SonicWave 432e and 432i End of Support: April 23, 2027
SonicWall ends support for the SonicWave 432e and SonicWave 432i wireless access points on April 23, 2027. That is the End of Support date for both models in SonicWall's own Product Life Cycle Tables. SonicWall defines End of Support as the point where it will no longer provide technical support, firmware updates or upgrades, or hardware replacement for the product. An access point past that date gets no firmware or security fixes from SonicWall at all.
The firmware has been winding down for much longer. Both models entered Limited Retirement Mode on April 22, 2024. SonicWall's definition of that phase: it will no longer develop or release firmware updates or new features, and software and firmware support is limited to critical bugs and vulnerabilities, available to units with an active support contract. So a 432e or 432i on the network today gets critical fixes at most, and only while it is under contract.
The dates for the 432e and 432i
| Model | Limited Retirement Mode began | End of Support | Risk score |
|---|---|---|---|
| SonicWave 432e | April 22, 2024 | April 23, 2027 | 18 |
| SonicWave 432i | April 22, 2024 | April 23, 2027 | 18 |
SonicWall lists the two models with identical dates, both in its Wireless Access Points table and in its SonicWave Series table. The risk score is the live value from our scoring model.
SonicWall's retirement phases, in order
SonicWall retires hardware in fixed phases. For the 432e and 432i they fall like this, with SonicWall's own description of each:
- Last Order Day, April 22, 2022. The last day to order the product from SonicWall. Active Retirement Mode, when SonicWall stops manufacturing and selling it, began the same day.
- Limited Retirement Mode, from April 22, 2024. No more firmware development or new features; firmware support limited to critical bugs and vulnerabilities, for units under an active support contract. SonicWall says this phase lasts three years.
- 1-Year Support Last Order Day, April 22, 2026. The final day to buy a 1-year support contract. That day has passed: a 432e or 432i without a contract now cannot get a new 1-year one, and so has no route to the critical fixes Limited Retirement Mode still allows.
- End of Support, April 23, 2027. No technical support, firmware updates or upgrades, or hardware replacement, and SonicWall says remaining unique inventory and materials become unavailable.
Why an unsupported access point matters
An access point is not a passive box. It runs its own firmware, terminates wireless encryption, handles client authentication and connects straight into the internal network. When a flaw is found in that firmware after April 23, 2027, SonicWall will not ship a fix for the 432e or 432i, and SonicWall will not replace a failed unit either. No entry in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog names a SonicWave access point today; the point is that nothing will be patched if one appears.
SonicWall's lifecycle page offers no extension of technical support or firmware past End of Support. It says SonicWall may keep selling security service subscriptions during that phase, but without technical support for the product or for any service running on it. Plan on replacing the hardware, not on buying more time.
What to replace them with
SonicWall's lifecycle table names no upgrade model for the 432e or 432i. Its Secure Wireless product page lists the SonicWave 621, 641 and 681 as its ceiling-mounted indoor access points: the SonicWave 600 Series, which SonicWall describes as Wi-Fi 6. One thing to check before ordering: in the access point comparison table on SonicWall's SonicWave 400 Series page, the 621, 641 and 681 list Cloud/WNM (the cloud-delivered Wireless Network Manager) as their management method, while the 432o lists Firewall, Cloud/WNM. If your 432e and 432i are managed from a SonicWall firewall today, confirm with SonicWall or your reseller how the replacement will be managed before you plan the cutover.
What to do now
- Count every 432e and 432i on the firewall or in Wireless Network Manager, including spares on the shelf. Note which are still under a support contract.
- Keep the ones under contract on current firmware. Limited Retirement Mode still allows critical fixes for those units until End of Support, so apply what SonicWall ships.
- Choose the replacement model and management method (see above) and check mounting, placement and PoE power for the new model against what the 432 units use today.
- Budget and order early in 2027, so the swap is finished before April 23, 2027. If you also run 224w, 231c or 231o units, fold them into the same project.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the SonicWave 432e and 432i reach end of support?
SonicWall's Product Life Cycle Tables list End of Support for both the SonicWave 432e and the 432i on April 23, 2027. From that day SonicWall will no longer provide technical support, firmware updates or upgrades, or hardware replacement for them.
Do the SonicWave 432e and 432i still get firmware updates?
Only for critical problems. They entered Limited Retirement Mode on April 22, 2024. SonicWall says it no longer develops or releases firmware updates or new features for products in that phase, and that software and firmware support is limited to critical bugs and vulnerabilities, for units with an active support contract. After End of Support there is no firmware support at all.
Can I still buy a support contract for a SonicWave 432e or 432i?
Not a new 1-year contract. SonicWall's 1-Year Support Last Order Day for both models was April 22, 2026, the final day to buy a 1-year support contract. Units already under contract stay eligible for support until End of Support.
What replaces the SonicWave 432e and 432i?
SonicWall's lifecycle table names no upgrade model for them. Its Secure Wireless product page lists the SonicWave 621, 641 and 681 as its ceiling-mounted indoor access points, the Wi-Fi 6 SonicWave 600 Series. SonicWall's comparison table gives Cloud/WNM as their management method, so check how you manage your access points today before you order.
Related
- SonicWall SonicWave — every SonicWave and SonicPoint model and its dates
- SonicWall Firewalls — lifecycle dates for the firewalls that manage SonicWave access points
- SonicOS — firewall operating system versions
- SonicWall's Gen 6 cliff — the firewall models that lost support in 2026