SonicWall Network Security Manager (NSM) is the centralized firewall management platform for the SonicWall product line. It provides zero-touch deployment, policy management, real-time monitoring, AI-driven configuration insights, and compliance reporting for SonicWall Gen 6 and Gen 7 firewalls. It replaces SonicWall GMS, which reached end of sale on October 1, 2025.

NSM Essential provides full firewall management capabilities and up to 7 days of reporting. NSM Advanced includes everything in Essential and adds 365 days of compliance-grade reporting and up to 30 days of log analytics for threat investigation and forensic review. Both tiers support unlimited firewall scale in the SaaS version.

Basic NSM SaaS management, including the centralized console and alerting, is included at no additional cost for firewalls with active SonicWall support subscriptions. The paid NSM Essential and Advanced tiers unlock extended reporting, log analytics, and additional operational features.

Yes. The SonicWall TZ80 is a subscription-based model that requires an NSM-linked service subscription to operate. Without an active service subscription such as Secure Connect, Advanced Protection Security Suite (APSS), or Managed Protection Security Suite (MPSS), the TZ80 will not function.

NSM on-premises runs as a virtual appliance on VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and Microsoft Azure. It is licensed on a node basis with a 5-node base license and add-on node packs. Closed network support allows NSM on-premises to manage air-gapped firewall deployments without connecting to SonicWall license servers.

NSM supports SonicWall Gen 6 firewalls running SonicOS firmware 6.5.x or higher, and all Gen 7 firewalls running SonicOSX 7.0 or higher. Supported hardware includes the NSsp, NSa, TZ, and SOHO series. NSM also manages SonicWall switches and wireless access points that are connected to managed firewalls.