It is common for people to struggle with letting go of their possessions, as we tend to grow attached and comfortable with things we use regularly. Even if we don’t use them often, we can have a hard time parting with them. However, this attachment can be problematic, as it can make us hold on to things that are no longer necessary.
This same attachment can occur with our network devices, but unlike holding onto an old couch, failing to update security gear on time can put the entire network at risk. It’s important to regularly evaluate our needs, simplify our network by eliminating unnecessary items, and update critical devices to keep up with the ever-evolving threat landscape.
One crucial component of a secure network is a reliable firewall. Upgrading to the latest 7th generation SonicWall TZ Series firewall (TZ270, TZ370, TZ470, TZ570, and TZ670 Series) is essential to protect against advanced cyberattacks and meet the demands of today’s workplace. Here are the top 10 reasons to consider upgrading your legacy firewall to a SonicWall TZ Series firewall.
- It provides you with multigigabit support.
To support bandwidth-intensive applications, organizations require higher throughput and multi-gigabit ports. Moreover, having additional ports enables them to connect more devices directly to the firewall.
Upgrading to the Gen 7 TZ series next-generation firewalls is crucial because they are the first desktop form factor to feature multi-gigabit (2.5/5/10G) interfaces or fiber (SFP+, SFP) interfaces. In contrast, legacy or Gen 6 firewalls only support gigabit interfaces. Additionally, Gen 7 TZs provide a minimum of 8 ports, while Gen 6 only supports 5.
- You enjoy far better hardware upgrades.
The Gen 7 TZs offer expandable storage that facilitates various features such as logging, reporting, caching, firmware backup, and more. They also come with a secondary power supply for redundancy to ensure business continuity in the event of a failure.
Upgrading to the Gen 7 TZ series is essential because it includes an expandable storage slot that allows for up to 256GB of storage, whereas the Gen 6 series does not. The TZ670 model comes preloaded with 32GB of expandable storage, and the TZ570/670 series firewalls support two AC power supplies for redundancy. While the TZ570/670 series offers an optional redundant power supply for purchase, all other Gen 6 and Gen 7 firewalls come with only one power supply.
- Cutting-edge firewall inspection, DPI, and IPSec VPN Performance
The demand for network bandwidth continues to rise due to increased usage of applications, HD video streaming, and social media. To keep up with these demands, faster firewall inspection, DPI, and IPSec VPN performance are required to provide a secure network without compromising performance. By having faster firewall performance, organizations can take advantage of higher internet speeds and support more concurrent and remote users.
Upgrading to the Gen 7 TZs is crucial because they offer up to 3 times faster firewall, DPI, and IPSec VPN performance than Gen 6 firewalls. This increase in performance enables organizations to keep up with the growing demand for network bandwidth and support more users without sacrificing security or performance.
- A higher number of connections
Enabling a higher number of concurrent connections allows for greater scalability by supporting more simultaneous user sessions and tracking them through the firewall.
Upgrading to the Gen 7 TZs is crucial because they offer up to 15 times the maximum number of connections as Gen 6 firewalls. This increase in maximum connections enables organizations to support more simultaneous user sessions, providing greater scalability and flexibility.
- Ease of deployment and onboarding
By providing easy onboarding and a single pane of the glass management interface, organizations can reduce complexity, scale up quickly, and run their business without the need for additional IT personnel.
Upgrading to the Gen 7 series is critical because it simplifies management through Zero-Touch Deployment. This feature allows organizations to roll out Gen 7 devices across multiple locations simultaneously with minimal IT support, making it easy to manage and maintain.
- More site-to-site VPN connectivity
For organizations with remote and branch locations, such as retail POS businesses, creating a larger number of site-to-site VPN tunnels is essential. This enables organizations to connect distributed networks securely and share data.
Upgrading to the Gen 7 series is crucial because it offers up to eight times more site-to-site VPN tunnels than Gen 6 firewalls. This increase in site-to-site VPN tunnels allows organizations to connect more distributed networks securely, making it easier to share data and collaborate across locations.
- Five times more VLAN interfaces
VLANs are important for logically grouping network devices, reducing broadcast traffic, and implementing security policies that provide logical separation of devices on the same network. They also allow for better segmentation and performance of network traffic, providing greater control and flexibility for organizations.
Upgrading to the Gen 7 TZ series is essential because it offers up to five times more VLAN interfaces than the Gen 6 TZ series. This increase in VLAN interfaces provides organizations with better segmentation and performance, making it easier to manage and secure their network traffic.
- Increased max. number of access points
11ac Wave 2 technology improves the Wi-Fi user experience by supporting MU-MIMO technology. An integrated Wi-Fi option allows organizations to extend their wireless network without purchasing additional hardware, and a high number of access points supported by the firewall provides better scalability for the Wi-Fi network.
It is crucial to upgrade to Gen 7 TZ series as it offers integrated 802.11ac Wave 2 support (except TZ670) while Gen 6 only supports 802.11ac Wave 1 or 802.11n technologies. Furthermore, Gen 7 TZs support up to four times as many access points as the Gen 6 series. This upgrade will greatly enhance the Wi-Fi user experience and provide better scalability for organizations.
- Support of feature-rich brand new SonicOS7.0
The advanced SonicOS 7.0 operating system includes various modern features, such as an improved user interface, topology view, advanced security and networking, and management capabilities. It also provides TLS 1.3 and BGP routing support without requiring additional licenses.
Why Upgrade: Gen 7 Series firewalls are compatible with SonicOS 7.0, while Gen 6 Series firewalls are not. Additionally, Gen 7 firewalls come with default support for BGP routing and Stateful HA, which is not the case with Gen 6 firewalls.
- Support of 5G USB modem
To provide organizations with the ability to connect to 5G networks, the Gen 7 TZ series features a USB 3.0 port that can be used to connect a 5G dongle. Additionally, the Gen 7 TZs are compatible with 4G/LTE/3G technologies through the use of corresponding dongles. It’s important to note that this 5G technology support is not available on the Gen 6 TZ series.