New Sessions/sec: 130,000 (with AVC, FTD); 300,000 (ASA)
Interfaces: 8 x 10M/100M/1GBASE-T RJ-45; 8 x 1/10G SFP+; 1 x 1/10G SFP management port; optional 8 x 1/10G network module (up to 24 Ethernet ports total)
Form Factor: 1U rack-mount (1.75 x 17 x 20 in)
Curation Review
✔ Pros:17 Gbps FW+AVC and NGIPS throughput on FTD, a large step up from the 1000 series; 2 million concurrent sessions and 130,000 new connections/sec with AVC on FTD; 8 x 1G RJ-45 plus 8 x 1/10G SFP+ ports give 10GbE uplink options; 8 Gbps IPsec VPN (up to 11 Gbps with offload) with up to 3,000 VPN peers; Runs FTD or ASA software and is managed through Firewall Management Center or Firewall Device Manager
✘ Cons:High cost for the class, with new-unit listings around $17k to $22k and list prices above $65k; New connections/sec on FTD (130,000) is less than half the ASA figure (300,000); Threat prevention and support require separate paid licensing; Reseller listings mix ASA and FTD figures (some quote 45 Gbps firewall throughput) that do not match Cisco's datasheet, so the software image must be checked; Pricing varies widely and some listings are out of stock, so current availability and end-of-sale status should be verified with a Cisco partner
✔ 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