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WatchGuard Network Security

WatchGuard Network Security

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.

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Recent Reviews

WatchGuard appliances

10 out of 10
April 15, 2024
Incentivized
These devices provide the first line of defense for all web traffic into and out of the offices I manage. Traffic is scanned for viruses, …
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Great Product

9 out of 10
April 13, 2024
Use several NGFW clustered in different countries, physical and virtual appliances as well. Same interface, with no learning curves. Used …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 11 features
  • Policy-based Controls (410)
    8.7
    87%
  • Firewall Management Console (404)
    8.6
    86%
  • Content Inspection (397)
    8.5
    85%
  • Reporting and Logging (401)
    8.1
    81%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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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

8.6
Avg 8.5
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Product Details

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

Screenshot of Subscription DashboardScreenshot of Subscriber Device SummaryScreenshot of Subscription DashboardScreenshot of Executive Dashboard

WatchGuard Network Security Videos

Watchguard Security
WatchGuard Network Security

WatchGuard Network Security Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported CountriesGlobal
Supported LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese

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 and Proxy Server highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of WatchGuard Network Security are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(785)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 426)
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April 15, 2024

Loving my WatchGuard

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
WatchGuard's Total Security Suite features intrusion prevention, spam blocking, and DNS filtering, offering me enhanced network visibility and the ability to act against threats directly from the web management page. it simplifies securing my network with VLANs and allows for easy cross VLAN secure traffic as well as blocking ALL un-authorized outgoing traffic
  • Geo Blocking allows me to use a VPN and only allow Geo Specific access.
  • IPS - gives me peace of mind that the baddies are not on my network.
  • with Traffic monitoring, I can easily troubleshoot connectivity issues.
  • I cannot think if anything that I could improve upon.
Today’s networks need to be secured by both a Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) and a Universal Threat Management (UTM) device, the WatchGuard is a perfect hybrid solution. I did a lot of research and found the WatchGuard was at or below the competitors price points for similar features. WatchGuard helps a business meet PIPEDA or GDPR requirements and protects them from the und user clicking the wrong thing.
April 15, 2024

WatchGuard appliances

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
These devices provide the first line of defense for all web traffic into and out of the offices I manage. Traffic is scanned for viruses, etc. Web sites are also blocked based on category granularly based on employee type.
  • Management
  • Warranty/Support
  • Subscriptions
  • Network throughput on smaller appliances
  • More rack mount options
It has worked well for all scenarios that I implement. Really there just needs to be better options without increasing price too much to support the faster internet speeds available now.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
We are an MSP and utilize WatchGuard firewalls at many of our client's locations.
  • Easy to setup and manage
  • IP/Content blocking
  • Remote monitoring
  • Cost
  • VPN setup was a little confusing at first
  • DNS Server limit
  • SSO
I have not come across a situation yet where WatchGuard was not a great solution. Most clients that have not implemented them have gone another direction because of cost... All have been nonprofit entities with limited funding.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We utilize these WatchGuard Network Security devices at each of our locations, with a redundant cluster at our primary location. The sites are connected using the branch office VPN system. Remote users have several VPN options. This has enabled us to provide vendors with limited network access and a VPN connection while providing our employees with full network access. We also implemented several of the security subscriptions including the Geolocation service which improved web-based attacks on our client computers.
  • They are quick to provide solutions to zero-day exploits.
  • They quickly replace warranted hardware.
  • Technical support will continue to provide good service, even when there is not a fast solution.
  • There have been occasions where a basic functionality such as having two DHCP servers was not supported and required a feature request to address the issue.
  • There are somewhat limited routing functions in the devices that we use.
  • The secondary units sold in a cluster cannot be repurposed as a stand-alone unit. This lowers the cost but limits any future uses.
For anyone looking for an entry to a mid-level firewall system, WatchGuard Network Security has some very well-suited devices. The availability and ease of use of the branch office VPN have been a boon to our business needs. Our stores connect as if connected to a Metro-E but with assured end-to-end encryption on a standard business internet connection.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Reseller
We use WatchGuard Network Security Fireboxes to secure the boundary of our networks. These provide good security for cost, and with the advanced firmware, the systems are always being updated with new software and features.
  • Firewall
  • Security
  • SSL VPN
  • the new WatchGuard Cloud environment needs improvement
  • The partner portal is quite complicated
  • Alerts for devices don't have custom options
We recommend WatchGuard products to all our clients to be used in their environments. We also suggest they have the WatchGuard Network Security firewall and the advanced firmware that offers additional services.
April 13, 2024

Great Product

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Use several NGFW clustered in different countries, physical and virtual appliances as well. Same interface, with no learning curves. Used at the perimeter, connected sites with branch office VPN, and for some, used as a VPN SSL for roaming users. They were bought with the total security suite which provides advanced defense-related features. Globally we use all (or near) the possibilities offered by those devices, and they work as expected.
  • Firewall rules with auto-ordering
  • Bandwidth consistency
  • Branch Office VPN
  • Centralized appliance (Dimension) at no cost is a great solution to consolidate reports from several appliances
  • No possibility to negate terms in rules such as "allow everything from x.x.x.x/yy except x.x.x.z"
  • Mixing rules of pure firewalling with those concerning VPN SSL ends up in something not pleasant and not easily readable, should have a dedicated tab for VPN SSL rules, as the one for IPSEC VPN rules
  • No proxy support for SFTP or FTPS (I know it's quite hard to achieve that)
  • The embedded rule for NTP has never been corrected to remove TCP for port 123
Works great and flawlessly in all different cases I'm confronted with. Even with the tiny appliance NV5, cloud-managed it's a no-time brainer. Never had an issue or had to search for documentation on how to accomplish something unusual, it just... work! The only downside I'm thinking of is the lack of a channel to be notified of updates, having to check from time to time on their website, and while security is concerned, the time gap between an update is available and the time I'm aware it exists is too long. Emailing or something shouldn't be too hard to implement.
Joe Cullen | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are an MSP that supports around 30 businesses with WatchGuard Network Security firewalls. In most cases, we do not support the internet line, so we use the firewall as the DHCP and UTM device. VPN is often a requirement for the business and it's not uncommon to route static NATs and other bespoke setups. A few of our customers also have WatchGuard Network Security Access points connected to the device for secure WiFi.
  • Blocks unknown traffic
  • Flexible policy setups
  • Bespoke requirements always accommodated
  • Reporting has gotten much better since the Cloud portal became available, however, it still feels limited
  • Monitoring can be very hard to filter and identify problems when lots of traffic is going through the Firebox - A better way to filter, search, and trace
Generally speaking, our customers have standard requirements and the WatchGuard Network Security Firebox is there to ensure they stay protected. We've never had a successful breach on a customer's on-premise setup with a WatchGuard Network Security Firebox installed. 3rd parties (like CCTV, Printers, Login Systems, etc.) do not know which port their devices work over, so we have to identify that with them and there are often delays when this occurs.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use WatchGuard Network Security System Manager for all of our clients. I would say some of the problems would be that it is not the easiest to make quick adjusments for letting a website through part of a network. It takes a bit of work to get to these locations and need to have knowledge of how to do it.
  • Security
  • Renewals
  • Upgrades
  • Hard to use
  • Hard to make changes
  • Easier to navigate GUI
I have enjoyed using WatchGuard Network Security after learning how to use it. It also seems to be very secure as we have not had any issues with security features failing or letting anything negative happen to our clients. It has always been a very positive experience from a firewall managers end of things.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use WatchGuard Network Security in our organization mainly to protect attacks on our network. We know using WatchGuard will prevent us from viruse, DoS attacks, remote logins, phishing emails, and (my favorite) the spam blocker. I am confident when using WatchGuard that we always have the most up to date security against the ever evolving threats to our network.
  • Prevents Spam
  • Blocks Malicious Sites
  • Easy to use Interface
  • Retain Staff
  • Simplify Partner Portal
  • Update SKUs more frequently
The technical support team is a joy to speak with and work with when having issues with our WatchGuard device. I am always able to speak to a person no matter what time I need to call. I would recommend this service to small and large companies alike who want to easily stay on top of all the network threats that are constantly changing in our technology centered world.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We utilize the network security features to secure our internal network and to secure our user logins with firewalls and AuthPoint. We secure our internal network with the firewalls to keep hackers out and we secure our user logins with AuthPoint for multi-factor authentication. This allows us to keep our entire environment safe and secure.
  • Firewalls
  • Authpoint
  • Firewall integration with various other devices and firewall vendors could be easier.
We have a lot of Government clients that the Network Security has always been perfect for their situation. As far as a less appropriate situation, that I would say is with the smaller clients. These are too robust for their environment causing more configuration adjustments.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
We utilize WatchGuard to protect the edge of a number of customer sites (50+).
We've also used these internally for network segmentation / further protection of production resources.
  • Packet filtering
  • Gateway AV
  • DNSWatch
  • Content Filtering (Webblocker)
  • Authpoint could use improvements
  • Certification path could have better materials / practice exams.
  • Panda update process could use work.
I haven't seen a network that we were not able to utilize a WatchGuard solution to secure. From the tabletop appliances for small business, to the larger M series for campus / ISP applications.
April 09, 2024

Security = WatchGuard

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our WatchGuard Firewall is used by our entire organization. It addresses problems such as: protection from intrusive and destructive viruses, protecting our files from Crypto Locker, allowing us to Geo Block countries that are known virus factories. It also allows us to remote in to some of our customers and help them remotely with PC issues.
  • Virus Blocking
  • Spam Blocking
  • Geo Filtering
  • Cost
  • Version of their Firewall for Home Use
Well suited when a compay's files are of utmost important to them, where the customer is vulnerable to cyber attacks, where there is a big organization and you want to limit employees' access to the open internet. It is less appropriate in a smaller corporate environment, the cost per employee would be very high
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
Watchguard M200 Firewall device is providing the first point of defense from internet and external connections. We are depending on this firewall to prevent unauthorized access from an external network, allow secure access from remote locations using VPN for authorized users, limit internal users using unauthorized applications, log all communication going through the gateway for future analysis, virus and malware scan at the gate as well as routing between multiple local subnets. Watchguard firewall device provides a complete one device solution for small to medium size company looking for a device [that] can be easily set up and maintained. Compare to Cisco or Sonicwall devices, the setup process takes a lot less time for a small installation.
  • VPN Tunnel setup
  • Firewall policy setup for port based internal service
  • Remote VPN User Setup
  • The number of DNS servers supported is only 2 or 3 depending on the model, 4 or more could make it easier for network clients who want to set up redundant DNS environment
  • I can use more tools to help analysis of incoming and outgoing traffic
Companies with less than 200 nodes looking for simple yet reliable gateway security can use the WatchGuard firewall device. It will cost less and take less time to deploy. Small companies who want to introduce firewalls to the organization the first time or replace aging ones will find WatchGuard devices very attractive. For bigger installations [that] may require multiple networks to be connected together, I found it a little challenging to maintain multiple connections through multiple networks.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use WatchGuard Network Security for a business firewall with VPNs to connect directly and securely into our servers. We have also found for our business that using WatchGuard Network Security firewalls allow for a deeper look into the rules and policies. This allows us to make our network more secure for employees.The main business problem that this solves is the ability to set up effective and secure VPN connections.
  • Support is extremely quick to respond
  • The System Manager application is very easy to use.
  • When something goes wrong, it gives good error codes to be able to troubleshoot with
  • Integration of the system manager with policy manager.
  • Better/more clear explanation of saving a file (policy change) to the box. Sometimes it is hard to know which files are from what changes.
  • More notice of when updates are required. A few times our VPN has gone down only to find out we were missing a firmware update that we were unaware of.
I would recommend WatchGuard Network Security to colleagues who have small businesses. The system manager is easy to set up on a basic level, but also has much more room to delve deeper into the policies if needed. There is a good range of options to get a basic security setup all the way to an advanced setup with rules, ports, ips, etc.
March 20, 2024

WatchGuard Security

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use the firebox as our main Firewall/router. It gets the public IP and distributes the traffic on the subnets as well as WiFi.
  • Specific Traffic Control with Policy Manager
  • Device Control with Mac Access Control
  • Multi Firebox control with Device Templates
  • I have been noticing in some instances, I need to release the firebox from Full Management in order for the changes to get applied. I would be nice to avoid that.
It's our firewall, I love the ability to have control over it in-house.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
WatchGuard Network Security provides a well-rounded suite of network security services. We use their firewall appliance to provide edge protection and their endpoint security on our internal systems to provide an additional layer of security. The WatchGuard Network Security firewall provides intelligent security proxies with features like gateway antivirus, DDOS protection, persistent threat detection, website filtering, and detection of malicious patterns of behavior. The fine level of granular control over application-based access control is also a very welcome addition to help with issues like critical data egress. Effective support of VLANs provides us the flexibility we desire to partition our internal networks. The management interfaces are excellent and help make complicated configurations much easier to track and understand. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into the engineering of these systems. The endpoint protection is centrally managed via a cloud interface that lets us have multiple profiles that can be assigned on a per-device basis. Someone in engineering can have an endpoint profile that's different from someone in shipping, for example. A nicely integrated system designed to solve sticky problems easily.
  • Outstanding firewall management both detailed and easy to understand
  • Endpoint cloud management that enabled customized settings based on roles
  • Keeps the "bad guys" out of our network
  • VLANs done right keeps departments partitioned where it makes sense
  • Comprehensive VPN support lets me use VPNs my way
  • WatchGuard Network Security WiFi access points are very good but also very expensive
  • Webblocker can sometimes be too aggressive at blocking
WatchGuard Network Security is excellent in implementing a multi-site secure network. It is also great for environments where you may need to fall back on an alternate network connection; the failover is very effective.
February 20, 2024

Firebox

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Upgraded my network security by replacing my old SonicWall firewall with a WatchGuard firebox. So much easier to manage and confidence is much higher. The vpn is worlds better. The Sonicwall would drop vpn connections constantly, have not had any of those issues since moving to the WatchGuard.
  • The interface is easy to navigate.
  • The mobile VPN is easy to config and very stable.
  • Content filtering is very reliable.
  • Add chat support option.
I can't describe any scenarios where it would be less appropriate as I have only used it in one company, and it is very appropriate. Our previous Sonicwall had issues with dropping vpn connections as well as not failing over to backup isp. The WatchGuard has fixed both of those issues.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is our Firewall, we also use it for Branch Office VPN's so all sites can connect to one other, and we use VPN with Authpoint for MFA to VPN in
  • Updates
  • No access unless you create a rule to allow it
  • Geo Blocking, IP Blocking
  • VLAN's
  • DHCP
  • DNS Forwarding
  • When trying to access from external side and no rule is set to allow connection, you get a SSL sign in page. I would rather I just got a 404 error or some other message stating the site is not available
  • Cost, for business its not to bad. But for home use it is too much
I can't remember the exact threats but usually when a large threat comes out that is scaring the whole tech world within a week or 2 WatchGaurd has a patch to help prevent the threat the best as possible.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We needed an enterprise grade security appliance that was easy to manage/deploy, but also included a full feature set of security tools/features. WatchGuard fit the bill nicely, not only was it easy to put into place, but it also worked seamlessly with our other platforms. It was almost an immediate ROI.
  • Easy to deploy
  • Licensing/activation seamless
  • Fits in nicely with other solutions
  • We have not experienced any pain points
  • A lot easier to manage than other solutions
I don't see any scenarios where it wouldn't be a good fit as they offer an entire suite of options/solutions, regardless if you are a single point or enterprise organization with several locations.
February 16, 2024

WatchGuard Security

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Have used WatchGuard for about 10 years and currently on my 3rd model as the various models and technologies are improved. Support has been always been very good and the ability to configure the firewalls are straightforward through a great GUI with easy to follow menus. Also, I have used their online videos as needed. They have served as great edge protection.
  • Variety through various models dependent on business needs
  • Ease of use whether updating, configuring, or logging
  • Support has always been great
They offer a variety of models based on user needs, various suites of protection, and keep you protected through updates and notifying you about the EOL of your product.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it to monitor and limit traffic to our self-hosted websites. We also use it for VPN access to our self hosted data and as a redundancy system. We use multiple providers to ensure we have internet access 24/7 (as most businesses) and the features provided by the WatchGuard seem to be perfect for that
  • Traffic Monitor
  • VPN
  • Interfaces
  • Migrating from older systems
  • SSO
  • More documentation
Medium sized companies, where the IT demands can be handled by one person or a small team seems to be perfect for the device we have at our offices. I've taken a look at some other products that you offer but can't speak about their capabilities and or functionalities. Not entirely sure how well a WatchGuard device would do for a 1000+ employee company
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Firewall and VPN access
  • Good interface
  • Set it and forget it, very little maintenance
  • Lots of documentation for various settings
  • traffic monitor could be easier to use/understand
Well suited for our small business. Handles many VPN connections, both hardware and software based. Easy set up to have guest wifi separate from main protected network.
February 09, 2024

WatchGuard Firewalls

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As a small business owner, dealing with sensitive data, it is imperative that I protect access to my systems. I have used different firewall products over the last 30 years and find WatchGuard to not only fill the needs I have, but also have a very good price point for the 'Enterprise' SMB market. VPN and traffic security are my main concerns and I find the firewalls combined with AuthPoint to work fantastic. It is a 'all' inhouse solution.
  • Cloud Management
  • VPN Security with AuthPoint
  • Firewall Rules
  • Customer Support / Product Issues
  • Cloud Based online help and instructions
  • Customer Support - Cloud Issues
  • Customer Support - License Issues
Not for the basic user and small company with no or limited IT support.
SMB with IT support (External or Internal) and an understanding of what they are getting into...
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
WatchGuard firewalls are our choice to implement perimetral security with security services. We implement WatchGuard AuthPoint to setup 2FA on VPN-SSL access to trusted networks.
  • Perimetral security
  • IPsec VPNs
  • SSL-VPN
  • Security services
  • WatchGuard Cloud
WatchGuard Policy Manager and Proxy are the best tools to implement the configuration of firewall services
February 08, 2024

Great Security products

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use WatchGuard Network Security throught Total Suite Security to manage all of traffic from our 50 external site and filter all of VLAN with all of Security layer of WatchGuard Network Security. We use the authentication WatchGuard Network Security SSO to identify and manage all of our flows from internal, external and BOVPN. Very easy and explicit diagnostics to troubleshoot access issues.
  • Sso
  • Flows Diagnostics
  • Rules
  • Webblocker
  • Proxys
Manage and filter all the flows with rules or SSO. We can easy write a scenario then apply with all of the function like SSO, BOVPN NAT, custom objets, and use traffic monitor to view and easy correct a wring configuration. The auto sort rules is easy to use and you can use custom object to make the perfect rule.
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