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SonicWALL vs. Fortinet

15/02/2023
by Cathy Houghton

Let us start with “even as a small business, you need to have a firewall.”

In fact, it’s essential.

Preventing you from becoming the victim of a cyber-attack, today, your average built-in standard firewall just won’t cut it.

You need the functionality, flexibility, and tightest levels of security around.

(It would be too easy to say you need SonicWALL firewall products at this point….but it’s true).

We understand that protecting your business, information, and customer data is vital; however, we know you require a firewall that is effective, but also affordable.

And this is where SonicWALL vs. Fortinet comes in.

Specifically designed for small to medium-sized businesses, both firewalls offer a range of benefits to users, and you must weigh up all the benefits and features on offer to decide which one is best for you.

Next-Generation Firewalls

These next-generation firewalls combine all the benefits of traditional firewalls, i.e., they filter all incoming and outgoing traffic, blocking and reporting anything suspicious….and then they take it a step further.

Next-gen firewalls provide antivirus, anti-malware, scanning, IP filtering, botnet detection, and more.

These firewalls are robust security systems that provide a great first line of defence against ongoing cyber threats.

Fortinet vs. SonicWall

A next-generation firewall is a significant investment, so you need to get it right. Knowing what to look for and some of the basic features is a good place to start.

First, think about what you need your firewall to do. For example, does it need to integrate with your current systems? Do you require real-time monitoring, reporting capabilities, automated functions, etc.?

In terms of manageability, how easy is the system to use? For example, can you set customised rules and filters? Does the firewall provider offer customer support assistance?

Then comes the biggest factor…cost. What features are must-haves for you, and what are luxuries? Are there discounts available?

Can the system scale with your business? The ideal situation for any business is to find a solution that can grow with your business, meeting your needs now and in the future.

Now that you’ve thought about what you really want, what you need, and the budget you’re working to, let’s look at sonic firewalls compared to Fortinet.

SonicWall vs. Fortinet Comparison

SonicWall firewalls, and in particular the next-generation firewalls now available, offer a robust high-security solution. Simultaneously checking inbound and outbound traffic as every byte is closely examined, you can have complete peace of mind that your data and information are monitored 24/7.

SonicWall can also perform full decryption and carry out inspections of encrypted connections using the single pass reassembly free deep packet inspection engine.

What’s more, they also include real time inspections through its cloud-based multi-firewall sandbox.

Sold as either hardware or a virtual appliance, SonicWall firewalls come with advanced gateway security suite subscriptions, so you have a continuously updated sandbox, antivirus, intrusion prevention, contact filtering, and ongoing tech support.

SonicWall is more suited to small to medium-sized businesses looking for higher throughput and has a clear focus on this sector and how to support it.

Overall, SonicWall is good value, reasonably priced, extremely effective, and easy to manage.

Fortinet

As a SonicWall comparison, Fortinet firewalls are optimised to reduce the level of difficulty in managing these systems and enhance security by eliminating single point failure. Providing an increase in visibility, Fortinet systems can collect data across different sites and various firewalls, which you can use to your advantage.

Offering enhanced management and analytics, Fortinet also supports multi-cloud extensions and can integrate with other larger systems.

Businesses looking to expand and diversify quickly and those looking for enterprise firewall appliances would be best suited to the Fortinet system.

Overall, both SonicWall and Fortinet perform well, offer a high level of security, and are good value for money. Prioritising network traffic and intrusion detection, both systems have anti-malware and software control, spam email filtering, SSL decoding, and more.

However, SonicWall has the edge when it comes to ease of use and customer support (Fortinet offers no direct supplier support). SonicWall also meets all compliance regulations and offers good accessibility for users, keeping on top of the ever-evolving threats; SonicWall can be customised to meet your unique business requirements, is reliable, and is easy to maintain.

Next-generation SonicWall firewalls also have the same interface as the traditional firewalls, so nothing comes as a surprise.

SonicWall firewall

Choosing the right firewall for you and your organisation is challenging. There is a lot to consider, and it’s vital that you incorporate business plans, budgets, and your exact requirements into your decision-making.

Our recommendation…look for a firewall that can support and meet your needs now and in the future.

To find out more about our various firewalls and how we can help, call us at 0330 1340 230 or email your questions and requirements to enquiries@sonicwall-sales.com.

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