PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN ION 3200H
Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN ION 3200H
★ 4.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: Not separately published by Palo Alto; official ION 3200 spec lists encrypted throughput of 1.5 Gbps (DC) and 1 Gbps (Branch) at 1400-byte packets
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: Not published for ION 3200H; one reseller cites 520 Mbps for an unspecified configuration (unverified)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 1.5 Gbps DC / 1 Gbps Branch (encrypted, 1400-byte packets); 600 Mbps DC / 500 Mbps Branch at 600-byte packets
  • Max Sessions: 80,000 (single third-party reference, unverified)
  • New Sessions/sec: 6,000 (single third-party reference, unverified)
  • Interfaces: 8x GbE total incl. 2x RJ-45/SFP combo; bypass (fail-open) pair; 1x console; 2x USB 3.0. Port counts conflict between sources, verify against chassis labels
  • Form Factor: Hardened fanless appliance; desktop, wall, DIN or 1RU rack (rack kit sold separately); 9.38 x 15.35 x 1.74 in; -40 to 70 C operating range

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Hardened fanless design rated for -40 to 70 C, suited to harsh or remote sites; Integrated SD-WAN and firewall functions on one appliance; Managed through Prisma SD-WAN cloud controller with centralized policy; TPM module and high-availability support; Redundant DC power input (12-48 V) and bypass ports for resilience; 5G variant (PAN-ION-3200H-C5G-WW) available for worldwide cellular backup
  • ✘ Cons: Low throughput (about 1-1.5 Gbps encrypted) compared with current branch and SD-WAN hardware; Threat prevention and session figures are not clearly published by the vendor and rely on third-party listings; Subscription licensing and support contracts are required on top of hardware cost; Rack mounting requires a separately purchased kit; Conflicting port and spec data across resellers and documentation; Stock is limited and some listings show out of stock
  • Est. Price: $3,138 - $4,035

Compare Against

Ubiquiti Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG)
Ubiquiti Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG)
★ 4.9 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 23.5 Gbps (routing, iPerf3, DHCP WAN)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 12.5 Gbps (IDS/IPS)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 580 Mbps (site-to-site, single tunnel)
  • Max Sessions: 1,000,000 concurrent
  • New Sessions/sec: 71,000 (listed under general capacity; not specific to VPN or IPsec)
  • Interfaces: 2x 2.5GbE RJ45, 2x 25G SFP28, 2x 10G SFP+ (some listings show 2x RJ45 + 4x SFP28; verify against the Ubiquiti datasheet)
  • Form Factor: 1U rack-mount, dual hot-swappable PSUs
  • SSL/TLS Inspection Concurrent Sessions: 10,000 (5,000 recommended under heavy traffic)
  • CPU / Memory: 18-core ARM v8.2 @ 2 GHz, 16 GB DDR4
  • UniFi Capacity: 500+ UniFi devices, 5,000+ clients

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 25G SFP28 and 10G SFP+ uplinks at a gateway price point; 23.5 Gbps routing throughput; 1 million concurrent sessions; 18-core ARM CPU with 16 GB RAM; hot-swappable redundant PSUs; supports 500+ UniFi devices and 5,000+ clients; manages through UniFi Network controller with a single pane of glass
  • ✘ Cons: IPsec VPN throughput of 580 Mbps is low for a gateway at this price; IDS/IPS throughput of 12.5 Gbps halves routing performance when threat inspection is enabled; SSL/TLS inspection is limited to about 10,000 concurrent sessions; port configuration differs across listings and should be verified; frequently out of stock at major US retailers, with a $170 memory surcharge at some resellers; no built-in Wi-Fi, so it depends on separate UniFi APs and switches; reviewers cite a steeper learning curve than consumer-grade routers
  • Est. Price: $1,999 - $2,892

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