I am a consultant and do not recommend specific products. I work with customers, and they decide what they want to buy. I'm a CISO as a service, dealing with security. I'm from an integrator company, and they usually sell a few products. One customer uses NetScaler for a VDI system with Citrix.

NetScaler VPX - Customer Licensed
Cloud Software GroupExternal reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Allows students and lecturers access to necessary software for their courses cost-effectively
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The customer is a college using NetScaler for VDI use. It allows students and lecturers access to necessary software for their courses cost-effectively.
What is most valuable?
Regarding integration with the Citrix environment, NetScaler is better. It serves as a VDI gateway. It allows students to access required software for their studies.
What needs improvement?
The configuration is complex, and only one or two people know how to assist when problems arise. It would be beneficial if F5 and NetScaler could be combined.
For how long have I used the solution?
I started planning the network about nine and a half years ago and have made adjustments over the years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not had problems with network traffic during peak periods, thanks to efficient planning.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The network was planned with consideration for future growth, so scalability has not been an issue.
How are customer service and support?
There are only one or two people who have the expertise to help, and one of them is not in Israel.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I recommended F5. It is easier, however, the customer chose NetScaler for cost reasons.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was complex due to the configuration.
What about the implementation team?
I planned the network myself, leveraging my experience as an integrator and network architect.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Regarding pricing, educational institutes often receive better prices. In the context of virtualization, prices are increasing, affecting small to medium businesses in Israel.
What other advice do I have?
Each product has its advantages, and combining certain features of F5 and NetScaler could be beneficial.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Can be configured very granularly and has good control over security
What is our primary use case?
One of our customers uses the solution for his payment portal.
What is most valuable?
The solution can be configured very granularly and has good control over security. I can customize it for different web portals. If one customer has five portals and I need different configurations for those five portals, I can use the configuration multiple times. I can do different configurations for each web portal. I can configure a different combination of configurations for various portals. On top of that, I can define security at its best. It is one of the most granular control firewalls.
What needs improvement?
The solution's pricing is very high compared to its competitors. This is the only challenge I faced when I tried to sell the solution for VPN, L7 firewall, or GSLB solution. I would like to enhance the solution's bot protection features.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Citrix Web App and API Protection is a very stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Citrix Web App and API Protection is a scalable solution. If I want to upgrade it, I just need to add licenses to it. Around 2,000 to 3,000 users are using the solution from my customer’s side. The solution was deployed in a single location.
What about the implementation team?
It took around one week to conclude and deploy the policy for Citrix Web App and API Protection. Two to three people were involved in the solution's configuration.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's pricing is very high compared to its competitors.
What other advice do I have?
Our customer has an API for payment gateway integration, and the solution provides very good security for that. The customer is satisfied, and the configuration and appliance are stable. I can scale that bigger appliance, and it is a seamless solution for the customer and us.
I didn't face any challenges while integrating the solution into the existing system. When we sell the solution, we check the prerequisites, authentication, and integration requirements from the customer side. We check what kind of applications, authentication, and other things need to be integrated with the solution.
We give the solution based on all those considerations so that we do not face any hurdles in the future. So, I didn't find any integration issues with the solution till now.
The solution's deployment is very flexible. I'm able to create any kind of granular policy because of the solution's technology, configuration style, or language, which benefits customers.
Before choosing the solution, users should check what kind of integration they want to do with it. Most integrations are available with Citrix Netscaler, but I would recommend checking all the authentication systems, like multi-factor authentication, before placing the order. I would recommend the solution to other users.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Affordable, provides advanced features, and protects applications
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used for application security. We had many applications that external users accessed. We used it in the production environment. We have suspended it due to support issues. We used multi-layer security.
What is most valuable?
The product protected us from SQL injection. Citrix is good for application protection. It has advanced features to protect from attacks.
What needs improvement?
A company acquired Citrix and stopped providing support for the tool.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable. We can scale it according to our requirements. The solution is suitable for medium to large enterprises.
How are customer service and support?
The support was good before. Now, it has transitioned. So, we have decided to move to a different tool.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was not simple. It was complex. We need knowledgeable in-house developers who know the features of the application. If there is any error, the functionality might be reduced. We need experts from both the vendor and our side for the deployment. The learning process is very important. The time taken for deployment depends on the applications. If an application is not complex, the deployment might take one day. If it has a lot of databases, the deployment might take longer.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay an annual subscription fee for the tool. The tool is cheap.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
F5 and Fortinet are good products. There are only slight differences between them and Citrix.
What other advice do I have?
Some solutions are available on the cloud, while some are available on-premise. I will recommend the tool if the support issue is sorted out. Overall, I rate the tool a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Provides IP Reputation and bot protection features and can be used for load balancing purposes
What is most valuable?
Not many of our customers use the solution's web application firewall. We use the solution's IP Reputation and bot protection features. We use the solution mostly as Citrix and Gateway ICA proxy and load balancing. There are a lot of changes with the solution, but Citrix NetScaler has quite a comprehensive portfolio of training courses.
What needs improvement?
The licensing model and technical support of the solution could be improved. The exchange rate with the local currency contributes a lot to why some of our customers are looking at alternatives.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Citrix NetScaler since it first came onto the market. I have been using the solution before the Gateway feature was a part of NetScaler, and it was a stand-alone product. I have been using the solution since Citrix acquired the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Citrix NetScaler is a scalable solution.
What other advice do I have?
Citrix NetScaler has many features. The solution's basic features, like load balancing and Gateway, are pretty easy to use. It becomes complicated very, very quickly in large environments because it has many features. I would recommend the solution to other users.
There are much cheaper alternatives if you just need the solution for basic load balancing. There are no alternatives to Citrix NetScaler if you want to use it as a Gateway and access it from the public network. Integrating Citrix NetScaler with the existing infrastructure and applications is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of things.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Enhances our application delivery and offers excellent scalability
What is our primary use case?
I use Citrix NetScaler to secure and reliable access to our back-end applications hosted in our data center. With its robust features like SSL security, content switching, load balancing, and application firewalling, it streamlines traffic management and enhances overall performance while keeping our data safe from threats.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature for us is the application firewalling in Citrix NetScaler, ensuring only valid traffic enters our environment. Additionally, it provides insights into the origin and destination of traffic within our data center, giving us control and visibility over our network performance.
What needs improvement?
Citrix NetScaler is a robust product, but mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity. While it could be easier to manage, it is like transitioning from driving a car to flying a plane – a different experience altogether.
Additional features could include better integration with community-developed scripts and APIs, making it easier for users to access and utilize these resources. Streamlining the interface and ensuring standardization would enhance usability and provide smoother integration with third-party services.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Citrix NetScaler for about 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate Citrix stability at nine out of ten because it is solid, but many issues stem from neglecting regular maintenance. If you overlook upkeep like clearing disk space, even the best products can falter, but it is not the fault of Citrix NetScaler itself.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Citrix NetScaler is impressive, ranging from small setups to handling gigabit-level traffic. It is designed for clustering and can sync data traffic across multiple interfaces, making it highly adaptable to varying needs. In our organization, we serve several large clients, with some deployments handling up to 7,000 users daily.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is very good.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Citrix NetScaler can vary from straightforward to complex, depending on the deployment requirements. For basic setups, it is easy, but for more intricate configurations involving clusters and firewall settings, it becomes complex and requires expertise. While there are ARM templates available for deployment, understanding your specific needs is crucial for achieving the desired outcomes.
What was our ROI?
Using Citrix NetScaler provides immense value to our organization. Its indispensable role is in facilitating remote access and managing various assets, whether on-premises, cloud, or hybrid.
What other advice do I have?
Having a robust load balancer like Citrix NetScaler is essential for our infrastructure. While there are other options like F5 and Azure load balancers, NetScaler stands out with its comprehensive features beyond just basic traffic routing, offering advanced functionalities like security controls, content switching, and application firewalling.
Citrix NetScaler enhances our application delivery by intelligently directing traffic to healthy servers and services. It ensures that even if a server is up, but its services are down, traffic is rerouted to functioning servers, preventing downtime and ensuring a smooth user experience. With built-in probes, it continuously monitors the health of services, identifying issues and optimizing traffic flow accordingly.
The SSL upload feature in Citrix NetScaler has significantly improved our security by encrypting traffic and ensuring data integrity. Additionally, the global server load balancing capability allows us to efficiently host multiple services behind a single static IP address, streamlining deployment and reducing the need for multiple certificates and IP addresses.
The analytics and reporting capabilities of Citrix NetScaler have improved significantly in the past year.
For those considering Citrix NetScaler, my advice is to research its capabilities thoroughly to understand which features align with your needs. Start by experimenting with one feature at a time and learn as you go to maximize its potential for your organization.
Overall, I would rate Citrix NetScaler as a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Consistently provided reliable load balancing, preventing session timeouts and queuing issues
What is our primary use case?
We utilize Citrix NetScaler primarily as a load balancer, gateway, and application delivery controller. Employees connect to NetScaler, which then distributes sessions to Citrix Studio Server.
In terms of network performance, NetScaler has consistently provided reliable load balancing, preventing session timeouts and queuing issues. It's proven to be a solid and versatile tool over the years.
What is most valuable?
One of the most beneficial features for application delivery is its integration with Citrix Storefront, facilitating user logins and ensuring continuity during data center outages.
I can't speak much about NetScaler's security features as I'm not involved in managing them.
NetScaler's impact on operations has been significant, ensuring smooth traffic distribution and minimizing employee complaints about system performance.
What needs improvement?
In terms of drawbacks, finding relevant documentation for learning NetScaler can be challenging, especially for beginners who prefer a web interface over command-line interfaces.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Citrix NetScaler for the past 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
NetScaler has been exceptionally stable, earning a top rating in that regard.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Regarding scalability, I'd rate it highly, although there may be aspects I'm not aware of.
How are customer service and support?
Unfortunately, I'd rate technical support from Citrix lower due to accessibility issues and a tendency to deflect problems onto other vendors like Microsoft.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I haven't worked with any other solutions similar to NetScaler in terms of load balancing, but I have experience with other firewalls for gateway and application delivery.
How was the initial setup?
Deployment complexity is moderate, with challenges arising from the lack of a search function within the interface, making navigation difficult for new users.
What about the implementation team?
Maintenance mainly involves updating the system for security patches, and while NetScaler is an expensive device, its reliability justifies the cost.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Regarding pricing, while it's expensive, I can't comment on the exact ROI without a budget analysis. However, in terms of service quality, it's worth the price.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
NetScaler stands out as the best in terms of load balancing, and while I haven't extensively compared it with other gateways, it's been the preferred choice for our needs.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I'd rate NetScaler a 9 out of 10. My advice to those considering it would be to ensure proper training before implementation, as learning it on your own can be challenging due to limited resources. Additionally, initial configuration should be handled by a professional to avoid potential issues.
A tool for centralized management including inventory and sales tracking
What is our primary use case?
Citrix ADM provides centralized management for various internal programs, including inventory and sales tracking, communication tools, and office programs such as Teams and Azure.
How has it helped my organization?
We wouldn't have comprehensive insights into our system without Citrix ADM. It provides us with essential information.
What is most valuable?
Citrix ADM has the ability to implement policies to tighten security. For instance, you can restrict access to your network from outsiders or lack necessary security measures such as antivirus programs. Additionally, there's the Delivery Controller, which allows for comprehensive monitoring and management tasks such as remote restarts, maintenance, and registration. Another essential component is the Director, which provides detailed insights into sessions, including identifying session failures, connection issues, user lockouts, etc. It presents a list of problems to address, enabling you to click on them and resolve them efficiently.
What needs improvement?
They should invest in training their tech support team to enhance customer service. Previously, we've encountered issues with communication, so it's crucial to address this through training.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Citrix ADM for more than 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution's scalability is easy. It has different interfaces. It was difficult for me to get used to it. It's easy to manage but once you get used to it, it is easy to scale.
We work with nearly 10,000 supermarket chain locations, and they rely heavily on Citrix for various operations. These supermarkets utilize Citrix for tasks such as syncing data, connecting to the data center, and managing inventory and sales reports. In case of any data loss on their local machines, we can swiftly resolve it without any loss of information.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Nutanix and Horizon. Citrix ADM provides comprehensive monitoring tools, unlike VMware's Horizon, which lacks built-in monitoring capabilities. While Citrix excels in application delivery, Horizon is preferred for desktop delivery. However, Horizon requires additional VMware products for monitoring, whereas Citrix includes monitoring tools like Studio and Director within its installation package.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Citrix ADM was straightforward. My responsibilities revolve around upgrades and maintenance tasks.
I would rate the initial setup as an eight on a scale of one to ten, with one being difficult and ten being easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Citrix is more expensive than Horizon.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
What other advice do I have?
The user layer feature aims to enhance the user experience in VDI environments, but we've encountered difficulties implementing it effectively. Additionally, HTML5 support is crucial to allow users to access their applications via web browsers without requiring the Workspace app.
Overall, I would rate Citrix ADM a nine out of ten for its robust features and performance despite minor issues with specific functionalities.
A highly stable tool that offers two-factor authentication
What is our primary use case?
I use Citrix NetScaler in my company for mostly two-factor authentication.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is the two-factor authentication.
What needs improvement?
From an improvement perspective, the tool should be made easier in the area of the configuration capabilities that it provides to users. Currently, it is not easy to use the configuration capabilities of the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Citrix NetScaler for a month. I use the solution's latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Around 100 employees in my company use the product.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase was easy.
I did not do the product's installation. My colleagues managed the product's installation phase.
The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.
What other advice do I have?
I don't know about the maintenance part of the solution since the server we use in our company is operated from some other location.
The global server load balancing feature of Citrix NetScaler has improved our company's application availability.
I can recommend the product to those who plan to use it.
I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
A effective solution for load balancing with gateway
What is our primary use case?
We used Citrix NetScaler for load balancing in our application, where our users connect via the portal. This portal is load-balanced via a ServiceNet NetScaler. Additionally, our core banking application also runs on this infrastructure.
How has it helped my organization?
What is most valuable?
Citrix NetScaler has its capabilities and benefits. From a security standpoint, It is a comprehensive solution in a single box. We also have additional features such as gateway and global service load balancing. Furthermore, there's a provision for expanding data capacity.
What needs improvement?
In the latest version of Citrix NetScaler, there are specific improvements in the appliances, particularly in the management interfaces, which were not available in previous versions. If one device or switch fails, the failover to another device is not seamless which is painful. There needs some changes in their subscription-based model.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Citrix NetScaler for over four years. In 2020, we purchased two NetScalers for our Citrix solution. It's effective in load balancing. We always stay updated on critical vulnerability updates.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
More than 5000+ users are using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
We purchase support every year, making it more convenient. We have dedicated support and assistance with the subscription, ensuring stability.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is neither difficult nor straightforward, but some products have their challenges, but it's a good product.
Deployment depends on the requirement. After complete connectivity and power on, it will have some configuration requirements.
What about the implementation team?
Local vendors are also available for the solution's deployment.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Efficiently optimizing and securing application delivery, providing robust load balancing and reverse proxy features for enhanced performance
What is our primary use case?
We provide services to our customers related to Citrix ADC.
What is most valuable?
The reverse proxy for virtual apps and desktops, along with load balancing, stands out as the most valuable feature. The flexibility in configuration options is impressive.
What needs improvement?
I just hope they don't change the name again. It was challenging explaining to customers that it's no longer NetScaler but ADC, and now it's not just ADC but also the rebranding from NetScaler. When I first started working with NetScaler, it seemed a bit complex. However, with experience, I've come to appreciate its user-friendly nature, especially when you know your way around it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with it for three years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate its stability capabilities eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It offers exceptional scalability. I would rate it ten out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I've only reached out to tech support once, and they swiftly resolved my issue. I would rate it nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the initial setup eight out of ten.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For the specific use case that my customers primarily engage with, I would give the pricing a rating of seven out of ten. However, if you're exploring the full range of NetScaler's capabilities, my rating would drop to four out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.