WatchGuard Network Security a huge win for the value
March 26, 2026
WatchGuard Network Security a huge win for the value
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Modules Used
- WatchGuard Network Security
- WatchGuard AuthPoint
Overall Satisfaction with WatchGuard Network Security
We've partnered with WatchGuard for many years. Our focus has been on the Firebox edge security appliances primarily, but we've also used the MFA and subscription services. WatchGuard Network Security has provided an excellent product for protecting network infrastructure and client resources. It's very cost competitive with other vendors and the support is great. Even as more workloads move to cloud services, we still find interface and payment systems in the local environments that need protecting.
Pros
- WatchGuard Network Security streamlines the creation of policy objects, allowing them to be used in multiple security policies without recreating them or having to manually create global objects.
- WatchGuard Network Security also provides a clear and simplified configuration interface rather than requiring a complex CLI.
- There are a couple of options for centralized management, both in the cloud and on a private server, which allows for ease of visibility into multiple devices. Features are consistently being added to the cloud offering as well.
Cons
- Some of the logic in the security policies of the Auth-Point Identity management doesn't follow the same as the appliances. It's not as clear as it could be when creating conditional access policies.
- The Endpoint security offerings are still lacking some integration and feel like they need to be more mature before we'd consider deploying them.
- I can understand the reasoning behind offering wireless network hardware, but it seems unnecessary and isn't as robust as other vendor hardware.
- Watchguard has been a great partner to work with. They provide exceptional value compared to other vendors as the pricing is more reasonable allowing for better margins.
- Watchguard support has always been timely and thorough. As a partner, we have direct access to both technical and customer support. When something is critical, they've always provided immediate action including advanced RMA services.
- We also have access to product trials to demonstrate use cases to clients and significant discounts on NFR SKUs for our own use. This allows us to be very familiar with these products and increases our deployment capability.
We have been a Watchguard partner longer than I've been with the company. I've worked with their firewalls and subscription services for almost 15 years now. I believe we provide excellent service to our clients, Watchguard products have allowed us to maintain significant security postures for our client environments as well as our own networks.
Having a central web management portal is convenient. We have used a WatchGuard System Management Server for many years. The cloud interface now has most of the features available in the server, so it's much more usable, as well as combining the management of their additional security products. They are also adding features consistently which is adding to the centralized management experience. Not only are these things consolidated, we also no longer have to maintain our own server for this purpose.
We've only used the firewalls, Identity Security, and some wireless products. They work well together when we do have them in the same environment. The Auth-Point specifically integrates with multiple third-party systems as well as the WatchGuard stack. This is convenient for our end users as well as the support team.
- Cisco ASA 5500-X with FirePOWER Services
- Cisco Meraki MX
- Juniper SRX
WatchGuard Network Security has a more palatable licensing model and comes at a much more reasonable price for comparable security features. I find the WatchGuard Network Security firewalls in particular to be much easier to configure and manage as well. The service is top tier, particularly when compared to the more enterprise focused vendors. It can take a lot longer to get good support if you aren't a significant sized customer.
Do you think WatchGuard Network Security delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with WatchGuard Network Security's feature set?
Yes
Did WatchGuard Network Security live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of WatchGuard Network Security go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy WatchGuard Network Security again?
Yes
WatchGuard Network Security Feature Ratings
Comments
Please log in to join the conversation