PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Palo Alto Networks PA-445
Palo Alto Networks PA-445
★ 3.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 2.7 Gbps App-mix (newer datasheet value; some older sources list 2.8 Gbps HTTP / 2.2 Gbps App-mix)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 1.25 Gbps (newer datasheet value; some older sources list 1.0 Gbps)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 1.1 Gbps (newer datasheet value; some older sources list 1.6 Gbps)
  • Max Sessions: 200,000 concurrent sessions
  • New Sessions/sec: 34,000 (some sources list 37,500 or 39,000)
  • Interfaces: 8 x 1GbE ports (1 x SFP/RJ-45 combo, 7 x RJ-45 per listed sources), 1 x RJ-45 1GbE management port, 1 x RJ-45 console, 2 x USB, 1 x micro-USB console
  • Form Factor: Desktop
  • Storage: 128 GB eMMC
  • MTBF: 29 years (PA-400 Series reference, not model-specific)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Low entry price for a Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall; Full PAN-OS feature set with App-ID, User-ID and threat prevention; Compact desktop form factor suited to branch and small office deployments; 200,000 concurrent sessions and 34,000 new sessions per second; Centralised management through Panorama and Strata Cloud Manager; 128 GB eMMC onboard storage
  • ✘ Cons: Throughput is limited to about 2.7 Gbps App-mix and 1.25 Gbps threat prevention, so it is unsuitable for high-bandwidth sites; Only 1GbE interfaces, with no 10GbE uplink; Threat prevention, URL filtering and other security features require separate paid subscriptions; Published spec values differ between datasheet revisions and resellers, so figures should be confirmed against the current official datasheet; Requires a Palo Alto Networks subscription and support plan for full functionality
  • Est. Price: $2,200 - $2,754

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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