Great for SMBs
We are an SMB and have been using WatchGuard products across Canada to secure our headquarters, branch offices, and remote workers. …
Overview
What is WatchGuard Network Security?
WatchGuard Network Security is a network security and firewall software. WatchGuard includes secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, and network intelligence products and services designed for SMB’s.
Recent Reviews
How WatchGuard Network Security Differs From Its Competitors
Awards
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Popular Features
- Policy-based Controls (415)8.787%
- Firewall Management Console (409)8.787%
- Content Inspection (402)8.686%
- Reporting and Logging (406)8.080%
Reviewer Pros & Cons
Pricing
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Basic Security
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On Premise
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Total Security
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Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.watchguard.com/wgrd…
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Product Demos
Tutorial: Get Started with a WatchGuard Firebox
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Product Details
- About
- Competitors
- Tech Details
- Downloadables
- FAQs
What is WatchGuard Network Security?
WatchGuard Network Security is a network security and firewall software. WatchGuard's advanced network security platform offers IT security professionals enterprise-grade security and threat visibility tools suitable for all organization. In addition to network security, WatchGuard includes secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, and network intelligence products and services.
WatchGuard Network Security Features
Firewall Features
- Supported: Identification Technologies
- Supported: Visualization Tools
- Supported: Content Inspection
- Supported: Policy-based Controls
- Supported: Active Directory and LDAP
- Supported: Firewall Management Console
- Supported: Reporting and Logging
- Supported: VPN
- Supported: High Availability
- Supported: Stateful Inspection
- Supported: Proxy Server
WatchGuard Network Security Screenshots
WatchGuard Network Security Video
WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard Network Security Competitors
WatchGuard Network Security Technical Details
| Deployment Types | On-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Windows, Linux, Mac |
| Mobile Application | No |
| Supported Countries | Global |
| Supported Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese |
WatchGuard Network Security Downloadables
- WatchGuard M270 & M370 Datasheet: UTM performance, ideal for small and midsize organizations with up to 150 users looking for a rack-mounted solution.
- WatchGuard M270 & M370 Datasheet: UTM performance, ideal for small and midsize organizations with up to 150 users looking for a rack-mounted solution.
- WatchGuard Network Security Case Study
- WatchGuard Corporate Brochure
- WatchGuard Total Security Suite Brochure
- WatchGuard M4800 & M5800 Datasheet: Typically deployed at the corporate headquarters, these appliances serve as the “hub” appliance, responsible for managing and securing all communications between the head office and all remote employee and small business sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
WatchGuard Network Security is a network security and firewall software. WatchGuard includes secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, and network intelligence products and services designed for SMB’s.
Fortinet FortiGate, Sophos SG Firewall Appliances, and Cisco Meraki MX are common alternatives for WatchGuard Network Security.
Reviewers rate Stateful Inspection highest, with a score of 9.1.
The most common users of WatchGuard Network Security are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
Comparisons
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Reviews and Ratings
(793)Attribute Ratings
Reviews
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March 01, 2023
Fantastic UTM Firewall Solution
We use it as a stateful firewall, as well as pretty much all of the extra security services such as Gateway AV, intelligent AV, APT Blocker, WebBlocker, SpamBlocker etc. This helps to protect our network from many different attack vectors, as well as filtering out unnecessary (spam) and inappropriate (web) content
- Granular firewall policy
- All security services provided from the Firebox and not requiring extra servers etc
- Excellent training
- No SIEM option
- No ZTNA functionality, just traditional VPN
- Support mostly US based, so often reply out of hours from a UK perspective
February 28, 2023
Watchguard - The Way to GO!
We use it for all incoming email and communications coming into our building(s). We rely on it to alert us to fraudulent actors<br>
- Keeps each of our locations safe
- Provides a VPN network for our outside work force
- Keeping control over who can access our network from the outside world
- SO many features that it is hard to be familiar with all of them
- Big learning curve to learn all of its features
February 28, 2023
Use a no-hassle security device
WatchGuard is in use across the whole organization which spans 6 different countries creating a wide area network using Branch Office VPNs. We use various security modules like Anti-spam, Web Filtering, IPS security, Botnet detection, etc. We have remote workers and the easy of use of VPNs let them execute their work without problem. Also, we have an external DataCenter and access it with BOVPNs, the connection was very easy to set up.
- Use of web categories.
- Easy rule creation.
- Live logs.
- Custom protocol definition.
- Geolocation allow/block access.
- Application control.
- Quarantine server needs improvement, old design.
- Dimension reports needs more filtering and selection options.
- Dimension needs to show actual data, some reports lacks real data.
- Policy Manager needs to improve its front-end.
- Options in Policy Manager seem outdated.
- Better integration with Active Directory, sometimes fails to authenticate users correctly.
February 27, 2023
WatchGuard Network Security in the Real World
We use the WatchGuard Network Security to provide us a secure and stable environment for our network. Prior to my starting at the company, they did not have any firewall or network security running. I shopped and compared various vendors and settled on WatchGuard for price and for their reputation. Implementation was straight forward
- Intrusion Prevention and Detection
- BotNets are detected and can be easily blocked
- Gateway antivirus that updates throughout the day
- Web Blocking of sites to prevent malicious or immoral websites
- VPN
- Technical Support
- Generating policies can be very confusing
- The traffic monitor is extremely busy and they could do a better job in explaining how to sort and what to sort on
February 24, 2023
Watchguard may be the best
We use the all watchguard umbrella, Endpoint , Firewall , Authpoint , TDR , watchguard offer really good Security quality with simplicity , the only thing is behind of their competitors is in the mobile VPN througput in the T series , for example , using a meraky M60 you will have really good throughput when your a tunneling your VPN traffic, really important for mobile users.
- Content filtering
- Watchguard Cloud
- Hardware Performance
- Policy manager
- Mobile VPN
- Firewall Cloud management
- Customer Service
February 24, 2023
Right fit for any organisation
We are an MSP, and deploy WatchGuard devices to a large number of clients
- Easy to use interface
- Centralised management of multiple devices
- Multi-layered security protection
- Reporting could be improved, difficult to provide executive level reports to management
February 22, 2023
WatchGuard Security, it's red for a reason (fast, powerful, easy)
I personally use WatchGuard firewalls at my office. As a leading UTM appliance it allows us to be compliant, have logging (via Dimensions), proxy filtering, etc... That said, we use WatchGuard because it is what we help our customers buy and use too.
- Easy to administer, via web or system manager (install app)
- Proxy and App filtering
- Multiple interfaces and VLANs
- VPNs
- Global objects that can be used across policies, etc...
- SNAT being accessible from the policy setup
- Custom Policy types more easily accessible
February 22, 2023
WathGuard Firebox
WatchGuard provides advanced security that is scalable, simple to use, and flexible. It fulfills the need we have of managing our security quickly while providing Best in Class protection. Combined with AuthPoint, WatchGuard aligns our posture so we can concentrate on other tasks. They offer skilled resources that can assist with any questions on setup or configuration.
- Zero-Day
- Best in Class
- Visibility
- NextGen
- AuthPoint
- SSO integration
- WebUI integration
- Cloud
February 21, 2023
WG In Review
The WatchGuard product line allows us and our clients to maintain a secure perimeter, network, and acess with ease of use by the end-users, and IT teams for management. The versatility of the Firebox licensing, cloud management and reporting, is a win-win for MSPs and internal IT teams alike. AuthPoint as a 2FA solution has been successful in small and medium sized businesses.
- Threat management from the outside in
- Cloud management and reporting
- Comprehensive policies for client customization
- Executive dashboards and reporting
- Cloud management continues to improve
- Interoperability between old platforms and new platforms
- Throughput capabilities
February 15, 2023
Great value, solid feature set, must be considered
We currently deploy and support WatchGuard Firebox appliances across a large number of our MSP clients. This includes both physical (on-prem) and virtual (Azure) appliances. Combined with the use of the Total Security suite it provides an end-to-end UTM service for our clients.
Centralised management of the devices allows our techs to easily manage multiple sites and customers through a single portal.
Centralised management of the devices allows our techs to easily manage multiple sites and customers through a single portal.
- Ease of use and multi-site or multi-client management
- Single pane of glass support
- Multi-layer protection
- More out of the box reports
- General reporting improvements
- Ability to create firewall rules by MAC addresses
February 15, 2023
We trust this product to do exactly as promised, every time
We implement a host of scalable WatchGuard Security options both in-house and for our customer base. Their firewalls and threat management work beautifully and can be tailored to many different environments. Additionally, they have amazing technical support and training resources - both online and in person.
- threat management
- network usage monitoring and statistics
- automated quarantine
- notifications
- I wish there were more options that had links embedded in them to move to related areas in admin
- some features are located in areas that aren't intuitive
- not all feature sets available in the management software are available through the web interface
February 02, 2023
WatchGuard Security Review
We use WatchGuard Network Security to secure all clients networks. We utilize the firewalls to restrict DNS access, block ports and implement additional security measures such as content filtering, Gateway antivirus, Intrusion Prevention, spam blocker. If additional security is needed we upgrade our clients to the Total Security Suite for added protection.
- SSL VPN is always reliable
- Firewall policies are easy to configure
- Basic Security Suite adds useful features
- Bridging interfaces is a bit complicated
- Wireless models require more expensive licenses
- DNS Watch and Intelligent AV are only available on Total Security Suite packages
February 02, 2023
Simple quick firewalls
WatchGuard has been a great vendor to work with. Their products and support have always been great. I have worked with a few other vendors and their products and support are not nearly as simple to use. I would definitely recommend WatchGuard especially for firewalls.
- Knowledgeable support
- Logical interface layout
- Simple backup and update process
- Simplify transfer of ownership process
- Built in ad blocking on firewalls
- More dynamic DNS options
December 18, 2022
Don't hesitate to trust your security, buy a WatchGuard product!
We use it as our Firewall to the outside world and also use it to give out the IP addresses to our local network. We also use it to protect our server as well as our local network, including our video camera system that is hooked up in real-time to the internet.
- Dishes out local IP addresses.
- Blocks Ip addresses.
- Shows in real time what is actually going on via the WatchGuard cloud.
- We do have wifi that is not covered by the WatchGuard network.
- Easier way to unblock certain blocked websites that we need to get to.
- Easier VPN tunnel.
December 04, 2022
This Product Really Powered Up Our Security and Connections
We have implemented Border Firewalls, multifactor authentication, Secure Wifi, and Endpoint security. It solves all our problems with security in our network. It provides outstanding solutions and resolves really complex problems at the endpoint and accesses important data from outside the company. It helped our company to maintain full productivity while homeworking.
- Full data inspection in layer 7. helping maintain excelent security.
- Great and easy to use multifactor authentication.
- Great End Point Protection and ease of use.
- Secure Wifi is a solution always needed but always neglected by the user. WatchGuard Network Security provides Solid protection against misuse of WiFi and attacks.
- I will try to expand the Access Portal capabilities.
November 21, 2022
Great features, scalable, cost effective solution.
We have ran Watchguard firewalls in our business for years and when paired with the Total Security solution have found them to offer a very cost effective, user friendly and powerful tool that forms the backbone of our network security.
- packet filtering and inspection
- reporting and visibility
- Malware protection
- mfa/user authentication
- Web Blocker can be difficult to administer and troubleshoot, can cause parts of websites to not function if not configured correctly. eg forms, pop-ups, redirects etc.
- The documentation could be more user friendly, it is sometimes difficult to find certain information and the manuals can send you around in circles sometimes.
October 31, 2022
Watchguard Firewall are the best
WatchGuard Network Security is a worldwide partner that help to secure all the business.allows you to connect remote offices and vpn clients in seconds
- VPN
- Guest Portal
- Weblocker and Security
- Wifi management
- Wifi antenna reboot every little change
- if you don't pay for a cloud management for the antennas, you have an expensive paperweight
October 27, 2022
WatchGuard, watches out for you.
We use WatchGuard Network Security/devices at both our main and regional offices as a Firewall, Site to site, and use VPN services. These are the first physical lines of defense at our network perimeter, and Watchguard Network Security is at the heart of it.
- IPS
- Monitoring
- Filtering
- GUI needs modernisation and better, cleaner layout.
- Dashboard needs an overhaul compared to other products on the market.
October 24, 2022
Excellent value for money with high level technical support
the hardware applicance was installed to our customer to improve the network security posture
- good security engine
- good ratio quality/price
- great technical support
- bandwidth optimization & qos
We use WatchGuard as our firewall/router for our main office. WatchGuard helps us block out the bad, balance our network, and monitor usage. It has received regular updates which we need. It has been easy to keep up to date and pretty easy to manage. Our device is 4 years old and the newer ones are even easier to work with.
- Easy setup
- Reliable
- Good tech support
- Cloud setup should be easier to transition
- Cloud setup initally would have been nice
- Make some settings a little easier to navigate
October 19, 2022
Overall deployment
WatchGuard Network Security is being used in my entire network: 2 datacenters and 10 ROBO. Each site has a cluster and all traffic is forwarded by SDWAN to the Headquarter.
- High performance.
- SD-WAN at low cost.
- Enterprise class firewall.
- L7 Firewall.
- Firecluster Monitor.
- Web interface + software.
October 12, 2022
WatchGuard WORKS for small business
We use WatchGuard Network Security to keep our interface to the internet safe. We had problems with hacking/intrusion, constant port scans, email viruses, and ransomware. The downtime for repair was 1 to 3 days per incident, and the IT and productivity losses were costly and added strain to the work environment. Since implementing the T40 and the security package, we have had LESS than ONE incident per year. We protect about 20 servers, computers, and laptops. Geo-filtering really cuts down the issues from places we do not do business with. I am very pleased with the results we get for the money.
- Geo filtering
- packet inspection
- real-time packet monitoring
- firmware updates
- initial setup complexity
October 04, 2022
Best value by far for SME
In our organization, the WatchGuard firewall mostly serves as the main support in providing the service of hybrid work and the central protection point of our internal system. With its excellent Client VPN performance, it allows us much-needed flexibility in our work. Also, WatchGuard is where most of the control mechanisms and risk mitigation of digital business come from.
- enabling the hybrid work
- System protection
- Network monitoring
- Offline configuration
- web user interface
- firewall policy configuration
The use we make of WatchGuard is mainly as a perimeter defense in clients, partners and in our offices, it is a transparent service for the user who carries out his work efficiently, since we use it we have not had problems with cyber attacks or anything related, as soon as to its use as a vpn, it is the best I have used, its vpn system over ssl does not give problems with the internet connections of the employees, it always works.
- Cibersecurity
- Perimetral defense
- VPN
- detection and blocking of intruders in lan and wifi
- on UTM 2-factor authentication is complicated to implement
- has no integration with the defense of endpoint on UTM
- renewal of services is expensive
- device lifetime is short
We use WatchGuard as our primary firewall and utilize WatchGuard's Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) company-wide to secure our internal applications. We are also a Managed Service Provider and resell all of WatchGuard's products to our customers all over the country. WatchGuard uses Best-in-Breed vendors to provide top-tier services across their product line.
- Next-Gen Firewall Services
- Multi-Factor Authentication
- Hardware Firewall Appliances
- Wireless Access Points could use improvement
- GUI could be updated