We use this product as our perimeter firewall.
Senior solution architect at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Good management options, and we have confidence in the security that it provides
Pros and Cons
- "The management options are good."
- "Technical support could be faster."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
We have a lot of confidence in this solution.
What is most valuable?
The management options are good.
What needs improvement?
There are some options available in other firewall products that are not supported, so there is room for improvement in that regard.
Technical support could be faster.
The cost of this firewall could be cheaper.
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall for the past five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This next-generation firewall solution is scalable. We have more than 500 users and we plan to continue using it.
How are customer service and support?
We have had experience with technical support and it is good, although they could be faster.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our previous firewall did not have the next-generation capability.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. A typical installation takes one or two days.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed this product on our own and one person is suitable for the deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is an expensive product and there is a subscription cost.
What other advice do I have?
This is a good product and I recommend it.
I would rate this solution a nine 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: Integrator
Network Security Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Ability to log each and every application provides valuable control
Pros and Cons
- "Ability to log each and every application."
- "With new features and applications you get bugs."
What is our primary use case?
I'm a network security engineer and we are platinum partners with Palo Alto.
What is most valuable?
Initially, there were no application controls offered in the legacy firewall. Now you can log each and every application. It provides valuable control and is the main feature in addition to the security features they're currently offering. All the firewalls - Fortinet, Cisco, Palo Alto - provide complete visibility and control over your network which you didn't previously have. Now you have user ID and you can implement URL filtering as well, there is control over your network. End user logging is far better with Palo Alto than Fortinet or Cisco, and it helps you to troubleshoot. I'd rate Palo Alto on top. It's comfortable and that's my experience. Cisco and Fortinet provide good services, but Palo Alto offers a very good product.
What needs improvement?
There will always be room for improvement. On a daily basis you get patches for everything. They build new features, apply new technologies and new applications which need to be integrated and with that you get bugs. There are always issues, whether it's hardware or software.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is generally stable but with each new update you need to get the OS bug fix. Any security device has a vulnerability which a hacker can exploit and you have to keep on patching.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I work on the system integrator side and work with multiple customers, and this is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
The support level is good, but it depends on the region you're working from. In some countries, the support flexibility is very good. For others, you have different strategies. I'm in Pakistan and Palo Alto has a different strategy here in that they don't directly provide support. You have to add another vendor in between and open a case with them and if they can't resolve your query they activate to Palo Alto. In some countries, Palo Alto directly provides support and in others they can't be contacted directly. In a couple of scenarios, we got involved with an R&D team and told them there was a bug for our end users. Palo Alto escalated that case to an R&D team and they got it fixed in the following patches.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is a very smooth process integrated with initial configuration. It's very easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You could say that the cost is higher for Palo Alto, but they are a better product compared to the other principals.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I work with Fortinet as well as Palo Alto. Palo Alto has very extensive logging that Fortinet doesn't offer. To get that with Fortinet you need to purchase FortiAnalyzer for reporting. The logging is so extensive in Palo Alto that you can generate a report and get an analysis on the same firewall. You don't need to procure anything else. The documentation of both Fortinet and Palo Alto is up to standard. They both have very extensive documentation for their products. Both of them offer the same level of knowledge base for their customers and are up to the mark. In terms of support, Fortinet and Cisco allow you to directly open a case and get an engineer on the line. Cisco follows the same model. I'm unable to do that with Palo Alto from Pakistan.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
System Engineer at E-smart systems
Improved traffic visibility and management after replacing our open-source solution
Pros and Cons
- "With our High availability pair, we have had no downtime for several years, since it was first put it in production."
- "When you delete and add a new rule, because of the one hundred rule limit, if the new rule has an ID that is greater than one hundred, even though you have fewer than that, it will not work."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for WAN routing, NAT, VPN tunnels, granular security policies, URL filtering, antivirus, threat prevention, sandboxing, decryption, high availability, and reporting.
How has it helped my organization?
Palo Alto has improved traffic visibility, and the ability to manage it. With Palo Alto, we have more flexibility and our network is more secure. With our High availability pair, we have had no downtime for several years, since it was first put it in production. We have even changed boxes for new models during this time.
What is most valuable?
Palo Alto is easy to use, feature-rich, and it has good technical support. You can fetch users, so you have visibility by username, IP address, destination, application, and you can even define a custom application.
In the GUI, you can easily find blocked traffic and the reason for it.
What needs improvement?
The only thing that is a little strange is in Policy-Based Forwarding. When you delete and add a new rule, because of the one hundred rule limit, if the new rule has an ID that is greater than one hundred, even though you have fewer than that, it will not work. The same thing happens when you are renaming a rule. The new rule will have a new ID, so it is possible for it to be greater than one hundred. This can be easily fixed by using one command from CLI, but you have to be aware of it.
For how long have I used the solution?
Six years.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support for this solution is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our previous solution was open source, and not so easy to manage. We had a Linux Iptables firewall, Squid + DansGuardian proxy, and an OpenVPN server. We replaced all of these solutions with Palo Alto.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If you have some network experience then you can set it up on your own, with no setup costs. Don't buy a device with more power than you really need, because licensing depends on the cost of the box you have.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Sophos, SonicWall, and Fortinet.
What other advice do I have?
PA is a product that continuously improves, so, I have nothing to add in terms of features.
My advice is not to look for a cheaper solution, as the price/performance ratio on Palo Alto is great.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Cyber Security Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
An easy setup with good malware protection and excellent technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The application control portion of the solution is its most valuable aspect."
- "The price of the solution is very high."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution as security - as a next-generation firewall.
What is most valuable?
The application control portion of the solution is its most valuable aspect.
The malware protection on offer is excellent.
The initial setup is very easy.
We found the scalability to be quite good.
The stability is excellent.
Technical support is great.
The interface is very user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
Either the application or the vendor needs to provide a more updated list of internet applications.
The price of the solution is very high.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been dealing with the solution for about three or so years at this point. It's been a while now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has been extremely stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We tend to work with enterprise-level organizations.
The scalability is quite good. If a company needs to scale, it can do so with ease.
How are customer service and technical support?
We found the technical support to be quite good. They are helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive. We have no complaints. We are very satisfied with the service they provide to us.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also work with Fortinet.
I'd likely recommend Palo Alto over Fortinet as I find Palo Alto to be more user-friendly. The performance is also very good.
How was the initial setup?
We found the initial setup to be very simple and straightforward. It was not overly complex or difficult. A company shouldn't have any trouble implementing the solution.
The deployment is also very quick. It only takes about ten to 15 minutes or so.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost, overall, is pretty expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We are a Palo Alto partner. We are a systems integrator.
I'd recommend the solution. If a company has the budget, I would suggest the product to them. If a customer has a more limited budget, however, I would highly recommend Fortinet as an option.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Security Presales Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Good performance, ease of use, and reliability
Pros and Cons
- "In general, its performance and ease of use are the most valuable. Its performance is good, stable, and reliable. The user interface is friendly and easy to use. Customers find it easy to work with and easy to learn."
- "They can work on the price. They are a little bit expensive, and not all customers are able to afford this solution. Taking into consideration that there is huge competition in the market and there are multiple firewall companies that are much cheaper than them and offer almost the same features, it would be good to improve the price."
What is our primary use case?
We are a system and development company, and we sell this solution and many other solutions to our customers.
We work on all the models, not a specific one. The model depends on the sizing. We also consider future expansion of a customer's environment for deploying a model.
What is most valuable?
In general, its performance and ease of use are the most valuable. Its performance is good, stable, and reliable. The user interface is friendly and easy to use. Customers find it easy to work with and easy to learn.
What needs improvement?
They can work on the price. They are a little bit expensive, and not all customers are able to afford this solution. Taking into consideration that there is huge competition in the market and there are multiple firewall companies that are much cheaper than them and offer almost the same features, it would be good to improve the price.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for three to four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. They offer multiple platforms, such as hardware appliances as well as virtual appliances. You can deploy as many virtual appliances as you want. Palo Alto supports the latest technologies, such as micro-segmentation, and NSX integration with Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor. They offer multiple options to cover almost every deployment scenario and architecture for most of the customers.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't deal with the technical support team because I am a presales person. Our technical support team handles the tickets and open tickets for support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not that easy. Deployment duration depends on the complexity of the solution, that is, how many firewalls will be installed, and are there any sorts of integrations or any other solution. It also depends if it is just a single box deployment or there is an extra box or two boxes. It might take one week to two weeks depending on the environment, the complexity of the data center, and the complexity of the integration with other technologies. It may take one month or more if the implementation is huge, and there are multiple boxes to be implemented and to be integrated with other solutions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is a little bit expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution based on a customer's requirements. I sell solutions from a lot of firewall vendors. I have the flexibility to recommend based on the budget of a project. I would recommend Palo Alto or any other vendor if the environment and all the conditions are available and suitable for that deployment. A lot of times, we make POC or proof of concepts to show the customer the value of the products and how to deal with them to convince them to buy it.
I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls 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
Network Security Engineer
Useful web filtering, responsive technical support, but VPN needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The best features of this solution are URL filtering and traffic visibility."
- "The areas that need to improve are network protection and user identification."
What is our primary use case?
I am using the solution for protecting the network organization from threats.
What is most valuable?
The best features of this solution are URL filtering and traffic visibility.
What needs improvement?
The areas that need to improve are network protection and user identification.
In the next release of the solution the VPN could improve because it is not as good as competitors.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution within the past 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable and reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 10 employees using this solution in my organization. We are in the beginning phases of testing and will increase usage if the test phase results are favorable.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is responsive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are on an annual license for this solution. I am happy with the price and when comparing it to other solutions it is priced competitively.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated Sophos firewalls and I found Palo Alto solutions better because of the protection and web filters.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Lead Consultant at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Good security, integrates well with third-party services, includes DLP, and the support is good
Pros and Cons
- "They are regularly releasing new versions that include more integration with third-party services."
- "Having a better pricing model would make this product more competitive, and more affordable for our customers."
What is our primary use case?
We are a solution provider and one of the Palo Alto products that we implement for our clients is the Next-Generation Firewall. It is used to protect your workflows in cloud environments, be it Azure, AWS, or Google. It can also protect your applications' databases that are on-premises.
What is most valuable?
This firewall will scan the network for vulnerabilities and malware.
It can prevent unauthorized access to the network.
This solution has a DLP function.
They are regularly releasing new versions that include more integration with third-party services. Examples of services that have already been integrated are Splunk and two-factor authentication.
What needs improvement?
Having a better pricing model would make this product more competitive, and more affordable for our customers.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been dealing with next-generation firewalls from Palo Alto for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
So far, this solution has been stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable and it can be integrated with third-party solutions.
We have many clients who are using this firewall.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support from Palo Alto is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In terms of firewalls, we use Palo Alto, Cisco, and Fortinet FortiGate.
How was the initial setup?
The next-generation firewall can be installed either on-premises or in a cloud-based deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The NG firewall is an expensive solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Technical Manager El Salvador at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
A feature-rich solution that works very well and has excellent stability
Pros and Cons
- "Overall, it is a good solution. It is stable. We use URL filtering, which is useful for blocking undesired URLs."
- "Currently, they don't have email protection. They can maybe add it in the future. Currently, if you want to do so, you need to go with another solution."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for perimeter security.
What is most valuable?
Overall, it is a good solution. It is stable. We use URL filtering, which is useful for blocking undesired URLs.
What needs improvement?
Currently, they don't have email protection. They can maybe add it in the future. Currently, if you want to do so, you need to go with another solution.
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?
Its stability is perfect. It has excellent stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
With this kind of solution, you need to be careful in terms of planning because once you have the appliance, it is very difficult to scale too much. You need to carefully select the right appliances because if you need to run more services and traffic beyond the ones you have selected, you would have to replace the appliance. You would have to upgrade it. We currently have 100 users in our organization who use this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We never had the need to open a support case. It never happened that something that was supposed to work was not working. If required, we can find the answers in the product documentation.
How was the initial setup?
If you have the right experience, it is okay. It is not very easy, but if you know how to manage it and configure it, it is okay. It takes maybe 5 to 10 hours or a day.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others to go for it. They will not get disappointed. It is complex at the beginning because it has a lot of features, but this is something that you overcome with training. With training and experience, you can manage it.
I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall a nine 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
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Updated: November 2024
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