PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H
Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H
★ 3.7 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 1.5 Gbps (secondary source, unverified; not in Palo Alto's published docs)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: Not published
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 1.5 Gbps (secondary source, unverified)
  • Max Sessions: 80,000 (secondary source, unverified)
  • New Sessions/sec: 6,000 (secondary source, unverified)
  • Interfaces: 6x 10/100/1000 RJ-45 (Ports 1-2 WAN/LAN as RJ-45/SFP combo) + 2x RJ-45/SFP combo WAN/LAN + Port 0 (1GbE) + 4x 1GbE L2 switch LAN ports + 1 bypass port pair; 1 RJ-45 console; 2x USB 3.0 Type-A
  • Form Factor: Fanless desktop/rack/wall-mount, 9 x 13 x 1.73 in (228.6 x 330.2 x 43.9 mm), 9.85 lb, IP40
  • Storage/Memory: 128GB eMMC / 8GB RAM
  • Power: 180W external adapter; redundant DC 12-48 V input (4 A)
  • Operating Temperature: -40 C to 70 C (0 C to 60 C with provided adapter)
  • PoE: None on the H variant (PoE is on the non-H ION 3200)
  • Wi-Fi/AP: None listed for ION 3200H
  • Cellular: ION 3200H-C5G-WW variant adds worldwide 5G with TPM; carrier certifications AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
  • Research Note: Throughput/session figures conflict across sources: Palo Alto best-practices page lists 1.3 Gbps / 1.7 Gbps (metric not stated); CDW lists 1.7 Gbps. Official device-spec page (docs.paloaltonetworks.com) gives ports, power, and physical specs but no performance numbers. Price range is an estimate, not a verified USD list price; CDW lists request-pricing only.

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Official docs list 4x L2 switch LAN ports and a bypass pair, so it covers branch LAN switching and inline failover in one box; Fanless design with wide -40 C to 70 C operating range suits harsh or unconditioned sites; Redundant DC 12-48 V input supports industrial and vehicle power; Certified to IEEE 1613 and IEC 61850-3 for power-substation use; 5G WW variant (ION 3200H-C5G-WW) provides built-in cellular backup with TPM key storage; Managed through Prisma SD-WAN with centralized policy and VPN orchestration
  • ✘ Cons: Firewall, VPN and session performance are not published in Palo Alto's official docs, and the figures found are inconsistent and from secondary sources; Only 8GB RAM versus 16GB on the standard ION 3200; No PoE on the H variant, unlike the standard ION 3200; Public USD list price is not available (CDW shows request-pricing only), so pricing is quote-based; Low claimed throughput (about 1.5 Gbps) is limiting for multi-gigabit WAN links; Requires Prisma SD-WAN controller and licensing to be useful
  • Est. Price: $3,500 - $5,500

Compare Against

Ubiquiti Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG)
Ubiquiti Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG)
★ 4.9 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 23.5 Gbps (routing, iPerf3, DHCP WAN)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 12.5 Gbps (IDS/IPS)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 580 Mbps (site-to-site, single tunnel)
  • Max Sessions: 1,000,000 concurrent
  • New Sessions/sec: 71,000 (listed under general capacity; not specific to VPN or IPsec)
  • Interfaces: 2x 2.5GbE RJ45, 2x 25G SFP28, 2x 10G SFP+ (some listings show 2x RJ45 + 4x SFP28; verify against the Ubiquiti datasheet)
  • Form Factor: 1U rack-mount, dual hot-swappable PSUs
  • SSL/TLS Inspection Concurrent Sessions: 10,000 (5,000 recommended under heavy traffic)
  • CPU / Memory: 18-core ARM v8.2 @ 2 GHz, 16 GB DDR4
  • UniFi Capacity: 500+ UniFi devices, 5,000+ clients

Curation Review

  • ✔ 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
  • Est. Price: $1,999 - $2,892

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