SonicOS 8 System

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Working with SonicOS

SonicOS provides a web management interface for configuring, managing, and monitoring the features, policies, security services, connected devices, and outside threats to your network. SonicOS functions in conjunction with SonicCore, SonicWall's secure underlying operating system.

The SonicOS management interface facilitates:

  • Setting up and configuring your firewall
  • Configuring external devices such as access points or switches
  • Configuring networks and external system options that connect to your firewall
  • Defining objects and policies for protection
  • Monitoring the health and status of the security appliance, network, users, and connections
  • Monitoring traffic, users, and threats
  • Investigating events

SonicWall offers different modes of operation in SonicOS; the modes differ mainly in the areas of policy, object configuration, and diagnostics.

  • Classic Mode is more consistent with earlier releases of SonicOS; in that you need to develop individual policies and actions for specific security services.

This following table identifies which of these modes can be used on various SonicWall firewalls:

Firewall Type Classic Mode Comments
TZ Series yes The entry level TZ Series, also known as desktop firewalls, delivers revamped features such as 5G readiness, better connectivity options, improved threat protection, SSL and decryption performance that addresses HTPPS bandwidth issues; built-in SD-WAN, and lawful TLS 1.3 decryption support. It provides advanced networking and security features, like the multi-engine Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) cloud-based sandbox service with patent-pending Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection (RTDMI™).
NSa Series yes

NSa firewalls provide your mid-sized network with enhanced security. These firewalls are designed specifically for businesses with more than 250 workstations. The NSa provides cloud-based and on-box capabilities such as TLS/SSL decryption and inspection, application intelligence and control, SD-WAN, real-time visualization, and WLAN management.

In addition to the management interface, SonicOS also has a full-featured API and a command-line interface (CLI) to manage the firewalls.