Exertis Cybersecurity’s own Technical Manager Brandon Madeley gives his honest review on SonicWall’s latest generation
With new generations of UTM firewalls always comes speculations of performance, price points, and user experience. Over my 30 years at Exertis Cybersecurity, I’ve seen this many times, and have always tried to not get ahead of myself or caught up in new product hype until I’ve seen the product myself; even then, I test and report in an objective manner. That’s why I feel confident in saying that the TZ80 has sincerely impressed me, and that I’m genuinely excited by the next-generation SonicWall have introduced.
A big leap for SonicWall
As anyone who’s worked with me will know, I’ve seen SonicWall grow from the beginning, so I’m uniquely qualified to say that SonicOS 8.0 in itself is a big leap forward for SonicWall, and coupled with the performance of the TZ80 and improvements on Network Security Manager (NSM) management and integration, demonstrates that SonicWall are serious about offering a true IoT and home office firewall that blows the competition out of the water. This solution is, in my opinion, a dream for the SMB space that is marketable and manageable for all. SonicWall continue their push towards cloud management and zero-touch deployment, away from traditional on-site installations using the LAN interface, and this flexibility enables MSPs to deploy more units with greater ease.
Outstanding price to performance ratio
With the TZ80, the UI is far more intuitive compared to GEN7, so screen navigation is rapid, meaning no more having to sit with loading screens. SonicWall have recently optimised their web server code, and introduced a new chipset on these devices, which is a big plus. If I were to compare it to the SOHO250 appliances, which ceased manufacturing three years ago, I’d say it’s around four times as quick, with up to 750Mbps performance. The TLS/SSL inspection and encryption throughput (DPI SSL) is heavy on any firewall performance, but the TZ80 still offers a hugely respectable 250Mbps. Given it’s designed to be a small-form factor appliance, it boasts four 1Gb ports, and one 1Gb SFP port, which is impressive. Its interfaces, onboarding, and provisioning are powerful and straightforward, which backs its outstanding price to performance ratio.
Considering the TZ80 will be the baseline protection and mitigation for small office and home office networks, SonicWall’s pricing models have given the channel a compelling solution that budget-conscious customers can’t argue with.
Firewall integration
Anyone looking to move to a Secure Service Edge (SSE) client VPN solution can instantly take advantage of the on-prem connector built into the TZ80 to provide seamless, simultaneous access to on-premise, cloud, and internet resources. Many other vendors in this space seek to acquire additional software installing on-premises, but SonicWall’s Cloud Secure Edge (formally Banyan Security) can integrate into the firewall. This solution is inclusive of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateways (SWG), and VPN-as-a-Service (VPNaaS); in brief, it will modernise and supercharge how we access multiple areas of the network that no longer solely use traditional, on-premises solutions, yet still requires ease of access within high levels of security.
Subscription offerings
There will be two subscriptions available for the TZ80; the first is the SecureConnect, and the second is the Advanced Protection Services Suite (APSS). I would always recommend the full UTM security services for the best level of protection, so I suggest going for APSS, especially as this subscription comes with Network Security Manager (NSM). Traditional CapEx (upfront) SKUs will be available as one, three, and five year subscription terms, but the most flexibility with zero commitment will be found via SonicWall’s Service Provider Partner programme, alternatively known as MSSP. The hardware alone has a discounted upfront cost, but the security subscription can be self-procured on the MySonicWall portal with daily flexibility. Should you need to, you can spin up licensing one day and switch it off the next, giving full control of licensing to channel partners.
The TZ80 has an extremely low total cost of ownership which does not sacrifice on performance and its security features. I would expect this to quickly become SonicWall’s bestselling model, especially in that lower-end SMB market. It proves that SonicWall have listened to channel feedback, and value their core SMB customer base.
From my perspective and the testing, I have conducted, it is the quickest, most intuitive, and user-friendly firewall out there and sets the bar high for the rest of the GEN8 launches to follow. Integrations with CSE also make it a very interesting solution offering which looks to the future of cloud-centric management and governance.
The TZ80 secures my seal of approval and proves that good things really do come in small packages
Brandon Madeley – Exertis cybersecurity technical manager
For more information on how the SonicWall TZ80 can benefit you and your customers, reach out to your dedicated Account Manager, or contact the specialised Exertis Cybersecurity SonicWall team at: sonicwall@exertis.co.uk or by calling +44 1782 648200.
And for any other scoping, troubleshooting, or technical advice, contact my team directly at technical.security@exertis.co.uk or call +44 1782 648220.
