Customer Reviews

Kick butt firewall Review by Sarah G

Features
Value for Money
Performance
Ease of Use

PROS
I setup this firewall for our small 16 person network. This was the first time I used a real business firewall so I struggled with the initial configuration. I say that firewalls offered howto videos. Glad I bought them.

CONS
This is not a toy or for the weak at heart. Compared to our old dlink this unit was full of bells and whistles. With that said, be sure you have someone on your staff who knows how to setup a sonicwall or get help doing it.

BOTTOM LINE
Overall extremely happy with this purchase. Recommended for anyone with a small business network that is looking for real internet protection. (Posted on 1/25/11)

TZ-100 to replace TZ-170 Review by Steve

Features
Value for Money
Performance
Ease of Use

I just installed a new TZ-100 firewall after using the TZ-170 with Advanced OS for the last four years. My primary motivation to upgrade was that my cable internet connection offers 5Mbps download speed, but when using the Gateway Antivirus and Intrusion Detection, I was only able to use around 1.5Mbps for downloads.

The faster processor in the TZ-100 makes a big difference. I am now getting 3.7Mbps download speeds with antivirus and intrusion detection. But that still disappoints me. When I bought this firewall, I was told that I would get the full throughput of the internet connection. But that only happens if you do not use these two optional licenses.

As long as you understand this, you will be happy. But just because they tell you you'll get the full throughput doesn't mean that you really will. (Posted on 8/26/09)

Excellent solution for cable modem customers Review by mattd

Features
Value for Money
Performance
Ease of Use

One main feature of this product that makes it a must have for many cable customers is its speed. Most cable customers use a Linksys or Netgear cable router/switch/firewall (usually with a tag line of "web safe" or something like that.

However if you have a cable provider that supports (and charges) for more than 10 mbps down speeds the Linksys/Netgear family is a bust. With the firewall feature turned off the best these devices can deliver is just under 20 mbps. With the firewall on its limited to 10 mbps ( actually don't know what Linksys claims but that is my real world experience). So you are paying for speed that you will just never get. Enter the TZ 100. At the price its a real champ. Will full protection on you get 25 mbps and with only the "weak" protection you get 100 mbps. Frankly for most home user the "weak" protection is probably just fine.

Setup was mostly easy but I could not find the default admin password anywhere in their install documents so I guessed and got it on the 3rd try. I also had to bounce both the firewall and my cable model a few times to get them to play nicely together.

If you are installing on an existing network where you have a few devices its worth the effort to reboot everything and if any device has a static IP address to release that address and give it a new one more in line with the Sonicwall range scheme.

Overall for the price the TZ 100 is a real winner. (Posted on 7/22/09)