Customer Reviews

SonicWall TZ 170 TZ170 10 Node VPN Firewall (01-SSC-5555)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have had 2 devices from SonicWall - what everyone MUST understand is the simple fact that these devices (all from SonicWall) are only supported for 1 year after purchase. What people get angry about is that these devices go bad - they are not like your VCR/DVD player that just work - and work reliable for years to come all the time. It is hit or miss.

This means you MUST buy the subscription if you want to have a working device for the length of the device. This is because they consider Firmware (yes software for the device) a maintenance issue requiring a subscription. Even if it fixes one of the numerous bugs these devices inevitably have. So expect to pay 500 for the device, then a hundred or so every year to have the privilege of getting bug fixes for the dam thing. The problem people have is that all other appliances do not need these "fixes" in there house to run.... or the simple fact that Windows and other OS's give free service packs (which is what these are)

I have had the SOHO 2/3 and now the TZ 170. I am on my 2nd TZ because of the wireless randomly dropping all my clients throughout the day.

If you have support agreement - expect to be run through the India call centers for all support - and expect a 3-4 call process to get to the point they send you a new device. Each call takes 20 minutes to get to a person (the first person simply takes your name and directs you to a support person - that's all - so don't get excited when you hear a voice immediately.. the waiting is ahead). Afterwards it varries but I have had call times in upwards of 2 hours.

Buyer beware - support still has a long way to go.

I have used SonicWall's various firewall products ever since their first SOHO firewall in both home and business settings. The TZ170 is an excellent firewall with very flexible settings and offers both software and box-to-box IPSec VPN capability. It DOES work with other firewall products including Cisco but interoperability can be spotty or require some knowledgeable setup.

Sonicwall's are not the best choice for the general consumer as they offer too many advanced settings that someone with firewall experience will need to configure to get full use of the product. If you are an IT professional you will enjoy the features and capabilities of the various products.

I have had SonicWalls run 24/7 for years with no problems but have also had a few lemon units. In general they are sensitive to heat and should be kept as cool as possible. Definitely do not stick them in a closet with a bunch of stuff stacked on top.

This is an excellent product, especially the security services. I was amazed at the Gateway anti-virus, intrusion prevention, and spy ware filters because they inspect each packet so quickly, that there is no noticeable difference in internet speed. The content filter is very good also. Although there are a few mis-rated sites, for the most part, the list is very accurate. The SonicWALL team is very quick to respond to your site rating review if you submit one. It is a device that allows you to control almost every part of your network traffic. If parents can afford this product, I highly recommend it for internet filtering for their children. There is absolutely no way to get around the filter, unless you have the administrator password or you physically take the SonicWALL off the network. My only complaints are that the tech support is foreign and hard to understand, and when the firewall is disconnected from the internet (only when using dynamic DHCP ISP), it is sometimes hard to get the SonicWALL to renew the DNS servers.

My company purchased a TZ170 to replace a previous Sonicwall DMZ after taking adviced from SonicWall. The TZ170 frequently crashes and corrupts its firewall settings. Also, although SonicWall claim IPSec support they will only support their own Global VPN software client. If you have LinkSys, Cisco, or Dlink VPN hardware you are out of luck. So poor reliablilty and no support.

DO NOT EVER BUY PRODUCTS FROM sonicwall UNLESS YOU WORK FOR sonicwall IN TECH SUPPORT

Purchase one of these with the 10 connection option $500 or so! Everything was great untill their VPN software renedered a few of my companies computers worthless. Since they don't appear to care once the hardware is sold, "BUYER BEWARE!!!"

This product gets an A+, for ease of use and functionality.The customer service offered by Sonicwall was second to none.