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reviewer1529103 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director IT Security at a healthcare company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
May 2, 2021
Good threat hunt capabilities, good support, and easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "Mechanically, all firewalls work in a similar fashion, but what makes Palo Alto different is that it also has some of the threat hunt capabilities. It is a little bit better than other vendors."
  • "Mechanically, all firewalls work in a similar fashion, but what makes Palo Alto different is that it also has some of the threat hunt capabilities; it is a little bit better than other vendors."
  • "As things are evolving, we want to make sure that Palo Alto is able to keep up with what is going on outside. They should continue to do more intelligence-related enhancements and integrate with some of the other security tools. We want to have a more intelligent toolset down the road."
  • "As things are evolving, we want to make sure that Palo Alto is able to keep up with what is going on outside."

What is our primary use case?

Basically, it is for protection and security. We are using it to make sure that our network is as secure as possible. We are able to evaluate each stack in each pocket and take certain actions as needed when we look into some of the content of the payload. 

We have on-prem deployments, and we also have SaaS-based services.

What is most valuable?

Mechanically, all firewalls work in a similar fashion, but what makes Palo Alto different is that it also has some of the threat hunt capabilities. It is a little bit better than other vendors.

What needs improvement?

As things are evolving, we want to make sure that Palo Alto is able to keep up with what is going on outside. They should continue to do more intelligence-related enhancements and integrate with some of the other security tools. We want to have a more intelligent toolset down the road.

For how long have I used the solution?

We implemented this solution last year.

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We currently have 25,000 users. Its usage won't increase a lot, but IT is changing very rapidly, and it would depend on the security model towards which we are moving. 

How are customer service and support?

Palo Alto provides pretty good support.

How was the initial setup?

It is straightforward. The deployment duration varies because there are different modules and components, but it doesn't mean that we have to complete everything to make it work. For the core piece of it, it would probably take a couple of months to install, configure, and test.

What about the implementation team?

We have a vendor to help us. We have two or three people for its deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It has a yearly subscription.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Quality engineer of the 1st category at Modern Expo
Real User
Apr 27, 2021
Great protection without requiring a special dedicated network team; saves us a lot of time
Pros and Cons
  • "Protection from a single packet and ease of making security rules."
  • "The value of this solution for me is the protection from a single packet and ease of making security rules."
  • "It's not so easy to scale out your security capabilities."
  • "Scalability is the main disadvantage of Palo Alto. They call themselves a firewall with router capabilities but it's not a router and it requires a good bandwidth in VPN which could become a problem because you have to scale to really big hardware."

What is our primary use case?

We have two 3000 Series Firewalls placed in our primary location. We have two sites and the secondary site uses the primary site for internet access. All traffic to the secondary location goes through a VPN tunnel. I'm a network administrator. 

What is most valuable?

The value of this solution for me is the protection from a single packet and ease of making security rules. It also doesn't require a special dedicated network team, I'm able to do it myself. It's a time saver for me and now in this pandemic period, users have access from home.  

What needs improvement?

I'd like to see some changes to the licensing policies and, on the technical side, improvement in scalability. It's not so easy to scale out your security capabilities. With the situation in business today, everybody lacks money and if you have to increase your resources and to constantly pay more for that, it becomes a problem. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for 10 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's been 10 years and I don't remember any outages because of a hardware failure or a logical error in configuration. We had problems with servers or switches initially but it works like a charm now. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is the main disadvantage of Palo Alto. They call themselves a firewall with router capabilities but it's not a router and it requires a good bandwidth in VPN which could become a problem because you have to scale to really big hardware. We can solve the issue with other solutions, but for me the idea is to have less devices in your environment.
It's all about the hardware.  

How are customer service and technical support?

The support is quite good. A couple of months ago, I sent an email with an issue and we got an answer in 15-20 minutes. In my experience, Palo Alto support is one of the best, maybe the best support available.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Juniper which is currently called Net Screen. I also looked at Sonic Wall. We carried out a proof of concept five years ago and they had to decide whether to go with Palo Alto or another vendor. 

How was the initial setup?

For me, the initial setup is very easy. To get the device running with some capabilities but maybe not all security rules takes about an hour and it's the same for any upgrades. We have around 900 users and one admin person from our organization who deals with any issues. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Palo Alto is an expensive solution, we currently have a three year contract. I'm not sure what our terms are. People always want cheaper, nobody wants to pay more. In our region, I think if Palo Alto was cheaper, more companies would buy the solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I would absolutely recommend this product, it's expensive but I trust it. There is always room for improvement such as with scalability capabilities in Palo Alto. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this is an issue. It's possible that next time we will try virtualized firewalls, it may be a little cheaper for us. We would consider switching to something else but it would be a big move and quite complicated. Moving to a different vendor is a whole other story.

I rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
892,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1523322 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Staff Security Engineer at a renewables & environment company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Apr 16, 2021
Stable and scalable, works well, and makes our environment more secure
Pros and Cons
  • "The App-ID feature is the coolest feature because you don't need to open a new port. Apps are directly linked to the port. It provides one of the best ways to lock down the additional port switch."
  • "It has strengthened our security policies and made our environment more secure."
  • "Its software updates can be improved. It sometimes becomes very slow with the software updates for different features. It should have an External Dynamic List of data. The malicious IP is not frequently getting updated in Palo Alto, and this should be done."
  • "Its software updates can be improved. It sometimes becomes very slow with the software updates for different features."

What is our primary use case?

We are working on creating security policies on the firewall. We have just put GlobalProtect VPN in our company. We also have Prisma Access.

We have on-prem and hybrid cloud deployments.

How has it helped my organization?

It has strengthened our security policies and made our environment more secure. It has provided us more security features. Due to the rules that we have created on Palo Alto Firewall, all the malicious things have been stopped from coming into our environment.

What is most valuable?

The App-ID feature is the coolest feature because you don't need to open a new port. Apps are directly linked to the port. It provides one of the best ways to lock down the additional port switch.

What needs improvement?

Its software updates can be improved. It sometimes becomes very slow with the software updates for different features.

It should have an External Dynamic List of data. The malicious IP is not frequently getting updated in Palo Alto, and this should be done.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is also good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Cisco ASA previously. Palo Alto has strengthened our security policies. It has also made our environment more secure than Cisco ASA.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup is straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall an eight out of ten. It has been working very well.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Network Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Mar 5, 2021
Easy to install and easy to configure policies, but needs better integration with SD-WAN and better pricing
Pros and Cons
  • "The ease of use and the ease of configuration of our policies are the most valuable features."
  • "The ease of use and the ease of configuration of our policies are the most valuable features."
  • "Palo Alto could do better with integrating the Palo Alto Next-Gen Firewall with SD-WAN. The biggest issue with Palo Alto is that they are expensive. They are very expensive for what they offer. They should improve their pricing."
  • "The biggest issue with Palo Alto is that they are expensive. They are very expensive for what they offer."

What is our primary use case?

It is our edge appliance. We use it for our edge security, and we also use it for our VPN termination.

We're using an old version of this solution. At this moment, I'm looking at migrating away from Palo Alto.

What is most valuable?

The ease of use and the ease of configuration of our policies are the most valuable features.

What needs improvement?

Palo Alto could do better with integrating the Palo Alto Next-Gen Firewall with SD-WAN.

The biggest issue with Palo Alto is that they are expensive. They are very expensive for what they offer. They should improve their pricing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for six or seven years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have about a thousand users.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have third-party support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used Cisco ASA.

How was the initial setup?

Its installation was pretty straightforward. There were no problems there.

Deployment duration is difficult to tell because there is a whole world of planning and other things. It probably took a couple of days. You are, of course, always tweaking these things.

What about the implementation team?

I haven't installed it here, but where I was before, we had two people doing it. I and a colleague did it ourselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

There are multiple firewalls out there. I am moving away from them because they are expensive, and they don't do what I want to do with them. I have plans of getting FortiGate instead.

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a six out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1360215 - PeerSpot reviewer
Server Administrator and Operation Manager at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Feb 14, 2021
Good security with very good web content control and capable of scaling
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability of the product has been good over the years."
  • "The solution is very user-friendly and easy to manage and administrate."
  • "The cost of the device is very high."
  • "The cost of the device is very high."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the product for web browsing and in order to protect some sites that we are publishing to the web internet.

What is most valuable?

The solution is very helpful in controlling spam.

The product offers very good web content control and various aspects of security.

The stability of the product has been good over the years.

The initial setup is very easy. Compared to Cisco or other solutions, Palo Alto is very easy to implement and administer. They are both very easy.

What needs improvement?

I can't recall a feature that was missing. It's a pretty complete solution.

The cost of the device is very high.

To buy license support is very slow. For renewing devices and products, it's slow in terms of contacting and activating upgraded devices.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for four years at this point. It's been a while. We've been using it over the last 12 months as well.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is excellent. It's reliable. We don't deal with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. Overall, it's been very good in terms of performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not proven the scalability yet. We're planning to extend our office within the next year or six months to eight months. We are buying some appliances for the process of extending our office.

Currently, around 1,000 people use this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've never been in touch with technical support. Having never dealt with them, I wouldn't be able to speak to how they are in terms of services.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also use Barracuda and Cisco for certain aspects of security.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. It's quite easy to implement.

The deployment takes about one week, or maybe a bit less, depending on the requirements. That includes both implementing and training.

Currently, two people are required for deployment and maintenance of the product

What about the implementation team?

We implement the solution with our network team. We implement the solution ourselves. We don't need the help of integrators or consultants.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is quite high on Palo Alto.

On the lower end, it's likely to cost $15,000 for renovation and support.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Cisco, Juniper, and Dell among other solutions before ultimately choosing this solution. Cisco can be complex in terms of device management compared to other options, for example. Cisco can be cheaper than Palo Alto, but that is not always the case.

What other advice do I have?

I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. We use a physical appliance.

We're using three different models, for the most part.

My company is an outsourcing company that deploys software and testing.

The solution is very user-friendly and easy to manage and administrate. For that reason, I would rate the product at a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Ahmed Hesham - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at Raya Integration
Reseller
Feb 11, 2021
A next-generation firewall with useful functions and features
Pros and Cons
  • "I like all the functions and features."
  • "The NG Firewall has many functions like user control, access control for servers, natural controls based on applications, schedules, ports, RTs, and IPS functionality with antivirus or security functionality."
  • "I think automation and machine learning can be improved to make bulk configurations simpler, easier, and faster"
  • "I think automation and machine learning can be improved to make bulk configurations simpler, easier, and faster."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for LAN users, internet access, and more. The NG Firewall has many functions like user control, access control for servers, natural controls based on applications, schedules, ports, RTs, and IPS functionality with antivirus or security functionality. We also use it to control internet access, traffic shaping for bandwidth control, and fraud prevention.

What is most valuable?

I like all the functions and features.

What needs improvement?

I think automation and machine learning can be improved to make bulk configurations simpler, easier, and faster. Scalability can also be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with NG Firewalls for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't think Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls are scalable. Only Cisco is scalable. For clustering, Cisco activity models like the 4000 model are better. For example, if the firewall is undersized due to expansion, you can cluster and add more appliances to the system.

How are customer service and technical support?

I think Palo Alto has good support. Technical support helped me solve most of my issues very quickly. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup depends on the client's infrastructure and the project's scope. 

If it's migration, Palo Alto has a great tool called the Expedition tool. It helps to migrate any firewall to the Palo Alto firewall. This process takes about a day, and it's very simple.

If it's a fresh installation, it depends on the number of policies you need to apply and the number of metrics. You can do it using the command line. You can do it easily and quickly, but it depends on how much the customers prepare. Sometimes the customer has no information to provide, and you struggle to get this information. Sometimes this process can take two to five days or take weeks. 

What about the implementation team?

We implement and maintain Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for our customers.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Paul Alto is the most expensive solution in this category. The subscriptions and support are also expensive, but everything is included in the hardware, including the subscriptions.

If a customer is price-sensitive, I will go for Fortinet without a second thought. If customers are willing to invest in their data centers, I might go with Palo Alto and Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1469877 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Consutant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Feb 4, 2021
I like how the threat protection model functions, including the vulnerability and anti-spyware aspects
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that I like the most is its IPS model, the WildFire model. I really like how the whole threat protection model functions, including the vulnerability and anti-spyware aspects. That is really awesome."
  • "The feature that I like the most is its IPS model, the WildFire model, and I really like how the whole threat protection model functions, including the vulnerability and anti-spyware aspects, which are really awesome."
  • "In terms of what could be improved, comparatively the price is very high. That would be the one thing."
  • "In terms of what could be improved, comparatively the price is very high."

What is our primary use case?

Normally, we use our firewall at the perimeter level. We are using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls as a firewall as well as using a few of their functionalities like the Vulnerability Protection, its IPS module. Additionally, we have remote VPN's on those firewalls, like GlobalProtect. So we are using all the features which are provided by Palo Alto.

What is most valuable?

The feature that I like the most is its IPS model, the WildFire model. I really like how the whole threat protection model functions, including the vulnerability and anti-spyware aspects. That is really awesome.

What needs improvement?

In terms of what could be improved, comparatively the price is very high. That would be the one thing. But technically-speaking, it's perfect.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for around five years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, normally, we procure the devices based on the future perspective, so there should be a lot of scalability. We never face scalability issues with Next Generation Palo Alto Firewall - it comes with the scalability.

We have around 11,000 to 12,000 users across the globe.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is pretty good. We get a timely response. There will be plus/minus where we do not getting a response, but not regularly, just one or two cases among, let's say, 20 or 30. As far as my experiences with the tech support go, it's pretty good, very straightforward support. It's not like they're playing on the call and taking their time. It is really straightforward.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup depends on the office locations of the data center. If that particular firewall is part of the data center, then yes, it is a complex design as well as a complex traffic flow. But for normal office locations, it is pretty straightforward. So it is a mix depending on the location of where the particular firewall is going to be put.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. If a company has the budget and wants to have the next generation of firewalls then they should go for the Palo Alto, because whatever state of features they provide, it's pretty awesome. But if there is a budget constraint there are several other products which give you similar kinds of features but with less cost.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls an 8.

Nothing is perfect. There are features that they should add. One of the features that I'm looking at is when it comes to the Vulnerability Protection. We are blocking the threats which are, by default, updated by the Palo Alto Threat Engine. Currently, there is no scope of manually adding the external database to the firewall so the firewall will convert that database to their own. This is currently not functional with the current version. There are a few functions that they could add that are available with other vendors. That's why I am giving the 8.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Vice President of Digital Transformation at Sysnet Global Technologies
Real User
Jan 31, 2021
Comprehensive, stable, with good services, application layers, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of this solution are all of the services it provides."
  • "The application layer to the hardware layer is good, as are all layers it offers, and it's a very comprehensive solution."
  • "I would like to see it provide us with intelligent information from the data that it captures, within the same cost."
  • "I would like to see it provide us with intelligent information from the data that it captures, within the same cost."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of this solution are all of the services it provides. 

The application layer to the hardware Layer is good, as are all layers it offers.

It's a very comprehensive solution.

What needs improvement?

The features should be built into the system. For example, it generates many logs with a lot of information that can be converted into security and business information and shown to the user. This is a time-consuming job.

I would like to see it provide us with intelligent information from the data that it captures, within the same cost.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a very stable product, so far.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's very scalable. We have 300 users in our company.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have worked with various firewalls such as Check Point, Sophos, Cisco, and some unknown product names as well.

There are several things to consider before recommending a solution. It depends on the business requirements, the budget, and the complexity of the security needs.

I believe that Palo Alto is the best one, then Check Point and Sophos. Those are my three preferences.

Palo Alto and Check Point would be rated an eight out of ten and the others would be a seven out of ten.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex, but it can be done.

The rollout takes a couple of weeks but you have to keep improving it every day.

What about the implementation team?

Part of the setup was completed by me, with some help externally.

We have a subcontractor for maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is an expensive product, as are the others of this type.

What other advice do I have?

Know your business requirements, the features, the ease of use, and know what type of budget you have. These are the types of requirements to know before you use this product.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2026
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.