Easy to install, fine blocking functionality, minimal reports, missing Web Blocker categories
Rating: 10 out of 10
IncentivizedUse Cases and Deployment Scope
We have deployed DNSWatchGo on all our company laptops. The main reason for doing this is to add another protection layer for are remote users, when they are not behind our firewalls, that protect their systems when they are within the company premises. As the protection of our firewalls can only help them when they are local or connected to our network via VPN, we need a replacement for the protections our Watchguard firewalls are providing to our company laptops, when they are online outside the company network.
Pros
- Category based application control
- IP based filtering of IPs that have been flagged as suspicious on the Watchguard databases
- Protection from phishing and other threats
Cons
- While DNSWatchgo offers the same categories as Application Control offers on the Watchguard firewalls, the WebBlocker categories are not offered.
- Reporting is minimal and could use massive upgrades.
- The identification of registered clients is flawed. It seems that the same clients are registered multiple times on the management platform, thus unnecessarily consuming licenses.
Likelihood to Recommend
While DNSWatchgo offers the same categories as Application Control offers on the Watchguard firewalls, the WebBlocker categories are not offered. This is really a disappointment and Watchgurad should really consider adding the extra WebBlocker categories to DMSWatchGo. In my opinion, reporting in DNSWatchGo is minimal to say the least and could use drastic additions. as it is today it does offer very little info to the admins. The identification of registered clients is flawed. It seems that the same clients are registered multiple times on the management platform, thus unnecessarily consuming licenses. In my experience, it is really annoying to have to remove the duplicate clients every time again and again. On the positive side, when one already has Watchguard firewalls seting up DNSWatchGo is really easy, as it shares the same categories with Watchguard firewall Application Control. So easily one can almost the firewall functionality on laptops. And we say almost, because DNSWatchGo is missing the WebBlocker categories / blocking capabilities to be considered a full firewall replacement.