The network security market continues to evolve rapidly as organizations grapple with increasingly sophisticated threats, distributed workforces and the complexity of managing security across hybrid environments.
Into that competitive market dynamic, SonicWall is growing its Gen8 hardware portfolio with new firewalls designed to better handle evolving network security needs. The SonicWall update spans both the desktop TZ series and rack-mounted NSa series appliances. The company is positioning this launch not as just hardware refreshes but rather as part of its evolving set of services as the company aims to be more than a firewall vendor.
The announcement introduces a unified management platform, embedded Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and co-managed services designed specifically for the MSP market.
“No longer are we, or should we be considered just the firewall vendor, because we’ve got so much more to offer,” Michael Crean, senior vice president at SonicWall, told Network World. “We’ve got managed firewall services. We’ve got our own security operations centers…we’ve got MDR, EDR, XDR, NDR, we’ve got the Rs.”
New Generation 8 TZ Series (desktop) firewall models include:
- TZ280: 8x1GbE, 2x1G SFP, 2.5 Gbps firewall throughput, 1 Gbps threat prevention
- TZ380: 8x1GbE, 2x5G/2.5G/1G SFP+, 3.5 Gbps firewall throughput, 1.5 Gbps threat prevention
- TZ380W: Same as TZ380 plus integrated 802.11ax wireless
- TZ480: 8x1GbE, 2x5G/2.5G/1G SFP+, 4 Gbps firewall throughput, 2 Gbps threat prevention
- TZ580: 8x1GbE. 2x5G/2.5G/1G SFP+, 4.5 Gbps firewall throughput, 2.2 Gbps threat prevention
- TZ680: 8x1GbE, 2x10G/5G/2.5G SFP+, 5 Gbps firewall throughput, 2.5 Gbps threat prevention
NSa series (1U rack-mounted) models include:
- NSa 4800: 24x1GbE, 8x10G SFP+, 20 Gbps firewall throughput, 13 Gbps threat prevention
- NSa 5800: 24x1GbE, 8x10G SFP+, 30 Gbps firewall throughput, 24 Gbps threat prevention
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SonicWall
Multi-gigabit connectivity addresses real market demand
The Generation 8 portfolio introduces multi-gigabit connectivity across both product lines. Even lower-end desktop models now support 2.5G and 5G.
The TZ680 delivers 2.5 Gbps threat prevention throughput with 2x10G/5G/2.5G SFP+ ports. The NSa 5800 scales to 24 Gbps threat prevention throughput and 30 Gbps firewall throughput.
Market demand is driving this connectivity expansion. Crean noted that there are a lot of organizations that have been asked for multi-gigabit connectivity options. “We’re doing both 2.5G and 5G multi-gigabit support,” he said. “And then again, you know, in our SFP, plus, we can start getting into the 10 gig as well.”
Unified Management Platform available as SaaS and on-premises
SonicWall’s new Unified Management platform represents an architectural shift from device-centric to ecosystem-wide management. The platform provides centralized control across the entire SonicWall portfolio rather than focusing solely on firewall management.
“We’re not talking about just the local interaction of how you manage the box,” Crean said.” We’re talking about a SaaS (software-as-a-service) based management platform that gives you that visibility of all of the technologies out there that are in our ecosystem.”
The platform supports both cloud-based SaaS deployment and on-premises installations for air-gapped networks. Crean noted that SonicWall is also committed to feature parity between cloud and on-premises versions.
AI-Powered management assistant
In 2025, every vendor needs to have an AI story, and SonicWall is no exception. The unified platform integrates the SonicWall AI for Monitoring and Insight (SAMI), which is an AI assistant designed to help administrators with common queries and device management tasks.
“As part of our unified platform, we have our AI bot called SAMI, where you can go in and you can ask SAMI ‘tell me all of my firewalls that are running this version of firmware,’ or ‘how many of my firewalls are doing this?’” Crean explained.
SonicWall is taking a measured approach to AI implementation. The company focuses on practical operational benefits rather than broad marketing claims.
“We want to be purposeful. We want to be practical, and we want to make sure that we’re doing something that we can actually defend how we’re doing it,” Crean emphasized.
Managed services and enhanced cyber warranty
The Generation 8 launch introduces the Managed Protection Security Suite (MPSS). This offering goes beyond traditional security services to include hands-on management by SonicWall’s SonicSentry team.
“We have a team of trained, dedicated professionals that are there to do every ad, change, delete, troubleshoot configuration and doing audits on a monthly basis to make sure that your boxes are meeting a minimum standard so that we can support you in a $200,000, first of its kind, cyber warranty,” Crean said.
The cyber warranty coverage doubles from $100,000 to $200,000 for customers using managed services. Cysurance provides the warranty, which covers both Generation 7 and Generation 8 firewalls when managed through MPSS.
What’s next for SonicWall’s platform strategy
SonicWall plans to continue expanding the Generation 8 portfolio with additional models and new endpoint technologies. The company also intends to grow its ecosystem approach based on partner demands.
“You know for sure, we’ll continue to launch the entirety of the Gen8 products that are replacements from our Gen7,” Crean said. “We’re going to be announcing, some time in the not too distant future, something around some new endpoint technologies.”
Source:: Network World