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 UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber
Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber
★ 5.0 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti; 5 Gbps IDS/IPS-secured routing throughput is the only headline figure (reviewer and retailer listings)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 5 Gbps IDS/IPS
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published
  • Max Sessions: Not published; 500+ simultaneous users and 4,000-entry MAC address table
  • New Sessions/sec: Not published
  • Interfaces: 2x 10G SFP+; 1x 10GbE RJ45 (10G/2.5G/1G); 4x 2.5GbE RJ45 (2.5G/1G/100M/10M); 2 of the 6 WAN-capable ports are default WAN (1x 10G SFP+ and 1x 10GbE RJ45), with the other ports selectable as WAN
  • Form Factor: Compact desktop; 212.8 x 127.6 x 30 mm; 675 g without SSD
  • CPU / RAM: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A73 at 2.2 GHz / 3 GB RAM
  • Storage: Optional NVMe SSD up to 2 TB (NVR storage)
  • PoE Budget: 30W total from one PoE+ port (port 4)
  • Max Power Consumption: 29.4W excluding PoE output

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Lowest-cost Ubiquiti gateway with 5 Gbps IDS/IPS, rated above the UDM-SE's 3.5 Gbps at a lower launch price ($279 MSRP vs. $499); Multi-gig flexibility with 10GBASE-T, dual SFP+ and four 2.5GbE ports; Compact desktop design with optional NVMe storage for UniFi Protect/NVR use; Supports site-to-site VPN plus OpenVPN, WireGuard and L2TP server functions, with integrated PoE+ for one device; Managed through the UniFi Network controller with 500+ simultaneous user capacity
  • ✘ Cons: No official routing, IPsec or WireGuard throughput figures published by Ubiquiti; community WireGuard numbers (around 400-500 Mbps) are unverified; Only one PoE+ output port (30W total) versus eight PoE ports on the UDM-SE; Lower device and user capacity and less storage expansion than the UDM-SE; No published IPsec tunnel or concurrent session limits; Reseller prices now often run above the launch MSRP (about $320-$346 USD at US resellers)
  • Est. Price: $279 - $346

Popular Comparisons

Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H vs Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H vs Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Pro Max Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H vs Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H vs Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max) Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H vs Ubiquiti Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG)