PACKETPERF

Primary Device

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

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 2.7 Gbps
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 1.25 Gbps
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 1.1 Gbps
  • Max Sessions: 200,000
  • New Sessions/sec: 34,000
  • Interfaces: 1 x 1G SFP/RJ45 combo, 4 x 1G RJ45, 4 x 1G RJ45 PoE (ports 6-9); 1 x 1G SFP/RJ45 combo management port, 1 x RJ45 console, 1 x Micro USB console, 2 x USB
  • Form Factor: 1U desktop/rack, 13 x 8.88 x 1.66 in, 8.69 lb

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 2.7 Gbps firewall throughput and 200,000 max sessions for a compact 1U branch device; 34,000 new sessions/sec; Four PoE ports (6-9) with a 91W total PoE budget (60W per port) for powering access points or cameras; Runs full PAN-OS with App-ID, User-ID and Threat Prevention; 128 GB eMMC storage; Dedicated management port and virtual systems (1 base / 2 max)
  • ✘ Cons: Threat Prevention throughput of only 1.25 Gbps limits inspected traffic at higher speeds; IPsec VPN throughput of 1.1 Gbps is modest for site-to-site scaling; All interfaces are 1GbE with no 2.5G or 10G uplink; Average draw of 140W with a full PoE load needs an external AC adapter; No PA-445-W or Wi-Fi variant found in Palo Alto's documentation; Premium pricing versus similar-throughput competitors
  • Est. Price: $2,200 - $2,910

Compare Against

Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Pro Max
Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Pro Max
★ 5.0 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti. Third-party tests: about 3.8-4.7 Gbps internet (WAN) throughput; about 3.0 Gbps inter-VLAN routing
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 5 Gbps IDS/IPS (Ubiquiti spec)
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti. Unverified third-party estimate of about 1.8-2.2 Gbps
  • Max Sessions: Not published
  • New Sessions/sec: Not published
  • Interfaces: 2x 10G SFP+ ports; 8x 1GbE RJ45 LAN ports; 1x 2.5GbE RJ45 WAN port (sources conflict on WAN; one lists a 25GbE WAN port)
  • Form Factor: 1U rackmount

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 5 Gbps IDS/IPS rating from Ubiquiti; 10G SFP+ ports for fast uplinks or LAN; Multi-WAN support with 2.5GbE WAN; Integrated UniFi Network controller and UniFi OS for centralized management; Built-in NVR bay for UniFi Protect cameras; Rackmount 1U form factor suited to server racks
  • ✘ Cons: Ubiquiti does not publish firewall, VPN, or session-rate figures; Real-world WAN throughput in independent tests is about 3-4.7 Gbps, below the 5 Gbps IDS/IPS rating; Port layout and WAN specs differ between sources; Costs about 2x the UDM Pro (about $220 more) for a modest throughput gain; Limited 1GbE LAN port count compared with dedicated switches; Requires UniFi ecosystem for full feature set
  • Est. Price: $599 - $660

Popular Comparisons

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