PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Palo Alto Networks PA-5450
Palo Alto Networks PA-5450
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Firewall Throughput: 200 Gbps (App-ID / HTTP appmix)
  • Threat Prevention Throughput: 189 Gbps
  • IPsec VPN Throughput: 85 Gbps
  • Max Sessions: 100 million
  • New Sessions/sec: 3.6 million (older datasheet lists 4 million)
  • Interfaces: Modular: 1-2 networking cards per system. Each networking card: 4x 100/1000/10G Cu, 12x 1G/10G SFP/SFP+, 2x 40G/100G QSFP28. Requires data processing cards (2 networking cards need at least 2 DPCs)
  • Form Factor: 5U rack-mount chassis

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Very high throughput for a single chassis (200 Gbps firewall, 189 Gbps threat prevention); Modular design with networking and data processing cards allows capacity to scale; Supports 100M max sessions and 3.6M new sessions per second for large data center and carrier workloads; 85 Gbps IPsec VPN throughput; Redundant AC or DC power and fan options; Full PAN-OS feature set including App-ID, Threat Prevention, and ML-powered security; Interface modes include L2, L3, tap, and virtual wire with 802.1Q VLAN support
  • ✘ Cons: High upfront cost, typically around $88,000 to $100,000+ for the base bundle before licensing and support; Performance figures depend on card configuration and test conditions, so real-world results may differ; Requires 5U of rack space and considerable power and cooling, which is excessive for small or mid-size sites; Port counts and bundle contents vary across resellers, so configurations need careful quoting; Subscription licensing for Threat Prevention, URL filtering, and support adds substantial recurring cost; Overkill for branch or SMB deployments that the PA-400 or PA-1400 series would serve better
  • Est. Price: $88,320 - $103,010

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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