Summary of Reddit Comments on SD-WAN

Top Vendors in SD-WAN:

• Cisco, Velo, Aruba, Palo Prisma, Versa are key players.
• SilverPeak: Known for de-dup, compression, acceleration features
• Fortinet: Recommended for everyday SDWAN.
• Meraki: Offers automated VPN with BGP, easy to use for basic solutions.

Aruba EdgeConnect (SilverPeak):

• Pros: Great product, magical in terms of performance.
• Cons: Implementation can be complex.

Other Notable SD-WAN Products:

• Velocloud: Some users report issues with VNF insertion and TAC support.
• Peplink Speed Fusion VPN: Offers reliable connection for multiple branches.
• Cato Networks: Users have positive feedback after using Cato for over 4 years.
• Palo-formerly-Cloudgenix: Reported as reliable, predictable, and intelligent in default settings.

User Experiences and Recommendations:

• Pros of SD-WAN: Offers automatic failover, improved load balancing, and cost savings.
• Considerations: Cost, complexity, and level of support required.
• Testing: Recommendations to extensively test configurations before deployment.
• Fortinet Issues: Reports of stability problems, bugs, and inconsistent support.
• Meraki vs. Fortinet: Meraki is simpler but may have limitations, while Fortinet offers more advanced features.

Decision Factors:

• Use Case Importance: SD-WAN may be unnecessary if uptime is not critical.
• Budget vs. Benefits: Evaluate cost implications and potential savings.
• Future Proofing: Consider scalability, feature set, and ongoing support needs.
• Stability Concerns: Test configurations and keep environments stable to avoid issues.
• Vendor Reputation: Consider past performance, reliability, and customer feedback.

Final Thoughts:

• Fortinet Concerns: Users raise issues with Fortinet's quality control and product stability.
• Caution with Upgrades: Test configurations thoroughly before upgrading firmware.
• Alternative Vendors: Consider other vendors based on stability and reliability concerns with Fortinet.