Untangle NG Firewall vs. Zscaler Internet Access

Midsized business is where I have used it. Have used it to connect to other Untangle boxes across town and in other countries with NO issues and works with MS Domains across these VPN connections. Probably less appropriate for small home networks or large businesses.

Incentivized

Zscaler Internet Access has extremely powerful category selection and it is very easy to create your own destinations for inspection and policy exceptions (SSL exception specifically). It is also very affordable and just as powerful (if not more) than some of the other solutions I have used in the past to achieve internet security.

Incentivized

• The firewall is easy to set up and manage.
• The open VPN while not as feature rich as some other options is rock solid and consistently needs nothing
• The web filter app is great, it's easy to block broad categories or specific things as well as white list whatever is needed.
• Support is responsive and accurate.

Incentivized

• The depth that Cloud App control policies can go into. Being able to control individual actions within an application, more than just all or nothing access.
• The UX/UI design makes it really easy to navigate the portal.
• Understanding how cloud app/url control policy gets evaluated and creating/editing existing policy is extremely straightforward.

Incentivized

• The UI could be a little flashier.
• Getting your license file moved from one firewall to another can be tough at times... but support is great if you need it.
• Ability to upload reports to a portal versus getting them emailed would be best (some reports can get 100+ Mb depending on all the bells and whistles).

Incentivized

• Easier interface on the menus so they don't disappear.
• Help, I'm contacting support only through the ZIA portal, but I'm unable to use the link easily.
• Mobile interface changes.
• The searching function for the logs is tricky and challenging to use, and the menu always pops down when trying to find the proper function.

Incentivized

Service renewal is in Feb 2021. We will be renewing!

While Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) delivers critical value in cloud security and RBI compliance, I rate renewal likelihood 7/10 due to evolving needs versus platform limitations. Below is my rationale:

Key Gaps:

1. Advanced Threat Costs:

ZIA’s add-ons (e.g., Advanced DLP, Sandboxing) incur 35%+ cost premiums – straining budgets as transaction volumes (UPI/iMobile) grow 50% YoY.

2. API Banking Scalability:

ZIA’s API rate limits throttle real-time policy sync during UPI peaks (10K+ TPS), forcing workarounds for finacle integrations.

3. RBI Future-Proofing:

Limited native support for upcoming digital rupee (CBDC) security rules requires custom development, increasing compliance overhead.

Incentivized

Generally works well but seeing more and more bugs with the OpenVPN app.

Incentivized

The application is easy to install and configure on all Windows devices. To troubleshoot any internet issue, we can easily collect all the relevant logs from Zscaler and check the exact issue. The only problem is with the uninstall, as a dedicated crew needs to provide the password.

Incentivized

There are often performance issues reported

Incentivized

The phone support reps are highly competent and native-English speakers. big plus vs some other vendors with difficult to understand or less knowledgable support engineers.

Incentivized

Zscaler's ZIA support is quick and knowledgable. They respond within 1-2 hours of you submitting your ticket. They are very thorough and are typically ready to jump on a live troubleshooting session. Our ZIA platform and how we use is it unique so at times tickets can be open for weeks but we alway get quality support compared to other unrelated product support in our enterprise

Incentivized

I could never come close with these two products to the level of functionality and security I have with Untangle. Simply put, there is absolutely no contest. In addition, the cost of these other solutions was many thousands more than the academic cost for Untangle. Many times have I experienced threats and inappropriate content passing through these other products. All of that was stopped the moment I implemented Untangle, even before I started to customize the settings.

Incentivized

Zscaler Internet Access is most akin to ZPA - we bought both at the same time to handle all traffic internally and externally. In terms of quality - I would make the statement that Zscaler Internet Access is a simpler product but that's also cause there are no App Connectors involved in that process.

Incentivized

• Easy setup and implementation made ROI easy to achieve. An Untangle HA solution is 1/2-1/3 the cost of a comparable Cisco/Checkpoint/Palo Alto solution.
• non-business internet usage has nearly ground to a halt.
• SD-WAN integration made it easy to connect branch offices quickly without complicated IPSEC configuration.

Incentivized

• Has allowed us to remove other products that were suboptimal
• Saved us money overall by stacking it with other Zscaler products
• Created a more secure work environment for our users through intelligent internet policies that are not needlessly restrictive while still maintaining security best practices

Incentivized