Sonicwall TZ100W review

[claykin]

Tim

Great review. One thing i didn't see in your pricing discussion are the support options. Most users will want to know up front that Sonicwall will cease to provide free firmware updates 90 days after registering the unit. For the first time Sonicwall isn't charging thieving rates for basic support which includes firmware updates, but they are still charging.

I like the new TZ series, especially the entry level units. It sure seems that Sonicwall is beginning to see the light.

 

[dreid]

SonicWall Support Options

Thanks for the comments.

SonicWall devices require subscriptions for warranty service, software upgrades, and support after the first 90 days.

The cheapest option are Firmware and Software updates, which extend the hardware warranty. Firmware and Software subscriptions are listed at $55/$85/$125 for 1, 2, and 3 year terms.

8x5 support along with Firmware and Software updates and the warranty runs $70/$120/$165 for 1, 2, and 3 year terms.

24x7 support along with Firmware and Software updates and the warranty runs $90/$155/$220 for 1, 2, and 3 year terms.

 

[yalexey]

Pretty review

That device has strong concurents as Draytek 2930, 2950 dual WAN routers. And Cisco ASA.
Comparation of productivity of such devices, plus D-Link DFL routers, may be extreamly interesting. But it is not so easy. Need more intensive testing technique. Number of connections, for example, may be more then 20 000.
Many type of VPN tunnels supported and VPN throughput need to be tested too.

 

[claykin]

Thanks for the comments.

SonicWall devices require subscriptions for warranty service, software upgrades, and support after the first 90 days.

The cheapest option are Firmware and Software updates, which extend the hardware warranty. Firmware and Software subscriptions are listed at $55/$85/$125 for 1, 2, and 3 year terms.

8x5 support along with Firmware and Software updates and the warranty runs $70/$120/$165 for 1, 2, and 3 year terms.

24x7 support along with Firmware and Software updates and the warranty runs $90/$155/$220 for 1, 2, and 3 year terms.

Thanks for the clarification. And I see that you can get about 20% off these rates if you shop around.

 

[Unregistered]

VPN throughput

The test of the IPSEC VPN throughput seem to be done with 3DES, which is processor intensive. AES is better and faster - try running the throughput test with AES-128.

 

[Unregistered]

Renewals

FYI Sonicwall sell a suite for the renewals.

US$234 RRP for 1 year of 24x7 support, IPS/Gateway AV/Gateway AS, Content Filtering Premium, and the Viewpoint software. 2 and 3 year renewal options bring the per annum price down even further.

I also note the price in your Netcomm article seems odd. TZ 100W bundle with 1 year of services is $594, and $258 for the 5 user SSL license. Shop around and you can find the TZ100W bundle for $410 online.

On your comparison with the Netgear UTM10 for AV, you should look a little closer. Sonicwalls philosophy is to scan all traffic for the most prevalent threats. Whereas using a full signature set means the Netgear will be scanning most traffic for all the threats. ALG's have a limitation on file sizes and the number of concurrent tcp connections they scan, this means quite often files or connections are NOT scanned.

The usual end result is that under proper testing conditions ALG's effectiveness drops considerably, especially when placed under load. They also add to latency. Network World performed a test of this in 2007. I'm guessing Tolly did not test this aspect

 

[dmose]

Why is the SSL VPN throughput so low on this device? Did they send you an updated unit to test?

 

[fsck!]

Question

I realize this is an old review but I have some questions if anyone can shed some light:

1- Regarding support costs, are the UTM and VPN functions subject to activation via a support contract or is the support cost you mentioned only associated with techsupport/warranty/future firmware updates?

2- Is it safe to say this is an EOL model by now? I run OSX and dont like the idea of being left in the dark in terms of Mac VPN support. Does anyone recommend getting this unit or is there something comparable and perhaps newer in the same price range.

I have a small network at home from where I also work. I am looking to replace my linksys RVL200 which never worked reliably to begin with with a higher grade unit such as this one. I have looked at the Cisco ASA units but Sonicwall has received better reviews, at least in the small/mid business segment.

I appreciate anyone's thoughts/suggestions.

Thx

 

[thiggins]

A check at the Sonicwall website is the best way to answer your questions.