitor the connections, statistics, and usage at all of our locations via the cloud dashboard.

Pros

  • Easy Deployment
  • Simplified Management
  • Visibility of Network

Cons

  • Bandwidth Accuracy
  • Notification Alerts
  • Knowledge Articles

Return on Investment

  • Increased Uptime
  • Decreased IT Time in Troubleshooting Network Issue
  • Increased ISP Options

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Fortinet FortiGate

Other Software Used

Juniper EX Series Switches, Poly Voyager Series, Poly Blackwire Headsets

VeloCloud delivers on making SD WAN accessible

Pros

  • VeloCloud is excellent at automatically choosing the best internet connection based on speed and quality.
  • It provides a web based interface allows all our connections to be managed from anywhere in the world.
  • Because VMware has a strong history in networking and is a name I can trust, we are able to confidently invest in their technology.

Cons

  • The learning curve of deploying VeloCloud is steep, so unless you're a networking expert, the initial setup might be over your head.
  • I think they may be able to improve their web interface to provide a better user interface.
  • I've experienced a couple of interesting bugs which have required reboots to resolve.

Return on Investment

  • We are able to save thousands per month by eliminating MPLS from our monthly service.
  • We were able to convert the cost of VeloCloud to an operational expense by renting through our ISP.
  • We have been able to eliminate downtime in situations which would have normally taken our branches offline, preventing us from servicing customers.

Alternatives Considered

Citrix SD-WAN (formerly Netscaler SD-WAN)

Other Software Used

Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office 365

Great product

Pros

  • It's a plug and play SD-WAN.
  • Easy to manage.

Cons

  • Amount of tunnels that you can have.
  • WAN optimization.
  • Logistics.

Return on Investment

  • It improves IT performance.
  • It improves disaster recovery capabilities.

Alternatives Considered

Cisco SD-WAN, powered by Viptela and Silver Peak NX

Other Software Used

Cisco Meraki SD-WAN, Silver Peak NX, Cisco SD-WAN, powered by Viptela

VeloCloud SDWAN improved our network stability

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We utilize SDWAN to aggregate our 17 branch locations together to provide consistent and reliable connections for business applications.

This has provided an enhanced level of response with real time applications and allowed for seamless failover between the different connections deployed. VeloCloud's SDWAN allows for detailed real time information of aggregated links.

Pros

  • Displays real time link information and utilization statistics.
  • Allows for configuration and troubleshooting through the portal.
  • Intuitive graphical design displays easy to read statistics for QoE.

Cons

  • Some of the settings and configurations aren't as intuitive as desired.
  • The layout of the UI could be improved for better dashboard experience.
  • Ability to have more than one site/destination up at a time to compare traffic between links.

Most Important Features

  • Reliability
  • Stability
  • Ease of Use/Monitoring

Return on Investment

  • Inclusion of this product has led to our removal of old point to point and self managed wireless tower communication.
  • Switching to Velocloud SDWAN allowed us to remove distributed repository style framework and embrace a newer option.
  • Switching to SDWAN has already mitigated several instances of connections going down and the quick failover means there was no business interruption.

Alternatives Considered

Fortinet FortiGate

Other Software Used

VMware vCenter Server, VMware ESXi, Veeam Backup & Replication