PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Cisco Secure Firewall 4225
Cisco Secure Firewall 4225
★ 3.2 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 95 Gbps
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 80 Gbps
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 80 Gbps
  • Max Sessions: 30 Million
  • New Sessions/sec: 1.7 Million
  • Interfaces: 8 x 1/10G SFP+ fixed; 2 x Expansion Slots (up to 400G)
  • Form Factor: 1RU

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Industry-leading performance with high throughput even during TLS decryption; Encrypted Visibility Engine (EVE) for threat identification without full decryption; Deep integration with Cisco Talos and the broader security ecosystem
  • ✘ Cons: Management complexity through the Firepower Management Center (FMC); High list price and complex, expensive licensing models; Software stability concerns and notably long firmware upgrade times
  • Est. Price: $200,000 - $230,000

Compare Against

Fortinet FortiGate 120G
Fortinet FortiGate 120G
★ 4.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 39 Gbps
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 2.8 Gbps
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 35 Gbps
  • Max Sessions: 3,000,000
  • New Sessions/sec: 140,000
  • Interfaces: 18x GE RJ45 (incl. MGMT/HA), 8x GE SFP, 4x 10GE SFP+
  • Form Factor: 1RU Rack Mount

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Exceptional throughput powered by the new FortiSP5 ASIC; High-density 10GE connectivity for a mid-range appliance; Dual redundant power supplies included; Integrated SD-WAN and ZTNA support.
  • ✘ Cons: High cost of mandatory security subscriptions; FortiOS can have a steep learning curve; Support and licensing can be expensive compared to lower-tier brands.
  • Est. Price: $2,900 - $3,960

Popular Comparisons

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