PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Cisco Secure Firewall 3120
Cisco Secure Firewall 3120
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 22 Gbps stateful (ASA image); 21 Gbps FW+AVC (FTD image); 17 Gbps stateful multiprotocol (ASA)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 21 Gbps NGIPS (1024B)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 10 Gbps (1024B TCP / 450B UDP L2L); projected 13.5 Gbps with VPN offload (FTD 7.2), 15.4 Gbps with VPN offload (ASA 9.18)
  • Max Sessions: 4,000,000 concurrent connections
  • New Sessions/sec: 170,000 (FTD, with AVC); 500,000 (ASA)
  • Interfaces: 8x 1GBASE-T RJ-45 + 8x 1/10G SFP+ (integrated); up to 24 total Ethernet ports with network modules; 1x 1/10G SFP management port; max 7,000 VPN peers
  • Form Factor: 1RU rack-mount; 1.75 x 17 x 20 in; single 400W AC PSU (dual optional)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Up to 22 Gbps stateful firewall throughput in a compact 1RU chassis; 4 million concurrent sessions and 170,000 new connections/sec for high-density traffic; Supports both ASA and FTD (Threat Defense) software images for deployment flexibility; Integrated 8x 1GbE copper and 8x 10G SFP+ ports with expansion modules for up to 24 ports; Hardware VPN offload raises IPsec throughput to 13.5-15.4 Gbps and supports up to 7,000 VPN peers; Redundant power supply option available
  • ✘ Cons: Only about 21 Gbps threat-prevention throughput, which is modest for full inspection on high-speed links; IPsec VPN throughput without offload is only 10 Gbps; Limited to 10G maximum port speed with no 25G/40G/100G options; Pricing is high relative to newer-generation platforms, and no official Cisco list price is published; Cisco has announced end-of-sale timelines for the 3100 series, so buyers should check lifecycle status before purchase; Ports are not PoE and the device has no built-in Wi-Fi or switching features
  • Est. Price: $36,493 - $65,325

Compare Against

Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Pro Max
Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Pro Max
★ 5.0 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti. Third-party tests: about 3.8-4.7 Gbps internet (WAN) throughput; about 3.0 Gbps inter-VLAN routing
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 5 Gbps IDS/IPS (Ubiquiti spec)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti. Unverified third-party estimate of about 1.8-2.2 Gbps
  • Max Sessions: Not published
  • New Sessions/sec: Not published
  • Interfaces: 2x 10G SFP+ ports; 8x 1GbE RJ45 LAN ports; 1x 2.5GbE RJ45 WAN port (sources conflict on WAN; one lists a 25GbE WAN port)
  • Form Factor: 1U rackmount

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 5 Gbps IDS/IPS rating from Ubiquiti; 10G SFP+ ports for fast uplinks or LAN; Multi-WAN support with 2.5GbE WAN; Integrated UniFi Network controller and UniFi OS for centralized management; Built-in NVR bay for UniFi Protect cameras; Rackmount 1U form factor suited to server racks
  • ✘ Cons: Ubiquiti does not publish firewall, VPN, or session-rate figures; Real-world WAN throughput in independent tests is about 3-4.7 Gbps, below the 5 Gbps IDS/IPS rating; Port layout and WAN specs differ between sources; Costs about 2x the UDM Pro (about $220 more) for a modest throughput gain; Limited 1GbE LAN port count compared with dedicated switches; Requires UniFi ecosystem for full feature set
  • Est. Price: $599 - $660

Popular Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Pro Max Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max) Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Ubiquiti Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG)