SonicWall

SonicWall Network Security Manager

Composite Score

7.6 /10

CX Score

7.7 /10

40 Reviews Write a Review

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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, 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.

84 Likeliness to Recommend

1
Since last award

96 Plan to Renew

81 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

1
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.

+83 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

9% Neutral

89% Positive

Pros

Respectful
Security Protects
Reliable
Enables Productivity

Feature Ratings

Average 76

Virtual Private Network

Application Control

Advanced Threat Protection

Network Access Control

Off Premise Cloud Firewalls

Web Content Filtering

Deep Packet Inspection

Identity Based Control

Virtual Firewall

Encrypted Data Control

Sandboxing

Vendor Capability Ratings

Average 77

Ease of Implementation

Ease of IT Administration

Quality of Features

Ease of Data Integration

Breadth of Features

Usability and Intuitiveness

Ease of Customization

Business Value Created

Vendor Support

Availability and Quality of Training

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

Also Featured in...

Unified Threat Management

Score 7.6

View SonicWall Network Security Manager in this category (opens in a new tab)

SonicWall Network Security Manager Reviews

Mahesh Kannan M.

Role: Information Technology
Industry: Technology
Involvement: IT Leader or Manager

Validated Review

Verified Reviewer

Submitted May 2025

"Advanced features with a learning curve.

Likeliness to Recommend

7 /10

What differentiates SonicWall Network Security Manager from other similar products?

SonicWall NSM lets you manage all your firewalls from one easy place. It helps you keep security rules the same across all locations. You get real-time alerts and reports to see threats as they happen.

What is your favorite aspect of this product?

I like that it lets you control many firewalls from one simple dashboard. It saves time by letting you update all devices at once. The real-time alerts help catch problems fast.

What do you dislike most about this product?

It can be tricky to set up if you're not familiar with SonicWall products. Some advanced features might feel overwhelming for smaller teams. It could use more customization options for reporting and alerts.

What recommendations would you give to someone considering this product?

Make sure your team is ready to manage multiple firewalls from one spot. Take time to learn the interface to get the most out of it. Consider a trial first to see if it fits your network needs.

Pros

Trustworthy
Saves Time
Fair
Generous Negotitation

Cons

Under Delivered
Leverages Incumbent Status

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

SonicWall Network Security Manager

What is SonicWall Network Security Manager?

Company Details

Need Assistance?

Awards & Recognition

SonicWall Network Security Manager Ratings

84 Likeliness to Recommend

1 Since last award

96 Plan to Renew

81 Satisfaction of Cost Relative to Value

1 Since last award

Emotional Footprint Overview

+83 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.

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

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

Network Access Control Endpoint integration to ensure each connecting device has appropriate security.

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

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

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

Identity Based Control Mapping of specific security policies to defined user groups and individuals.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Also Featured in...

Unified Threat Management

SonicWall Network Security Manager Reviews

Mahesh Kannan M.

"Advanced features with a learning curve.

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Cons

Dhanaji M.

Centralized, Scalable Security Management

Likeliness to Recommend

Pros

Suraj V.

Fantastic Security Solution

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

1
Since last award

1
Since last award

Feature Ratings

Virtual Private Network

Application Control

Advanced Threat Protection

Network Access Control

Off Premise Cloud Firewalls

Web Content Filtering

Deep Packet Inspection

Identity Based Control

Virtual Firewall

Encrypted Data Control

Sandboxing

Vendor Capability Ratings

Ease of Implementation

Ease of IT Administration

Quality of Features

Ease of Data Integration

Breadth of Features

Usability and Intuitiveness

Ease of Customization

Business Value Created

Vendor Support

Availability and Quality of Training

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement