The Sophos XG106 is near the entry-level of the XG line of Next-Gen security appliances. However, it is hugely popular. It replaces the XG105, with greater onboard storage. 4 GB of RAM, to be specific. This small appliance is easy to own, currently on sale from under $450 at Corporate Armor. Even armed with TotalProtect Plus, it starts at just $687.
It’s part of the foundation of the XG series, which is Sophos’ range of easy-to-deploy, easy-to-manage appliances that can fit just about any network size – from home office to small business to enterprise.
The XG106 is well-known for superior visibility into risky activity, as well as the ability to stop both known and unknown threats quickly and effectively. When it comes to malware, the XG106 can see it, stop it, and secure it. And, like all XG firewalls, the XG106 integrates flawlessly with Sophos Intercept X Endpoint Protection software.
If you’re looking for completely centralized network protection in a desktop appliance that’s packed with outsized security features, the Sophos XG106 is for you.
Under the hood
The Sophos XG106 has Max Firewall Throughput of 3.5 Gbps, and NGFW Throughput of 480 Mbps. IPS Throughput is 970 Mbps, and VPN Throughput is 360 Mbps. Lastly, it runs at 450 Mbps of Antivirus Throughput. As well, it has 4 GB of RAM on board. Other than being slightly faster, this is the main difference between this and the XG105 it replaces.
Installation of the XG106 is a breeze, as it is with all Sophos firewalls. The web browser quickstart wizard guides you through securing administrative access, setting up the LAN and WAN ports plus a secure wireless network, and adding an email address for alerting.
You can purchase additional security services a la carte, but the best and most efficient way to get the most out of your XG106 is to purchase it as part of a bundle. There are two bundle types, EnterpriseProtect Plus, and TotalProtect Plus.
All XG firewalls integrate across the whole Sophos product family through Sophos Central, in the cloud. Firewall, email, wireless, mobile devices, can be managed in the same cloud-based console. All your Sophos products talk to each other in this way.
XGs can catch previously unknown malware with AI-powered Artificial Intelligence. It has very good Intrusion Prevention, and Advanced Threat and Botnet protection, as well.
XG or SG? Which one’s right for me?
Basically, the hardware on the SG and XG series are identical in terms of CPU, RAM, memory and ports. The main difference is that SG Series appliances come pre-installed with UTM 9 firmware while XG firewalls come pre-installed with XG Firewall firmware. As a newer product, the XG’s Sophos Firewall Operating System (SFOS) is updated more frequently.
However, it is possible to install the SFOS of the XG Firewall on SG hardware. The license can then be migrated 1:1. Learn about that here.
Is the Sophos XG106 for me?
The XG106 is truly a carefree “install and forget” firewall. As long as you maintain firmware upgrades, the standard installation does an excellent job.
From setting up business rules to access points to Remote Ethernet Devices, XG106 offers an ease-of-use that is nearly unmatched. As with most of the firewalls we review, this appliance is very suitable for small-to medium-sized businesses and remote branch offices. Any firewall designed for this kind of use case has to be easy to fire up, figure out, and forget about. After all, it’s built for organizations that may not have tons of resources to throw at IT staff and security, but that nevertheless deserve first-rate protection.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us here, or call Corporate Armor at 877-449-0458. Thanks for reading!
Sophos XG106 highlights
| 3.5 Gbps Max Firewall Throughput |
| 480 Mbps NGFW Throughput |
| 970 Mbps IPS Throughput |
| 360 Mbps VPN Throughput |
| 450 Mbps Antivirus Throughput |