Firebox Feature Comparison — Locally-Managed and Cloud-Managed

Applies To: Cloud-managed Fireboxes, Locally-managed Fireboxes

WatchGuard Cloud provides a single user interface where you can monitor and configure all your WatchGuard products and services, and a multi-tier architecture that makes it easy to manage inventory across your accounts.

When you can add a Firebox or FireCluster to WatchGuard Cloud, you can do so as either a locally-managed or cloud-managed device.

Both locally-managed and cloud-managed devices in WatchGuard Cloud can use monitoring and reporting features, perform system actions such as upgrades and reboots, and send incident data to ThreatSync — the difference is where you manage the device configuration and the configuration features that are available.

Cloud-Managed Device

You manage the Firebox configuration in WatchGuard Cloud. For more information, see Manage the Firebox Configuration in WatchGuard Cloud Help.

Cloud-managed Fireboxes are automatically added to WatchGuard Cloud for visibility and reporting, so you can monitor live status and see log messages and reports.

MSPs can create Firebox configuration templates and use them to quickly apply configuration settings to multiple devices across multiple managed accounts.

You can manage authentication domains and certificates at the account level and share them across devices.

Locally-Managed Device

You manage the Firebox configuration in WSM, Fireware Web UI, or the Command Line Interface. For more information, see Fireware Help.

You can add the locally-managed Firebox to WatchGuard Cloud for visibility and reporting.

We strongly recommend that you add all locally-managed Fireboxes to WatchGuard Cloud for visibility and reporting, so you can monitor live status, see log messages and reports, easily upgrade firmware, and benefit from platform features such as ThreatSync.

The Firebox features that you can configure depend on the tool you use to manage your device. To determine whether to use local management or cloud management, review the information in these sections:

For information on how to move a device from local management to cloud management, see Change a Locally-Managed Firebox to Cloud Management.

Firebox Features Supported by Different Management Tools

Several management tools are available to configure your Firebox. However, different management tools support different Firebox features.

This table compares the Firebox features you can configure with different management tools:

Product Feature WatchGuard Cloud
(Cloud-Managed Firebox)
WatchGuard System Manager Tools
(Locally-Managed Firebox)
Fireware Web UI
(Locally-Managed Firebox)
Firewall Policy
First Run/Last Run Policies Supported Not Supported Not Supported
Traffic Types Combined in One Firewall Policy Supported Not Supported Not Supported
Safeguarding Reports Supported Not Supported Not Supported
Port/Protocol and Source/Destination Firewall Rules Supported Supported Supported
Predefined Packet Filter Service List Supported Supported Supported
Zero-Touch Deployment/RapidDeploy Supported Supported Supported
Scheduled Policies Planned Supported Supported
Browser SafeSearch Planned Supported Supported
Google for Business Planned Supported Supported
YouTube Enforcement Level Planned Supported Supported
Policy Tags and Categories Not Supported Supported Supported
Explicit Proxy Not Supported Supported Supported
Logging and Notification
WatchGuard Cloud Supported Supported Supported
Syslog Supported Supported Supported
Dimension Supported Supported Supported
Syslog/Dimension Configuration in Templates Supported Supported Not Supported
SNMP Supported Supported Supported
NetFlow Planned Supported Supported
TLS Decryption and Inspection
Inspect by URL Category Supported Supported Supported
Manage TLS Exception List Supported Supported Supported
Import Certificate Supported Supported Supported
PFS Cipher Setting Supported By Default Supported Supported
Inbound Inspection Planned Supported Supported
SSL Offloading Planned Supported Supported
Enforce TLS Versions Not Supported Supported Supported
Third-party Integrations & API Support
API for Device Information Supported Not Supported Not Supported
API for Account Creation Supported Not Supported Not Supported
API for Blocked Sites/IP Address Supported Supported Supported
API for Exceptions Supported Supported Supported
Connectwise Supported Supported Supported
Autotask Supported Supported Supported
Tigerpaw Not Planned Supported Supported
FireCluster Configuration
Active/Passive Supported Supported Not Supported
View Cluster Status Supported Supported Supported
Alerts and Log Messages on Failover Supported Supported Supported
Cluster Diagnostics Supported Supported Supported
Upgrade Cluster Firmware Supported Supported Supported
Active/Active Not Planned Supported Not Supported
Multi-Firebox Management
Templates for Firewall Rules Supported Supported Not Supported
Template Inheritance Supported Supported Not Supported
One to Many Mapping Supported Supported Not Supported
Many to One Mapping Supported Supported Not Supported
Firmware Upgrades Supported Supported Not Supported
Alias in Templates Supported Supported Not Supported
Role-based Access Control Supported Supported Not Supported
Networking
DHCP Server and Options Supported Supported Supported
DNS Settings for DHCP Supported Supported Supported
Dynamic DNS Supported Supported Supported
IPv6 Supported Supported Supported
Integrated Wi-Fi Configuration on Wireless Firebox Models Supported Supported Supported
Multi-WAN Supported Supported Supported
Dynamic Routing Supported Supported Supported
Dynamic NAT Supported Supported Supported
Static NAT Supported Supported Supported
1-to-1 NAT Planned Supported Supported
Server Load Balancing Planned Supported Supported
Link Aggregation Planned Supported Supported
Intra-network Traffic Inspection Planned Supported Supported
USB Modem Support Planned Supported Supported
Use Wireless as External Interface on -W Models Planned Supported Supported
Hotspot/Guest Access Planned Supported Supported
Gateway Wireless Controller (GWC) Not Planned Supported Supported
Firebox Wireless Rogue Access Point Detection Not Planned Supported Supported
SD-WAN
Dynamic Path - Jitter, Packet Loss, Latency Supported Supported Supported
Link Monitoring - Ping, DNS, TCP Supported Supported Supported
Failback - Immediate, Gradual, No Failback Supported Supported Supported
Load Sharing (Round-Robin) Supported Supported Supported
Traffic Management
Guarantee/Restrict Bandwidth Supported Supported Supported
Apply to All Policies, Per Policy, Per IP Address Supported Supported Supported
Forward / Reverse Supported Supported Supported
Apply to Applications and Application Categories Supported Supported Supported
QoS
QoS Marking Supported Supported Supported
Traffic Priority Supported Supported Supported
Quotas Not Supported Supported Supported
Mobile VPN
Mobile VPN with IKEv2 Supported Supported Supported
Mobile VPN with SSL Supported Supported Supported
Network Access Enforcement (Endpoint) Supported Supported Supported
Custom Networks for Mobile VPN with SSL Planned Supported Supported
Mobile VPN with L2TP Not Planned Supported Supported
Mobile VPN with IPSec Not Planned Supported Supported
Branch Office VPN
Firebox to Firebox - IKEv2 Routed Supported Supported Supported
Firebox to Third-Party - IKEv2 Routed Supported Supported Supported
DF Bit and MTU per VPN Supported Supported Supported
1-to-1 NAT through BOVPN Supported Supported Supported
Policy-Based VPNs Planned Supported Supported
BOVPN Over SSL Not Planned Supported Supported
Firebox to Third-Party - IPSec Not Planned Supported Supported
Domain User as Endpoint ID for BOVPNs to Third-Party Endpoints Not Supported Supported Supported
Security Services
Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS) Supported Supported Supported
- IPS Signature Exceptions Supported Supported Supported
- Signature Updates through Proxy Server Not Supported Supported Supported
Application Control Supported Supported Supported
WebBlocker Supported Supported Supported
- URL Filtering by Policy Supported Supported Supported
- Alarm by Category Supported Supported Supported
- Warn Supported Supported Supported
- On-Premises WebBlocker Server Not Planned Supported Supported
- Password Override Planned Supported Supported
spamBlocker Supported Supported Supported
Gateway AntiVirus Supported Supported Supported
Geolocation Supported Supported Supported
Botnet Protection Supported Supported Supported
APT Blocker Supported Supported Supported
- Select Server Region Not Planned Supported Supported
DNSWatch Supported Supported Supported
IntelligentAV Supported Supported Supported
Visibility in WatchGuard Cloud Supported Supported Supported
EDR Core Supported Supported Supported
ThreatSync Supported Supported Supported
Blocked Ports Supported Supported Supported
Blocked Sites Supported Supported Supported
Remove Auto-Blocked Ports Not Supported Supported Supported
Remove Auto-Blocked Sites Not Supported Supported Supported
Access Portal Planned Supported Supported
Network Discovery Platform Feature Not Supported Supported
Default Threat Protection
Default Packet Handling Supported Supported Supported
Authentication
Authentication Domains Supported Not Supported Not Supported
Firebox Database Supported Supported Supported
RADIUS Supported Supported Supported
Active Directory Supported Supported Supported
SSO Supported Supported Supported
AuthPoint Integration (no RADIUS) Supported Supported Supported
Terminal Services Not Supported Supported Supported
Block Failed Logins Supported Supported Supported
General Settings
NTP Servers Supported Supported Supported
Device Feedback Supported Supported Supported
Fault Reports Supported Supported Supported
Certificate Management
Proxy Authority Certificates Supported Supported Supported
VPN Certificates Supported Supported Supported
Certificate Signing Requests Supported Supported Supported
Web Server Certificates Supported Supported Supported
Troubleshooting Tools
Interface Status Supported Supported Supported
Ping Supported Supported Supported
TCP Dump Supported Supported Supported
nslookup Supported Supported Supported
Download Support.TGZ File Supported Supported Supported
Scheduled Reboots Planned Supported Supported

For information on the Firebox security features available with a Standard Support, Basic Security Suite, or Total Security Suite license, go to Security Services on WatchGuard.com.

WatchGuard Cloud Features Supported by Fireboxes

You can add both locally-managed and cloud-managed devices to WatchGuard Cloud.

This table shows the WatchGuard Cloud features supported by locally-managed and cloud-managed Fireboxes that you add to WatchGuard Cloud:

WatchGuard Cloud Features Cloud-Managed Locally-Managed
Manage Firebox configuration settings, such as policies, security services, VPNs, and more. Supported Not Supported
Manage FireCluster configurations Supported Not Supported
Configure shared device settings in templates Supported Not Supported
Schedule and deploy changes to device settings Supported Not Supported
Revert to a previously deployed configuration Supported Not Supported
Initiate FireCluster system actions (upgrade firmware, reboot, and failover) Supported Supported
Monitor live status (network status, routes, VPNs, users, FireCluster, etc.) Supported Supported
View log messages and reports Supported Supported
Upgrade firmware Supported Supported
Reboot the Firebox Supported Supported
Send incident data to ThreatSync Supported Supported
Send network traffic data to ThreatSync+ NDR Supported Supported
Manage Firebox backups Not Supported Supported

Related Topics

About WatchGuard Cloud

Features and Benefits of Firebox Management in WatchGuard Cloud (KB article)

Get Started — Add a Device to WatchGuard Cloud

Change a Locally-Managed Firebox to Cloud Management

Upgrade Firmware in WatchGuard Cloud

Reboot a Firebox

Manage Firebox Backup Images in WatchGuard Cloud

Live Status Reporting for Fireboxes and FireClusters

About Firebox Security Services Settings

About FireCluster in WatchGuard Cloud