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VMware NSX

VMware NSX

VMware NSX provides software-defined networking for virtualized environments. It enables micro-segmentation and policy-based management of east-west traffic within data centers.

VMware NSX provides software-defined networking for virtualized environments. It enables micro-segmentation and policy-based management of east-west traffic within data centers.

Cost considerations

Functionality

Compatibility

User experience

Customer support

Why these ratings?

Cyberse perspective

Solution details

Integrations
Pricing
Services support
Product features
Target industry
Key features
Market segment
Cloud ecosystem partners
Subcategory
Deployment

We use the following criteria to evaluate this product:

Cost considerations

VMware NSX is sold as per-core licenses that list at roughly $120–$200 each, pushing costs up quickly as compute nodes grow. Advanced firewall, threat-prevention and gateway capabilities require separate add-on licenses instead of being bundled. Channel partners note that post-acquisition pricing shifts have made renewals unpredictable, complicating long-term cost planning

Cost considerations

VMware NSX is sold as per-core licenses that list at roughly $120–$200 each, pushing costs up quickly as compute nodes grow. Advanced firewall, threat-prevention and gateway capabilities require separate add-on licenses instead of being bundled. Channel partners note that post-acquisition pricing shifts have made renewals unpredictable, complicating long-term cost planning

Functionality

VMware NSX delivers an application-aware firewall with integrated IDS/IPS, machine-learning traffic analysis, sandboxing and TLS inspection running inside the virtual network. These controls enable micro-segmentation across data-center workloads. SD-WAN and dedicated IoT visibility are handled by other VMware products, so NSX falls short of the most feature-complete network security suites.

Functionality

VMware NSX delivers an application-aware firewall with integrated IDS/IPS, machine-learning traffic analysis, sandboxing and TLS inspection running inside the virtual network. These controls enable micro-segmentation across data-center workloads. SD-WAN and dedicated IoT visibility are handled by other VMware products, so NSX falls short of the most feature-complete network security suites.

Compatibility

VMware NSX installs on bare-metal edges, vSphere hosts, Kubernetes clusters, and is sold in AWS Marketplace, covering physical, virtual, container, and cloud needs. Native IPv6 along with BGP and OSPF keeps routing consistent with enterprise networks. Open REST APIs stream logs straight to Splunk and other SIEM/SOAR tools, so integration rarely needs extra coding.

Compatibility

VMware NSX installs on bare-metal edges, vSphere hosts, Kubernetes clusters, and is sold in AWS Marketplace, covering physical, virtual, container, and cloud needs. Native IPv6 along with BGP and OSPF keeps routing consistent with enterprise networks. Open REST APIs stream logs straight to Splunk and other SIEM/SOAR tools, so integration rarely needs extra coding.

User experience

The HTML5 console presents clear dashboards and drag-and-drop rule editing. User reviews note that setup and many advanced tasks still demand API or CLI skills and come with a steep learning curve. Because administrators need more than a quick tutorial and some features sit outside the GUI, overall ease of use is functional rather than smooth.

User experience

The HTML5 console presents clear dashboards and drag-and-drop rule editing. User reviews note that setup and many advanced tasks still demand API or CLI skills and come with a steep learning curve. Because administrators need more than a quick tutorial and some features sit outside the GUI, overall ease of use is functional rather than smooth.

Customer support

VMware provides 24×7 help, and critical tickets get an engineer within about 30 minutes, which is faster than many rivals but not the sub-15-minute benchmark of the very best support programs. Threat signatures are released daily and NSX polls every 20 minutes, keeping protection current without manual work. A broad knowledge base and active community offer additional guidance, so overall support is strong though not at the absolute top level.

Customer support

VMware provides 24×7 help, and critical tickets get an engineer within about 30 minutes, which is faster than many rivals but not the sub-15-minute benchmark of the very best support programs. Threat signatures are released daily and NSX polls every 20 minutes, keeping protection current without manual work. A broad knowledge base and active community offer additional guidance, so overall support is strong though not at the absolute top level.