PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Cisco Secure Firewall 3120
Cisco Secure Firewall 3120
★ 3.2 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 2 Gbps
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 750 Mbps
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 1.5 Gbps
  • Max Sessions: 2,000,000
  • New Sessions/sec: 400,000
  • Interfaces: 6x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45)
  • Form Factor: 1U Rack-mount

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Robust integrated threat prevention with IPS; High VPN throughput (1.5 Gbps) for site-to-site and remote access; Excellent enterprise support and Cisco ecosystem integration; Compact 1U form factor suitable for most data center deployments; Strong encryption standards and compliance certifications (FIPS 140-2); Proven reliability with millions of deployments
  • ✘ Cons: Limited interface count (6 ports) restricts large-scale deployments; High operational expenses with mandatory licensing for advanced features; Relatively modest new sessions/sec (400k) compared to modern competitors; Power consumption higher than comparable competitors; Aging architecture becoming less competitive against next-gen firewalls; Limited east-west visibility for multi-tier environments
  • Est. Price: $3,200 - $5,500

Compare Against

Aruba (HPE) Aruba 9106 Gateway
Aruba (HPE) Aruba 9106 Gateway
★ 4.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4 MU-MIMO
  • Aggregate Throughput: 2.4 Gbps
  • Radios: Dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)
  • 2.4 GHz Throughput: 574 Mbps (802.11ax)
  • 5 GHz Throughput: 1.2 Gbps (802.11ax)
  • Uplink Port Speed: Multi-Gigabit (10GBase-T capable with optional modules)
  • Max Clients: 250+
  • PoE Requirement: 95W (High Power PoE)
  • Form Factor: Compact wall-mount or ceiling-mount
  • Security: WPA3, 802.1X, Built-in WIPS

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Exceptional Wi-Fi 6 performance with high client density support; Integrated wireless controller reduces infrastructure complexity; Strong enterprise security features with WPA3 and threat detection; Flexible deployment (wall/ceiling mount); Excellent range and coverage
  • ✘ Cons: High power consumption requires robust PoE infrastructure; Limited to wireless access point role, not a standalone gateway/firewall; Expensive upfront licensing for management and analytics; Proprietary controller integration required; May be overkill for small deployments
  • Est. Price: $1,200 - $1,800

Popular Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Fortinet FortiGate 400G Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Aruba (HPE) Aruba 9106 Gateway Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Palo Alto Networks ION 3200 Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H-C5G-WW Cisco Secure Firewall 3120 vs Ubiquiti Dream Machine Special Edition (UDM-SE)