PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Palo Alto Networks ION 3200
Palo Alto Networks ION 3200
★ 4.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: Unconfirmed: 1.5 Gbps (Prisma SD-WAN 6.0.2 table and reseller listings, not on the official ION 3200 spec page); an older spec sheet lists 250 Mbps encrypted
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: Not published; a reseller datasheet lists 520 Mbps, unverified
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published on official page; 600 Mbps appears in a Prisma SD-WAN 6.0.2 table, unlabeled and unverified
  • Max Sessions: Not published
  • New Sessions/sec: Not published
  • Interfaces: 8x 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 + 2x 1 Gbps Combo (RJ-45/SFP) = 10 network ports; 1x RJ-45 console; 2x USB Type-A; 128 GB eMMC; 16 GB RAM; PoE on ports 7-10 (90 W system budget, 60 W max per port)
  • Form Factor: Desktop/1U-style compact appliance, 8.87 in W x 13 in L x 1.66 in H, 8.30 lbs; rack, desktop, or wall mount; fanless; redundant power supply supported

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Fanless design with no moving parts for quiet, low-maintenance branch deployment; Built-in PoE++ on four ports (60 W max per port) to power endpoints or APs; Dual-WAN capable with 2 combo ports for internet redundancy; Part of Palo Alto's Prisma SD-WAN ecosystem with centralized cloud management; Redundant power supply option and enterprise certifications (FCC, CE, cMETus, IEC 62368-1); Hardened 3200H variant available for extreme-temperature environments
  • ✘ Cons: Published firewall, threat prevention, and VPN throughput figures are inconsistent across sources and not confirmed on the official datasheet; Not a traditional next-generation firewall, so threat prevention capabilities are limited compared with PA-Series; Low throughput for modern multi-gigabit WAN links; Limited session and tunnel capacity figures are not publicly documented; Limited base RAM (16 GB) and 1 Gbps-only interfaces restrict future scaling; Price varies widely between resellers and no official list price is published
  • Est. Price: $3,228 - $3,600

Compare Against

Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max
Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max
★ 4.9 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 2.5 Gbps (routing, IDS/IPS off)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 1.5 Gbps (IDS/IPS on)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti; WireGuard/Site-Magic VPN up to 500 Mbps (third-party review, untested method)
  • Max Sessions: Not published
  • New Sessions/sec: Not published
  • Interfaces: 5x 2.5GbE RJ45 (1 WAN + 4 LAN, one LAN port can be remapped to a second WAN)
  • Form Factor: Compact desktop, 142 x 127 x 30 mm, USB-C 5V/5A power (max 16.1 W)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 2.5GbE WAN and LAN ports on a compact, low-power chassis (max 16.1 W); 512GB built-in NVMe storage on the standard SKU for local UniFi data; Integrated UniFi controller with IDS/IPS and no license or subscription fees; Supports 300+ clients and 30+ UniFi devices; Multi-WAN capable through the remappable LAN port
  • ✘ Cons: Only 1.5 Gbps with IDS/IPS enabled, well below the 2.5 Gbps routing figure; IPsec VPN throughput, session counts and new sessions per second are not published; No PoE output and no built-in Wi-Fi access point; No LAG/LACP support; 500 Mbps VPN throughput is limiting for high-volume site-to-site tunnels
  • Est. Price: $240 - $279

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