Wave9_Lee

Hi @neonetman we are exclusively a Sophos XG house in terms of our schools internet and filtering offer. If you'd like any detailed product info, webex etc, then I'd be happy to arrange this. Ref Computer experts comments, we have many happy customer who made the change from SG To XG. There is a change in approach, and if you're used to something, change is often bumpy. I think because we mainly offer a managed service, where we manage and make changes on the customers behalf (but also provide training and enable customers to make their own changes where comfortable) transition is usually pretty painless (whether this is from SG to XG or from another vendor to Sophos) cheers Lee

I think the cheapest Gb (on ethernet fibre) we've done is around 4.7k, but that very much depends on where you are. 6-7k is around average I would say. If you'd like a quote, I'd be happy to send one over, PM me if you'd like one. ref the 'subject to survey' , all telecoms quotes include that, just in case there are any unexpected issues, but the annual charge should be accurate. It's the set up costs that can change if there is more infrastructure build required than expected. regards Lee

Hi @pablo007 Sophos XG can do this. On-prem, and can obviously deal with all your other firewall/filtering requirements too. The captive portal can publish a certificate too if https is required further down the line. cheers

Hi @simpsonj (or anyone) Drop me a PM or enquire here https://www.wave9.co.uk/2020/05/01/waveconnect-e4g-safe-secure-filtered-4g-internet-support-home-learning/ if you'd like to review 4G options for your school, cheers Lee

For info, all Wave 9 Managed Service customers have had the Hotfix applied and our engineers have worked over the weekend to perform the recommended remedial tasks for all appliances. All of our customers have been contacted (if we've missed anyone on here due to incorrect/out of date contact details, please email our support desk) The actions taken are precautionary, and there is no evidence that any customer data was accessed, or any firewall data exfiltrated. A detailed account of the attack is available here; https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2020/04/26/asnarok/ Thankfully Sophos identified the attack, developed a hotfix and applied to all auto-updating machines very quickly. If any Sophos users on here don't have the auto-update feature enabled on their XG, instructions are here; https://community.sophos.com/kb/en-us/135415 Any customers who need further advice or have any questions can contact us at [email protected] cheers

With the developing situation on Corvid-19, school closures are becoming more of a possibility. This from Besa: "Government adopts “reactive” approach to school closures, as new evidence shows children just as susceptible to Covid-19 School closures are one of the most beneficial non-pharmaceutical interventions that governments can take to take to combat pandemics.According to three separate studies published by the University of Michigan, John Hopkins and the University of Hiroshima, whether it be the outbreak of the H1N1 virus in Japan in 2009 or the Spanish Influenza in 1918, school closures can reduce contagion rates of a pandemic by up to 40%, as well as delay the peak of a virus by up to three weeks. Statistically, this renders school closures the most effective non-pharmaceutical intervention available to a government: more effective than banning public gatherings, shutting roads or railways, limiting public transport, border closures and international travel bans, as well as an isolated intervention based on quarantining the ill. In this light, while it may seem a drastic measure to many, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) report this week that thirteen countries have shut schools nationwide, and a further nine have enforced local closures, should not be seen as surprising." I appreciate many of our customers on edugeek are already aware, but if you're not, Remote access for homeworkers on Sophos UTM and XG is easy to set up and free. If you have any issues getting this configured, drop us a mail at [email protected] and we will help you out. Keep safe.

Hi there, if you're still trying to decide and want more info, drop me a PM or email, happy to help.

To be fair, I think most vendor support is hit and miss. They're generally large organisation with multiple, low cost 'triage' routes, that seek to filter out the noddy issues, but these delay the complex issues and it takes a while to reach the most appropriate technician. They're also generally averse to getting involved in topology or design analysis etc, as it's not technically their remit. Hence why you've had more success using a partner - that's partly why we exist. We only provide Meraki wireless, and believe it's amongst the best in the business and, when costs are spread across a term, fairly cost-effective. Because we design, install and support, hopefully customers get the most from their investment, especially in complex environments and at scale.

Yes no problem - do you want to PM me or send me an email direct [email protected]? cheers

Hi GTX, I think we spoke yesterday - shall have something over to you today, cheers

We've done it for lots of customers, yes. Is this an add-on to Endpoint Protection (i.e. it will replace your endpoint protection), or clean add-on to Sophos XG? If you think you're pricing is too high, check that you're being quoted an education price. Also there are price breaks, next one is at 200. Also 3 years term works out at about 30% discount from 12 months (per annum equivalent).

I know you're pursuing an on-prem, self managed backup, but if you're interested in managed backup with both an on-prem and cloud backup for a reasonable price, let me know, I'd be happy to send some info/pricing. All the kit is managed and under warranty and you get off-prem included.

Hi Sadams1980, I'd be happy to send over some options and info, you can PM me or give me a call/mail anytime. Thanks all for the recommendations, it's much appreciated. Lee

Happy arrange a webex demo and a chat with one of our technicians any time, cheers Lee

Sophos Phish Threat offer a free trial, which should be enough as you only need to run it periodically. https://secure2.sophos.com/en-us/products/phish-threat/free-trial.aspx?id=0013000001JH23n

Hi M4rk, Here's my opinion. Bear in mind, we don't offer anything other than Sophos as our managed filtering and firewall platform.. The Sophos XG is great value for performance choice, it'll do most of what you need really well and our support service will certainly add a lot of value to you, particularly in the early days while you get to grips with it. Sophos Reporting is fully compliant, but it's an interesting issue and certainly an area for debate - we get more interest from customers who complain about their current reporting, and this is part of their reason for moving to Sophos. Having said that, some users do sometimes want more from the reporting, and FastVue can offer a 'better' experience, particularly for 'non-technical' users. We offer Fastvue on the same basis as XG, an annual charge, split over the term, which eases the pain a little, if you're determined to go that route. However, we work very closely with Sophos and there are plans to improve reporting and alerting in the next couple of releases. The other thing to consider is that it's probably worth looking at some dedicated monitoring solution, which, combined with an XG would probably cover all of your requirements. The main (other) drivers for your decision, might be the amount of control and visibility you have of traffic and users on your network and their activity, which, as well as safeguarding, is very useful for troubleshooting other issues. As school's network and application landscape becomes more complex, my view is that on-premise (with appropriate training and support) is the better way to go. (cue incoming fire from hosted filtering providers!) We can offer webex of both Sophos and Fastvue, formal Sophos admin training (for free) and unlimited help-desk as part of our offer. The way that Vendors manage their resellers (long story) means that if you've already had a quote for an XG from a partner, it makes it more difficult for us to be engaged, but happy to have a chat about the features/benefits and idiosyncrasies of the XG platform any time : ) cheers

My twopenneth as a WAN/Internet Provider - If the sites are close, then a P2P can be slightly more cost effective than Internet links for each site, but you do have a slightly higher risk of multiple site failure. This is a similar situation with MPLS. The price difference between 1Gbps internet link, 1Gbps P2P link and 1Gbps MPLS link aren't miles apart these days (especially in urban environments). We are seeing a move to more independent connectivity and the use of VPNs because of the 'site survivability' this gives as well as flexibility, both in terms of management of slight differences between sites, and also resilience options. You can still manage centrally with the right solution. As with all these things, it sort of depends on your location and your strategic direction. You should look at all your comms options before deciding whether one of your sites is going to be a 'data-centre' or you'll host in Azure or 3rd party DC.

Just our twopenneth - this can be done on Sophos XG using IPS, cheers

We're big fans of Meraki, for performance, visibility and management - but mainly for switches and APs. When it comes to the MX, we felt the filtering wasn't appropriate for the schools environment, and as already mentioned, performance dipped when under load. Hence we opted for Sophos for Firewall/filtering

Hi Pyroman , Short notice indeed - ref broadband, not too bad if you plan to stay with an VDSL connection though. If you'd like some pricing, drop me a PM or contact me using the details below, happy to chat. cheers Lee

I'm happy to recommend a Sophos XG and provide some pricing if you'd like. Drop me a PM if interested! regards Lee

Slightly different approach is to take out the upstream services and go on-premise with a UTM (i.e. Sophos) which would give you that functionality as well as bunch of other stuff. I'm aware that LGfL were offering direct internet access options of customers who wanted their own firewall, if you're still in contract.

Thanks @synaesthesia @TJ-Diggers, drop me a line if you'd like a price and some info about the service. cheers

If anyone is interested, we have a range of offers for Bham schools to replace the outgoing service, guaranteed smooth transition (using VMB fibre), lower cost higher speeds, better service. We include phones too. drop me a PM or mail if you'd like to know more. You might know we major on Sophos, so you're current endpoint protection will integrate. cheers!

Outraged Wave 9 aren't in this poll to be honest! : )