Forward Networks Reviews

The vendor agnostic mathemetical model is helping solving such a complex piece of industry.

One needs to struggle to find the most frequently used features, the view or landing page should be customizable.

I use ForwardNetwork for Verification and Validation of configuration. The product's strength is in its algorithm and how it removes classified information.

FE takes data that it collects from the network and normalizes it into a searchable database that you can also access via an API. This one aspect of FE is incredibly powerful for our team. It allows us to extend the capabilities of FE to meet our own needs quickly and efficiently. While the tool provides an incredible interface for searching through our network data and visualizing our network layout, it is the ability to use the API and automation to solve our own specific set of problems that makes FE stand out from all other tools I have worked with.

It is hard for me to quantify something I 'dislike' about FE. There are many aspects of the tool that I don't use regularly, but that is more because of my role, than because I don't find them useful.

Being able to understand the complexity of our network was a huge benefit. While we intuitively understood that complexity, seeing it in a diagram has had a deep impact on how we perceive our network and how we attempt to rectify issues that we find. With FE we can see how our changes might affect the network before they are attempted.

Forward is a fantastic tool, enabling the ability to analyze flows end to end. With the very detailed output, we were able to better analyze the traffic in all directions.

In complex network operation work, it becomes a super powerful tool.

One of the main aspects of this tool is the ability to manage and create topology in an organized way.

Forward Enterprise features a very user-friendly interface that makes it simple to understand and operate. I also admire how quickly it can return results from queries across a huge network. Working with their support engineers has been a great pleasure as well. They are really responsive and can swiftly implement fixes. They are also highly receptive to suggestions and prepared to put them into action if they benefit the overall client base.

It's incredibly valuable because it can track packet flow from source to destination. For my job of auditing different areas of the network, finding network devices and their model information as well as their configurations has saved me a lot of time.

There isn't much about forward networks that I dislike. The settings aren't always as up to date as they could be, and the search option could be better. A user guide and blog outlining how to use advanced functionalities within forward networks, particularly with user case examples, would also be very helpful. Furthermore, creating a well-organized big topology is tough. It would be beneficial to have better topology editing.

Path and firewall policy verification is the most significant issue we are addressing. The benefit we've observed is the speed at which consumers can confirm if their connectivity is failing due to a firewall regulation or because of an improper network path.

I like search features, detailed outputs from devices as well as sandbox/test features which allow to test traffic flows and configurations before applying them into a production environment. In addition, automatic snapshots gather all necessary information and it is pretty useful.

I do not recognize any major downsides of leveraging Forward Networks at this point. Possibly the search function could provide additional features and a time to take snapshots could be reduced.

It is a great platform which helps maintain and improve IT operations. It does store all necessary configurations and updates them daily. In addition, it does provide testing capabilities which are very useful in the production environments. Lastly, it helps to maintain the appropriate levels of compliance for organizations.

Forward Networks allows me to keep all backup configs in one place, have better capabilities to troubleshoot complicated issues and discover any intermediate issues in production infrastructures.

Forward Enterprise has a highly intuitive interface making it easy to learn and use. I also like the speed at which it can return searches about a large network. Working with their support engineers has also been a very pleasant experience. They are highly responsive and are able to roll out fixes quickly. They are also very open to suggestions and willing to implement those if its something the entire population of customers can benefit from.

It is difficult to create a well organized large topology. Better topology editing would be helpful. We would also like to have more granular user control allowing us to filter out sensitive information such as firewall policy or network device configuration while still allowing them to do path verification searches.

Highly recommend doing a Proof of Concept so that you can see if Forward Networks meets your requirements. A simple POC can run simple checks on your network that fine misconfigurations that would not otherwise be possible to find.

The biggest problem we are solving is path and firewall policy verification. The benefit we've realized is the speed in which users can confirm if their connectivity is failing because of a firewall policy or because of an invalid network path.

the way it can trace packet flow from source to destination is extremely useful. Finding network devices and their model information as well as their configurations has been a huge time saver for my job of auditing different aspects of the network.

Not much I don't like about forward networks. the configurations sometimes is not as up to date as it should be and the search functionality can be improved. Also a user guide and blog detailing how to use advanced functions within forward networks espeacially with user case examples would be really good.

its a useful tool and one that can save a huge amount of time

troubleshooting end to end flows, working out sources and destinations and the path packets can take between them. finding devices, finding configurations has been made a lot easier with forward networks. I have been able to resolve trouble tickets a lot faster and work out end to end flows quicker with access to forward networks.