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SonicWall

SonicWall Network Security Manager

Composite Score

7.4 /10

CX Score

7.6 /10

41 Reviews Write a Review

What is SonicWall Network Security Manager?

SonicWall firewalls are your first line of defense against Internet security threats. Give ransomware the boot with the powerful sandbox technology of Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP). Dive deep into your packets without sacrificing speed thanks to SonicWall's patented Reassembly Free Deep Packet Inspection (RFDPI). The TZ Series represents some of the best small business firewalls of 2018, while the NSA Series is the perfect fit for enterprises, distributed environments, & data-heavy offices.

Company Details

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Awards & Recognition

SonicWall Network Security Manager won the following awards in the Next Generation Firewall category

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2 Top Rated Capabilities

0 Top Rated Features

Latest Award, 2026

2 Top Rated Capabilities

0 Top Rated Features

2025

4 Top Rated Capabilities

3 Top Rated Features

2024

SonicWall Network Security Manager Ratings

Real user data aggregated to summarize the product performance and customer experience.
Download the entire Product Scorecard to access more information on SonicWall Network Security Manager.

Product scores listed below represent current data. This may be different from data contained in reports and awards, which express data as of their publication date.

85 Likeliness to Recommend

1
Since last award

97 Plan to Renew

82 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

2
Since last award

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Emotional Footprint Overview

Product scores listed below represent current data. This may be different from data contained in reports and awards, which express data as of their publication date.

+85 Net Emotional Footprint

The emotional sentiment held by end users of the software based on their experience with the vendor. Responses are captured on an eight-point scale.

How much do users love SonicWall Network Security Manager?

2% Negative

7% Neutral

91% Positive

Pros

Respectful
Saves Time
Security Protects
Continually Improving Product

Feature Ratings

Average 78

Virtual Private Network

Off Premise Cloud Firewalls

Application Control

Virtual Firewall

Web Content Filtering

Advanced Threat Protection

Encrypted Data Control

Intrusion Detection System

Anti Malware and Threat Protection

Deep Packet Inspection

Sandboxing

Vendor Capability Ratings

Average 78

Ease of Implementation

Ease of IT Administration

Ease of Data Integration

Quality of Features

Breadth of Features

Business Value Created

Usability and Intuitiveness

Ease of Customization

Vendor Support

Availability and Quality of Training

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

SonicWall Network Security Manager Reviews

Dhanaji M.

Role: Information Technology
Industry: Technology
Involvement: IT Development, Integration, and Administration

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Jan 2025

Centralized, Scalable Security Management

Likeliness to Recommend

9 /10

What differentiates SonicWall Network Security Manager from other similar products?

NSM provides a single-pane-of-glass management for multiple SonicWall firewalls, making it ideal for distributed enterprises and MSPs. Unlike some competitors, NSM allows policy synchronization across multiple locations, reducing administrative overhead.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

The workflow automation features, such as zero-touch provisioning and scheduled policy updates, make it easier to manage complex security environments with minimal manual intervention.

What do you dislike most about this product?

The learning curve for advanced configurations can be steep, particularly for users unfamiliar with SonicWall’s ecosystem.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

If anyone considering SonicWall Network Security Manager (NSM), ensure your team is familiar with SonicWall’s ecosystem, be prepared for a slight learning curve, and test its performance in your environment to assess UI responsiveness and scalability.

Pros

Efficient Service
Respectful
Fair
Acts with Integrity

Suraj V.

Role: Information Technology
Industry: Other
Involvement: IT Development, Integration, and Administration

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Jan 2025

Fantastic Security Solution

Likeliness to Recommend

8 /10

What differentiates SonicWall Network Security Manager from other similar products?

SonicWall NSM offers a balanced approach to network security management by combining advanced features, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness, making it an ideal choice for organizations of varying sizes.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

The policy automation and inheritance feature stands out because it significantly reduces manual effort and ensures consistency, especially in large-scale deployments. The zero-touch deployment also makes onboarding new devices seamless, which is a huge advantage for growing networks or multi-site organizations.

What do you dislike most about this product?

customization options for dashboards and reports, while present, could be more flexible to accommodate unique organizational needs.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

Benefit from a user-interface interface that reduces the learning curve for administrators. Even if you’re new to SonicWall products, you’ll find it easy to configure and monitor your network.

Pros

Reliable
Efficient Service
Security Protects
Performance Enhancing

GRANT T.

Role: Public Sector
Industry: Healthcare
Involvement: Business Leader or Manager

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted Jan 2024

Sleek, lightweight VPN

Likeliness to Recommend

9 /10

What differentiates SonicWall Network Security Manager from other similar products?

SonicWall provides a very transparent, lightweight product that is unobtrusive.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

I barely notice its presence despite the protection that it offers.

What do you dislike most about this product?

There are sometimes connection issues, though this is usualy not the fault of the product.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

There are a lot of other options for VPN, so make sure that you shop around for your own business' particular needs.

Pros

Security Protects
Reliable
Enables Productivity
Efficient Service

SonicWall Network Security Manager

What is SonicWall Network Security Manager?

Company Details

Need Assistance?

Awards & Recognition

SonicWall Network Security Manager Ratings

85 Likeliness to Recommend

1 Since last award

97 Plan to Renew

82 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

2 Since last award

Emotional Footprint Overview

+85 Net Emotional Footprint

How much do users love SonicWall Network Security Manager?

Pros

Feature Ratings Average rating of all product features, some of which may not be shown below

Virtual Private Network Offers IPSEC (for site-to-site tunnels) and SSL VPN (for remote access) options.

Off Premise Cloud Firewalls Firewall features offered as a service at lower cost and scalable infrastructure

Application Control The solution provides ICAP support, anti-circumvention support, and an auto-record function of all traffic session details.

Virtual Firewall A VF runs entirely within a virtual environment and provides packet filtering and monitoring provided by a physical firewalls

Web Content Filtering Restrictive filtering of web surfing to limit exposure to harmful and inappropriate sites.

Advanced Threat Protection ATP refers to a category of security solutions that defend against sophisticated malware or hacking-based attacks targeting sensitive data.

Encrypted Data Control Native decryption and re-encryption of SSL and SFTP traffic for thorough inspection.

Intrusion Detection System The detection of possible intruders in the workstation, separate and distinct from enterprise Intrusion Detection Systems, but not mutually exclusive.

Anti Malware and Threat Protection Built-in perimeter anti-virus and anti-spyware protection can include behavioral analysis, e.g. Zero-Day attack protection.

Deep Packet Inspection Control and enforcement of protocols including industrial protocols.

Sandboxing Sandboxing is a software management strategy that isolates applications from critical system resources and other programs and tests its contents

Vendor Capability Ratings Average rating of all vendor capabilities, some of which may not be shown below

Ease of Implementation Successfully implementing new software is necessary to realize its full value and promote end user adoption. This data indicates whether or not the product is easy to implement.

Ease of IT Administration This data indicates whether IT personnel will be able to resolve issues and perform configurations efficiently and effectively.

Ease of Data Integration Use this data to determine whether the product will cause headaches or make data integration easy.

Quality of Features Feature quality is just as important as quantity. Use this data to determine if this product will do what you're purchasing it to do, easily, intuitively, reliably, and effectively.

Breadth of Features Users prefer feature rich software that enables them to perform diverse series of tasks. This data expresses user satisfaction with the product's breadth of features.

Business Value Created Software needs to create value for employees, customers, partners, and, ultimately, shareholders. This data expresses user satisfaction - or lack thereof - with the product's business value.

Usability and Intuitiveness End user learning curves cost the organization money. Pay attention to your end users' technical ability to determine how important UX is in your purchase.

Ease of Customization Don't get bogged down in a difficult customization; use this data to make sure you can easily achieve the functionality you need for your particular situation.

Vendor Support The importance of vendor support will vary for each organization depending on internal capabilities, but there will always be issues that only the vendor can resolve.

Availability and Quality of Training Effective and readily available training enables users to get the most out of the software you've chosen. Use this section to make sure your vendor's training programs and materials measure up.

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement Vendors who don't stay on top of emerging needs and trends won't enable you to meet your business goals. Use this data to separate innovators from imposters.

SonicWall Network Security Manager Reviews

Dhanaji M.

Centralized, Scalable Security Management

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Suraj V.

Fantastic Security Solution

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

GRANT T.

Sleek, lightweight VPN

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Most Popular SonicWall Network Security Manager Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall

Fortinet Fortigate NGFW

Palo Alto Network Security NGFW

Sophos Firewall

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Check Point Quantum

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1
Since last award

2
Since last award

Feature Ratings

Virtual Private Network

Off Premise Cloud Firewalls

Application Control

Virtual Firewall

Web Content Filtering

Advanced Threat Protection

Encrypted Data Control

Intrusion Detection System

Anti Malware and Threat Protection

Deep Packet Inspection

Sandboxing

Vendor Capability Ratings

Ease of Implementation

Ease of IT Administration

Ease of Data Integration

Quality of Features

Breadth of Features

Business Value Created

Usability and Intuitiveness

Ease of Customization

Vendor Support

Availability and Quality of Training

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement