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Barracuda CloudGen Firewall F-Series F400 - firewall - with 3 years Energize Updates

Mfg # BNGF400A3 CDW # 2636483 | UNSPSC 43222501

Quick tech specs

  • Firewall
  • GigE
  • rack-mountable
  • with 3 years Energize Updates
  • 1U
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Know your gear

The Barracuda NextGen Firewall F400 with 3 year Energize Updates subscription is the enterprise-grade network firewall that combines comprehensive, next-generation firewall capabilities - based on application visibility and user-identity awareness - with optimal efficiency and throughput. The Barracuda NextGen Firewall meets the enterprise requirements of massive scalability, easy and efficient management across dispersed networks, low resource consumption, and high performance for business-critical applications. Coordinated WAN optimization, centralized management, and cloud-hosted content filtering and reporting are just a few of the key features. The Barracuda NextGen Firewall is also available as a virtual appliance. Features of the Barracuda NextGen Firewall include application control, IPS, web security, intelligent traffic flow control and IPsec VPN.

This item was discontinued on July 02, 2019

Enhance your purchase

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall F-Series F400 - firewall - with 3 years Energiz is rated4.47 out of5 by15.
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Enables us to apply our policies to the program and isn't too expensiveWhat is our primary use case?Our primary use case for this solution is data protection.What is most valuable?The features I find most valuable is the VPN and the fact that we can apply our policies to the program.What needs improvement?I would like to see a more user-friendly dashboard and an easier interface.For how long have I used the solution?I've been using Barracuda CloudGen Firewall for two months.What do I think about the stability of the solution?I am very satisfied with how stable the solution is.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?The program is definitely scalable.If you previously used a different solution, which one did you use and why did you switch?We used Linux software before for the firewall but in the end, we chose this solution because it seemed to be the best for our company.How was the initial setup?I did the installation in cooperation with my consultant and the deployment took about six to seven hours.What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?The program is not too expensive. We pay around 150 to 200 Euros per year and there are no additional costs.What other advice do I have?My advice to others would be to get familiar with firewalls logic. My rating for this program is 9.5 out of ten. Not a ten because I would like better technical support and a better interface.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-08-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from The product is great, and it fulfilled our expectations. However, we found it a little harder to configure than others.Valuable FeaturesIn the time we were using it:* Intrusion Prevention System/Intrusion Detection System (IPS/IDS)* Layer 7 filtering* DDoS prevention* HA* Traffic management, among others.Improvements to My OrganizationDuring the testing time, the improvement was prominent as we stop unwanted outgoing traffic and were able to get real-time logs. This provided us with better bandwidth administration and usage.Room for ImprovementIf I compare it to other firewalls like Kerio Control, I would say that, probably, the GUI/Configuration Menu is something that could be more user friendly.Use of SolutionWe used it for almost two months while we were researching firewall solutions and this was one option.Deployment IssuesNot much, the problem was on our side because it was the first time with this kind of firewall (and brand), but the installation of the virtual appliance was really easy.Stability IssuesNone, from the first day to the last, the firewall ran with no issues at all.Scalability IssuesNone at all as long as you have the money to pay for the licenses to scale the system.Customer Service and Technical SupportCustomer Service: Nil, here in Argentina, the distributor was limited to providing the price of the product. We had to resolve issues by doing our own research.Technical Support: We didn´t use the technical support, however we watched, many times, the webinars that Barracuda gave.Previous SolutionsAt that time we were using pfSense, which is not bad at all, but we needed something more enterprise-class like, and Barracuda Networks gave that to us. The monitoring tools are great.Initial SetupCompared with other Firewalls, yes, it was complex but that´s for two reasons,* The firewall has plenty of options to configure* Because we were not trained or used to this kind of firewall, the initial set-up was longImplementation TeamWe installed this application on our own, and we didn't receive any advice on it. I can say that the Latin America team at Barracuda took some time to reply to our questions through email.Other Solutions ConsideredWe were evaluating a lot of appliances/firewalls/UTM like,* Sonicwall* Checkpoint* Bluecoat* Kerio Control* Cisco ASA* Sophos Gateway (formerly Astaro Gateway)There were also many others that I don´t remember now as well. We were looking for simplicity and effectiveness.Other AdviceTry it before you buy. Barracuda gives the chance to try the hardware and the software before buying it so you can test all the things that you will need and use day-to-day. And if you can, take a seminar to get the most out of the devices. However we found the product a little harder to configure than others, and so it´s not a product for unskilled/inexperienced administrators. You will need training to get the best of this product.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2015-04-14T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Gives us greater control while also enhancing securityWhat is our primary use case?Our primary use case for this solution is to replace vendor-managed MPLS with in-house managed SD-WAN.How has it helped my organization?This solution has allowed us to use multiple commodity internet connections at our locations, added greater control of internet usage, and enhanced security.What is most valuable?The most valuable features are SD-WAN, URL filtering, IPS, and virus scanning.What needs improvement?The technical manuals, at times, have images that don't match the actual screens and are not always as clear as they could be on the configuration. This requires a call to their very good support department.For how long have I used the solution?One year.How are customer service and technical support?Technical support is very good.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-05-31T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from We have enjoyed a reduction in labor from using this productWhat is our primary use case?We use it for security.How has it helped my organization?We enjoy the reduction in terms of labor.What is most valuable?* The brand* Agility* Price per performanceWhat needs improvement?The usability for the administrator's experience needs improvement. My system administrator has some questions about its overall connectivity and flexibility.I would like to see UI improvements in the next release.For how long have I used the solution?Less than one year.What do I think about the stability of the solution?It is very stable, but I don't think we stress it to its capabilities.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?The scalability meets our needs. It should scale to our short term growth needs without a problem, as our environment is fairly small. We are a small to midsize business.How is customer service and technical support?The technical support is good.How was the initial setup?The AWS integration and configuration was easy to use and set up.What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?Purchasing through AWS Marketplace was good. We did it because it was easy.It would be nice if the pricing and licensing offered for less.What other advice do I have?I would recommend to check out this product.We have used other versions besides AWS, and we are still comparing them.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2018-12-11T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from You can program it to detect certain attacks, and it will automatically insulate or block the IPWhat is our primary use case?We implement it for customers. We have some customers in Mexico who need that kind of technology. We sell that technology to them. Some of our customers have experience working with previous versions of Barracuda; they ask us to implement that kind of device. We have certification with Barracuda, we have certification with some other brands.What is most valuable?Barracuda has a very simple interface, very good security, all the features of the best firewalls in the market, but with a very friendly interface.Something that we've seen that Barracuda, and some other brands also, have. When you program the firewall to detect certain kinds of attacks, Barracuda can detect that kind of attack and automatically insulate, or remove, or encapsulate the very specific IP, if it's internal. And if it's external it just blocks any kind of communication with that specific IP. If you want, Barracuda will warn the security team. If you allow, or release, that IP, it will continue communication. If not, it will block it forever, or until you release it.Internally, we'll remove it until you release also, but we allow the IT team to review what is happening with that particular piece of equipment, a computer, a laptop, a server, any kind of device into which a "back door" can be opened or through which they're trying to get some information. Barracuda can help with that. That is one of the most important features we've seen with Barracuda.I cannot mention the name, due to the NDA that we have signed with a financial company, a financial entity. But we implemented Barracuda with them. Right now they are monitoring all the information that their employees are managing. If an employee tries to get or move a file that is not permitted to them - for example if he wants to copy it to a USB - he will not have the right to do that, because Barracuda manages who has the right to copy, and what you copy to a USB. The USB is encrypted with a specific code from Barracuda and will only be decrypted into any other laptop in the company if they allow it to see it.Even in the network, a feature of Windows is to see how you are sharing files. Barracuda can help you to monitor how you are moving files.When you are sending information to an external email address, Barracuda can warn you when you are trying to access a private or personal email, or trying to upload information; it's not allowing you to do that. That was the biggest feature that that financial entity admired in Barracuda, among others.Easy integration with some other systems like LDAP or Active Directory to manage other permissions and the division of external access and internal access.What needs improvement?The problem we found was with the issue of configuration. Our engineers are working with some other brands, they have knowledge of other brands. With Barracuda it's a matter of translating the comments. So maybe one company calls something a "black box" and with Barracuda they call "black" "dark." So it's a matter of getting to know it.For how long have I used the solution?One to three years.What do I think about the stability of the solution?We had only one issue. But after we did the analysis and we escalated the issue with the Barracuda service desk, the issue was shown to be coming from a failure in a RAM memory card in the Barracuda. That issue was detected by technical support. They sent a replacement, it solved the issue, and we continued working.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?No issues with scalability.How is customer service and technical support?When we buy the device for the customer, we buy the Enhanced Support, the extended support contract, 24/7 support. When we write in with issues we get very quick answers from technical support. The communication with their engineers is very fluid.We had a couple of sessions at one point; the engineer working with us never put down the phone. When her work hours were supposed to end, we changed to another engineer, but not immediately. The first one didn't say goodbye immediately. She stayed behind for 30 minutes to explain and transfer the case to the other engineer and we completed the test with the other engineer. He detected the failure and created the RMA to change the problematic piece and that was it.Which solutions did we use previously?We are not entirely switching to Barracuda. We want to, but we are not because before we started selling Barracuda we had invested in other brands and, obviously, in the accounting and in reality, we need to complete using them. But yes, we are thinking of moving to Barracuda after we have had it for three years. We want to show our customers that we are using the technology we are selling.The firewall we are using in our company is Palo Alto, it's a very good firewall, a very robust firewall as well. But when we are doing the comparison with Barracuda we can see it's not the same. The biggest difference between the brands is pricing.How was the initial setup?This is something that I have never specifically asked my technical team. The simple answer is that they have told me there is no problem. It's very easy. We only need to know the names of the commented bits, because there are some comments where the names are changing.Which other solutions did I evaluate?We compared Barracuda with Cisco. We compared Barracuda, at that time, with Fortinet. When we did the comparison we felt Cisco was another great product. But the difference in this case, what made Barracuda the winner, was the price, at that time.What other advice do I have?We are an information technology service provider in telecommunications. We can supply any kind of device, for a datacenter, and contact centers, for our customers. We are using technology from Dell, HPE, Palo Alto, Barracuda, and some other brands to implement technology solutions for customers.Our principal service is a managed service, information security services, or cyber security. We sell those services to different customers in Mexico. We are serving Central America and some other countries in Latin America.I give Barracuda an eight out of 10 because they can still give more to the end-user. They still have things they can improve. They have very good features but I think they can improve some of those features and make it into a super service. Today, they are a good solution. It could be a super solution.Regarding Barracuda, Google has been using that technology for a very long time. If a company like Google is using that technology...Take the opportunity to get to know the device. You need to request a proof of concept, in the case that you are comparing it with another brand. That is the best way to show what Barracuda can do, completely. It's not the same as a simple server, or any other device.If you only want to secure internet access, Barracuda will comply completely with all the features you require. But if you have public servers, and you are looking for more security options, etc., and don't want to spend a lot, Barracuda is what you are looking for. If you are a company that has no specific standard to follow, Barracuda is what you are looking for. It has very good hardware, it has very good software - or operating system - and they have very good features and good pricing. If you compare it with other brands, Barracuda is a very good solution.Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner.
Date published: 2018-02-19T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from We use it as a border firewall. We use it to control all in/out Internet traffic.What is our primary use case?My current company operates in the financial arena so we have to maintain our infrastructure according to leading security standards (PCI DSS and PA-DSS). These devices allow us to pass external and internal penetration tests by supporting all the recommendations of those standards.What is most valuable?At the moment, the most valuable features are Application Control (Layer 7 filtering) and IPS/IDS. For existing network architecture, we use Barracuda NG Firewall as a border firewall. We use it to control all in/out Internet traffic.What needs improvement?Sometimes we have a need for detailed reports. Barracuda NG Firewall does not have a reports module and uses a satellite application (Barracuda NG Firewall Report Creator). In some cases, this report is uncomfortable to use.For how long have I used the solution?More than five years.What do I think about the stability of the solution?Yes, we have had stability issues, but we use Barracuda NG firewall in HA mode. Therefore, we did not have problems with availability of services. HA mode operates very well.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?We have had no issues due to scalability.How is customer service and technical support?On a scale from one to 10, my rating is an eight. Level 1 and 2 of their support are good, but if you want serious expertise (Level 3), there are some issues. This is related to my area, maybe it is different in some other areas.Which solutions did we use previously?I have personally used a lot of different solutions in my career (Cisco, Fortinet, Check Point, etc.).I switched to this solution for the first time due to group standards. After trying this solution, I liked it and it became one of my favorites.How was the initial setup?The setup is very intuitive for people with network technology knowledge.What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?It is a product with a very transparent model of licensing. In the sense of hidden expenses, they do not exist with this model.Which other solutions did I evaluate?We evaluated a lot of different options. We concluded that Barracuda NG Firewall provided the most features for an exemplary price.What other advice do I have?My advice is to try and evaluate it (Barracuda offers a trial period of one month). I think that a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised with its possibilities.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2018-01-24T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Single device, multiple functions - I don't need to buy a WAF, proxy server, or VPN device - all are built-inHow has it helped my organization?Much quicker deployment, ease of troubleshooting and better cost compared to our previous solution.What is most valuable?* Ease of use and troubleshooting.* Very easy to quickly identify issues and resolve them.* Add-on features such as Virus Scanning, ATP, and web filtering - These features add another level of protection and block malware before it gets to the end user.* Single device, multiple functions - I do not need to purchase a web application firewall, a proxy server, a VPN device and so many others because these are all built in to this one device.* TINA (Transport Independent Network Architecture) VPN features - Allows automatic VPN configuration with little or no input from the tech. Drag and drop lines between Barracuda units and the VPN is automatically built.What needs improvement?Can be underpowered if you choose to use all available add-on features. Just be careful when sizing your unit. Make sure you take into account what features you will be turning on, and work with your sales rep to get the model that can handle that load.For how long have I used the solution?Three to five years.What do I think about the stability of the solution?No stability issues.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?No scalability issues.How is customer service and technical support?I would rate the technical support nine out of 10.Which solutions did we use previously?This product was much easier to deploy, manage and troubleshoot than my previous solution.How was the initial setup?Straightforward, very intuitive.What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?Pricing is good. Licensing is pretty much automatic if using Control Center.Which other solutions did I evaluate?Cisco and Fortinet.What other advice do I have?I rate it a nine out of 10 due to its ease of installation, great technical support, very intuitive user interface, and numerous features.Go through the training course.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2018-02-21T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from An easy solution to implement, but lacks support for deploying containersWhat is our primary use case?Our primary use case of this solution is to provide services with a firewall to our clients. We mostly deploy internet gateways in their data centers.We do not have this product installed in our environment.What is most valuable?The most valuable feature for us is the ability to offer firewall support to our clients.What needs improvement?We would like to see a solution that is focused on container deployment, which is very important right now. Clients are looking at those kinds of deployment more often, so it has become a center of focus.For how long have I used the solution?Three to five years.What do I think about the stability of the solution?This is a very stable solution. Once you have deployed it following the criteria, you almost never have to touch it.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?The scalability depends on the deployment and it depends on the use case.How was the initial setup?The installation is straightforward if you know what you are doing, but the vendor provides many resources for clients. It is up to the client and the provider to learn how to use the tool correctly.The length of time for deployment depends on the use case and the client, but we have worked on deployments for between two and four months. That is the approximate timeframe.What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?In the Latin market, it tends to be a little expensive. However, it is our job to show the value of the solution so that the client can understand the return on investment.In general, it tends to be cheaper than most solutions. I would say that it is cost effective.What other advice do I have?We suggest to our clients that training is the first thing they should do after deployment. This is because it is very important that they know how to operate and maintain the product. It allows them to be self-sufficient when it comes to maintenance.If you have sufficient knowledge then you can deploy and maintain the solution with no issues.I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-04-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from We had some problems getting the TINA tunnels working. Now that they are working they're valuable.Valuable Features* TINA tunnels* Real time firewall logs* GFI editorImprovements to My OrganizationIt upgraded the previous Linux Clark Connect infrastructure and established proper site to site VPN tunnels for all offices across Canada and the US.Room for ImprovementThe GUI can be confusing and overwhelming at times.Use of SolutionI've used it for two years.Deployment IssuesInitially we had some problems getting the TINA tunnels working, but after a while things went well. The support techs for the product were great.Stability IssuesNo issues encountered.Scalability IssuesNo issues encountered.Customer Service and Technical SupportCustomer Service: 9/10.Technical Support: 9/10.Previous SolutionsWe used Clark Connects and we switched because the product was at its end of life and was no longer supported by the Linux community.Initial SetupSetting up the BGRP routing protocol was a bit confusing but otherwise not so much. The ability to create the shell of the gateways before deployment on the NG management made things fairly straight forward.Implementation TeamWe did it in-house.ROIIt has offered improved network monitoring and intrusion prevention which we otherwise had none of. The office was under constant spamming by Chinese and Russian IP sub-nets and at one time the exchange server was covertly hijacked as an SMTP relay. The NG gateways helped mitigate these issues.Other AdviceIf you have an issue call support. If you're a Cisco net tech prepare for different terminology and network design.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2015-03-31T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from The VPN tunnel provides a secure environment in the organization but sometimes you are unable to login using the default login.Valuable FeaturesThe VPN feature.Improvements to My OrganizationThe drag and drop features of VPN are really convenient to be configured. Additionally, the VPN tunnel provides a secure environment in the organization.Room for ImprovementNothing much except some little buggy issue sometimes, such as unable to login using the default login when out-of-box and will required factory reset once again.Use of SolutionAbout one year.Deployment IssuesNothing much except some buggy issues sometimes as mentioned above.Stability IssuesNothing much except some buggy issues sometimes as mentioned above.Scalability IssuesNo issues encountered.Customer Service and Technical SupportCustomer Service: 5/10.Technical Support: 7/10.Previous SolutionsWe switched as this is cheaper than our previous solution.Initial SetupIt is pretty straightforward for a basic configuration.Other Solutions ConsideredWe also looked at Cisco ASA.Other AdviceRequest the assistance of experts when going for a deployment.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2015-03-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from If we didn't have the product, then we would be spammed constantlyWhat is our primary use case?We are mostly using it for spam filtering. We have had great success with Barracuda Cloud, using it to block any spam before it even gets to our on-premise devices. I also had the same results occur at my previous place of employment, so I have had a lot of success with the product.How has it helped my organization?If we didn't have it, then we would be spammed constantly. It has cut down the amount of emails that get through to our end users.What is most valuable?* It is easy to use.* It actually works really well.* Barracuda is very prompt at blocking any new spam which comes out.What needs improvement?To start working with spam, it takes a while because the product has to see that multiple emails are coming in with all the spam. If it could reduce that amount of time, then we would reduce the amount of users who are receiving spam.For how long have I used the solution?Three to five years.What do I think about the stability of the solution?It is very stable. We haven't had any issues with it on the cloud or even on-premise. On-premise, we have two of them that are set to high availability, and they have never gone down.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?It is very scalable, especially with its cloud feature. It doesn't matter how many users I have on my end, and we are a shop of about 800 to 1000 users. So, it is working perfectly.How is customer service and technical support?I have called in a few times to the tech support, and they have been on top of it. If I have a problem, they respond immediately to help. Whomever I speak with is very knowledgeable about the product. Therefore, I have not had any issues with the technical support.How was the initial setup?The initial setup for on-premise was an easy setup.Which other solutions did I evaluate?I wasn't part of the evaluation process.What other advice do I have?Give Barracuda a try because it has been successful in my experience. The product is foolproof. It has done everything that we have needed with the amount of email that we receive, and it handles it quite well. So, I would give it a ten out of ten and recommend it to anyone for use.I have used the on-premise and Barracuda Cloud versions of the product. We are only now looking into AWS.They are already pushing it out to the cloud and putting another layer in front of it before it even gets to me.Disclaimer: IT Central Station contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2018-12-27T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Inbound and outbound traffic analysis is a key featureWhat is our primary use case?Barracuda X200 is the edge of our home system for VPN traffic. It provides IPsec to two other sites, including remote VPN access for users who are off the network.What is most valuable?* Inbound and outbound traffic analysis* Rule creation wizard* GUI portal* Quality online supportWhat needs improvement?The unit seems to be handling our 150MB pipe okay, but logger refresh leaves a bit to be desired.A rule for email announcements, when configured hits occur, would be a great improvement for a more efficient experience.For how long have I used the solution?Three to five years.Which solutions did we use previously?We replaced an underperforming, continually locking Cisco RV130 unit. However, the two are not an "apples to apples" comparison.Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2018-08-20T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Updating firewalls, both for firmware and on fixes, requires a couple of mouse clicks. However, initial deployment required a steep learning curve.Improvements to My OrganizationSince updating single boxes or large amounts of systems only requires a couple of mouse clicks, it allows us to keep the firewalls up to date, both for firmware and on fixes, in demanding locations around the globe. This process is such that we trust it to handle nearly impossible to reach systems too.Valuable FeaturesThe real difference is the fact that it truly scales, and fully managing a thousand firewalls ( https://www.itcentralstation.com/category/firewalls ) worldwide with a team of two is quite doable. Even with serious hardware failures, you can often still securely manage the system and analyze the issue at hand, or even fix certain issues. Other indispensable functions, are the full transparency of handled data, both real time and historical, the ability to create VPN tunnels in the blink of an eye, the multiple parallel VPN tunnels, and near infinite routing options.Room for ImprovementAlthough IPv6 was implemented a couple of years ago in the Barracuda NG Firewalls, the real use of IPv6 is still rare. This means that the “real world exposure” of these parts is less than the IPv4 parts. This is obviously a general issue for security vendors.Stability IssuesNone what so ever, we use these systems in critical 24x7x365 environments because of their stability and resiliency.Scalability IssuesBarracuda offers a wide range of models ranging up to 40 GB sustained firewall throughput, and since all their systems work from a single image, I’ve never had an issue with scaling or migrating them.The Barracuda NG Firewall, managed through the Barracuda Control Center thrives in large to very large environments. Unlike other vendors, the management really scales. Managing (all aspects) a thousand firewalls anywhere in the world with just a couple of engineers, is quit doable. The current practical maximum of firewalls to manage simultaneously is around 7,500, but that is quite beyond my scope.Customer Service and Technical SupportCustomer Service:I’ve been in IT for nearly 40 years, and I’ve had my share of dealings with “service/support organizations”, often service/support was just the name of the department, but down the line it got a different meaning. Barracuda’s definition of support however extends every definition of the term to a new level.These guys are accessible, no phone trees etc., they are polite, extremely knowledgeable, and customer oriented. Officially you need a subscription to be eligible for support, but I’ve never seen them turn their back on anyone. Barracuda Service is really Barracuda Service.Technical Support:There is not really a difference between customer service and technical support except maybe in the questions asked (and the people assigned to answer these questions).Every user is entitled to full technical support which, as states, is unsurpassed in the IT industry.Previous SolutionsI’ve been working with firewalls in small, medium and world scale solutions, since approx. 1994. and have dealt with a substantial amount of systems from number of vendors (like Check Point, Juniper NetScreen, Cisco PIX and ASA and some smaller ones).Over the years, I’ve seen many sales guys promising “the world” but upon closer scrutiny actually offering very little. I must confess that I told the Barracuda (Phion back than) sales guy of my experiences, and his reply was; “you’re right, I’ll organize a phone conference with one of the developers”. My immediate reply was “Do these guys talk to mortals?”After a very frank and open call lasting far beyond the one hour initially set, I was convinced that this product truly did stand out. Seven years of experience later, I’m even more convinced that this solution is unparalleled.Initial SetupLet me rephrase, my “first setup” was complex, as the Barracuda NG firewall is different to others, but once you understand what you’ve got, and can get your head around it, it’s tremendously straightforward.Implementation TeamI’ve received full training of the Barracuda NG Firewall, and I’m the guy that designs the entire environment, and gets to setup the complex parts, and for the really insane tweaks, I can always count on the help of the entire Barracuda team. They are always reachable and will come over on short notice for special cases. These are the people who were part of team that build the systems back in the very early 2000’s and working with these guys is always a pleasure.Pricing, Setup Cost and LicensingIt is a real next generation firewall, if you’re looking for any run of the mill box and have little requirements, it’s probably not for you. If your requirements are more demanding and especially if you’ve got a number of locations, this is the product to consider.The price itself is in the normal range, so the real benefit lies in the savings in management and amount of staff. Furthermore, Barracuda offers a so called instant replacement contract that not only entitles you to replacement of defective hardware, but also after four years enables you to replace the system with a brand new system for free.Other Solutions ConsideredAs stated, I’ve worked with firewalls from different vendors, also in quite large environments, but they are no match for the Barracuda NG Firewall, not by a long shot. The vendors were:* Check Point* Cisco PIX and ASA* Juniper NetScreen* CyberGuard* SonicWALL* IISOther AdviceAlthough it is a truly great firewall it is certainly not a “run of the mill” product, and even if you have thorough knowledge of other firewall environment, don’t go in there without a good partner that will guide and support you.Not really a Barracuda NG Firewall but a Barracuda rack mounted device (EON) that is capable of running the NG Firewall, next to instances of e.g. Web Application Firewall, Web Filters, etc., the sustained throughput on these boxes is around 250 GB.Showing an F10, low-end, firewall and an F600, mid-range, model Barracuda NG FirewallJust the first screen of a (demo env.) Barracuda Control Center showing the status of some firewallsThe Barracuda tool (NGEarth) that allows you to monitor in real time your VPN tunnels and system status (again demo)Example showing traffic history (just one of the many screens.)Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Diamond partner since 2008
Date published: 2015-07-22T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides real-time, deep, user-level monitoring, single sign-on, and integrates with ADWhat is our primary use case?We use it for priority level security, to manage single sign-on applications and user base policy from a single firewall device. We use it for SSL inspection, for SSL site-to-site, for point-to-site, and for user base policy allocation.How has it helped my organization?I'm a network and cyber security consultant. This is not only for my offices, I have deployed it for many large enterprises where customers are remotely accessing their applications. We can define user application-level access, so our customers can work anytime from anywhere.What is most valuable?Live monitoring of what is happening inside and with the interfaces, either ingress or egress - this is a good feature of the device.Secondly, most people use enterprise applications remotely, and there is no license for SSL VPN, or in other words point-to-site. There is no limit. On other devices there is a specific limit and you have to pay per use for SSL VPN.Single sign-on is also good. If you are accessing your corporate firewall from your home, during that time there is an integration with the AD. You can use your AD's password to access your SSL VPN. It's not like if you buy a traditional SSL VPN. You have to define a specific password for your remote client application but there is no requirement of defining a specific password - which you would have to request from your admin - or to buy a token which can generate a password for your integration. You can directly integrate with your AD. If you change your password on the AD side, your client-to-VPN password also gets changed. You can integrate all your passwords from a single console. The admin doesn't has to change your password, it's a single sign-on.What needs improvement?It's a little bit complex in terms of handling. If you implement a change, there is a specific point where you have to commit it. It's not like you just push a button and it's always committed. If you don't know to check whether your commit command has been executed or not... that is something Barracuda needs to work on.Secondly, when you do any commit, it locks your next access. If you are making a change to the device, from the security standpoint it's fine, but from the admin side it's not good. When you make changes, after each and every one it becomes locked.For how long have I used the solution?Three to five years.What do I think about the stability of the solution?It's really a good and stable product. I have worked with multiple firewall products and I can say that this is really very robust, good hardware. It's also good on the cloud side. I have deployed it on both sides, either on the public cloud or a virtual space, or a physical environment.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?No scalability issues at all. When you buy this product it gives you multiple options: What can the maximum number of employees be, what can the number of concurrent users be. It's really good, there is no problem with the usability.One of the most important parts is that there is auto-upgrade of the hardware every fourth year.How is customer service and technical support?I would say technical support is lacking. They don't have strong technical support; their abilities are not so good. The support is not fabulous, it's okay. They need to improve their support.Which solutions did we use previously?I have used Cisco, Fortinet, Check Point, Palo Alto, Sophos Cyberoam, Dell SonicWall, and Juniper (both SRX and NetScreen).One of the reasons I switched to Barracuda is that I was looking for real-time monitoring and Barracuda is good for that.Secondly, SD-WAN. The first time I used this a question which occurred to me was regarding software-defined WAN technology. I wanted to go to a software-defined WAN and Barracuda have a specific protocol called TINA (Transport Independent Network Architecture). You can create a master policy over the internet and it allows you to do Quality of Services on top of it. It's really helpful for me.When I saw that this box comes with software-defined WAN technology, along with all the firewall options, the specific user-level deep monitoring and real-time monitoring, that made me more curious about it.How was the initial setup?Initially, it's complex when no one is familiar with it. The first time you use it, it is a really complex solution.We have spent a good amount of time to "get in" to this box.What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?Pricing and licensing are fine. It's worth the value because if I buy any other product, every four years I have to replace my hardware. But with Barracuda I get a free hardware upgrade. Today I'm using Xbox. After four years I can take another Xbox or a Ybox.What other advice do I have?When I initially started using it I was just an end-user, a technical consultant. And one of my customers said to me, "I want these and these features." I searched a number of products with respect to the customer's requirements and we chose Barracuda. I then signed on to be an OEM partner with Barracuda, about four years ago.It's good to go with Barracuda. If your work is only on the internet, you can go with this product. If you want to create your own MPLS network, or you are more focused on application performance over the internet, you can go with Barracuda.I would not blindly say go with any given product because there are multiple factors to consider. For example, there is no license for SSL. When you have a greater number of remote users, and you don't know what kind of scalability you will need, that is another thing. If you have multiple offices, all inter-connected via the internet, you want a single management console through which you can manage all you firewalls. In that case, Barracuda could be a good option.If you want to buy a product which can challenge the industry-recognized leaders, like Palo Alto or Check Point, you should consider this product.I rated it at nine out of 10. It's not a 10 because of their training - it takes a long time to understand this product. Also, it locks after each and every change, which is problematic. Also, when you login from some sources, there is no feature which can log you out after a certain timeout.Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:OEM Partner.
Date published: 2018-02-21T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable, easy to scale, and the support is goodWhat is most valuable?What I like best about this product are the support and the features.What needs improvement?The interface should be more user-friendly and it should be easier to configure.The inclusion of a load-balancing capability in the future would be helpful.For how long have I used the solution?I have been using Barracuda CloudGen Firewall for about a year.What do I think about the stability of the solution?This is a stable firewall solution.What do I think about the scalability of the solution?This product is easy to scale.How are customer service and technical support?The support is okay but the response time is quite long.How was the initial setup?The initial setup is difficult and the deployment took a few days.What other advice do I have?My advice for anybody who is considering this solution is to do a proof of concept first, to make sure that it meets the requirements.I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.Which deployment model are you using for this solution?On-premisesDisclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:partner
Date published: 2020-04-07T00:00:00-04:00

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