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reviewer1324731 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager - Project at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Provides a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "There are many valuable features, such as wireless cloud features."
  • "The bugs can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for our network security. We deployed the solution on both the cloud and on-prem.

How has it helped my organization?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls machine learning secures our network against threats that evolve rapidly.

The DNS security feature is already commonly used for authentication by clients, with many threats being pushed from the inside to the outside. DNS security helps improve our network.

The DNS security feature is integral in protecting against DNS tunneling.

The solution provides a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls' unified platform helps us eliminate security threats. We use all the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls' features including the UTM, WiFi, and VPN feature to protect our network. 

Both the network performance and security of the single-pass architecture are good. 

What is most valuable?

There are many valuable features, such as wireless cloud features. The IP and signals are updated regularly, and all UTM features provide good basic gateway-level security.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls machine learning in the core of the firewall to provide real-time attack prevention is a basic requirement for our private security network.

What needs improvement?

The bugs can be improved.

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
850,671 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. We encounter small bugs sometimes but they are not a problem.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

For experienced people, the initial setup is straightforward. Cloud deployment can be challenging for someone new. The deployment takes around one hour.

What about the implementation team?

We implement the solution for our clients.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

Our clients are enterprise-level.

The PA400 series has good performance and security.

I recommend Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls to others.

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: Implementer
PeerSpot user
reviewer2171649 - PeerSpot reviewer
CISO at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Enables us to secure environments that may pose more significant security challenges
Pros and Cons
  • "The centralization capability is the most valuable feature of this solution as it enables us to monitor our systems efficiently."
  • "A major concern is making the licensing more accessible to enable small municipalities to afford and manage their own systems independently."

What is our primary use case?

We use these firewalls to manage wastewater systems for over a hundred municipalities across the country. As a result, we exclusively use them in the operational technology (OT) space.

How has it helped my organization?

One of the key benefits is that it enables us to secure environments that may pose more significant security challenges.

What is most valuable?

The centralization capability is the most valuable feature of this solution as it enables us to monitor our systems efficiently. Additionally, the firewalls are excellent, with straightforward configuration and comprehensible interfaces that our engineers can set up with ease.

The cloud firewall solution offers a unified platform that integrates social security capabilities, but it comes at an additional cost.

I think having the ability to see the big picture is important for us, and that's not always easy to achieve. 

As for how important it is for us to have Palo Alto NG Firewalls and defense machine learning at the core of the firewall for real-time attack prevention, I think it's a bit premature to say. There are many players in that field currently, and I would prefer to see them get it right before jumping in just for the sake of being there.

What needs improvement?

A major concern is making the licensing more accessible to enable small municipalities to afford and manage their own systems independently.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have had experience working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for a minimum of three to four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine or ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are very scalable.

How are customer service and support?

As far as I know, the technical support for this solution is excellent. 

My team has used it a few times and has always been satisfied with the service. I have never received any negative feedback regarding the support lines.

I would rate the technical support an eight or nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

A lot of the municipality's systems rely on Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls to stay online, and we've found that they provide better uptime compared to most other solutions.

Our downtime has been reduced by 80 to 90% with the implementation of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.

I was not involved in the deployment process.

What was our ROI?

We have seen a return on investment. By centralizing our monitoring of systems, we have been able to make our lives easier.

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

The licensing leaves a lot to be desired. 

We buy the license and then we can't transfer the license without paying an exorbitant fee to our client if they leave us, and that just seems to be a bit of a pain point for us, and there's really no way to partner effectively to make that more reasonable.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We continuously review firewalls, whether it's Check Point or Fortinet, or Cisco. But Palo Alto has been the best for us.

What other advice do I have?

As most of our environments are in the cloud, we don't have a lot of experience in securing data centers.

If a colleague at another company is only looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall, I would advise them that Palo Alto Networks is not the right solution for them. 

While it may not be the most affordable or the quickest to set up, the investment in Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is well worth it in terms of reliability and security. 

Choosing a firewall based solely on cost and speed may result in a false sense of security and leave the organization vulnerable to breaches and downtime.

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

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Customer
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
850,671 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Afzal H. Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Manager (IT Security & Operations) at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Helps us monitor traffic based on source destination and geolocation, and reduced access to unwanted websites by 80%
Pros and Cons
  • "The packet level inspection is the most valuable feature. The traffic restriction features allow us to restrict the sub-features of any platform."
  • "Palo Alto is like Microsoft. It has varied features, but it's too technical. A lot of the features could be simplified. The procedure, process, features, and usability could be more simple."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for IPS. Palo Alto's firewall is really good compared to firewalls like FortiGate, Cisco, or any other competitor.

We're able to monitor traffic based on the source destination and geolocation. The firewall allows us to restrict user access. For example, we have restricted user access to the chat feature on Facebook.

There are about 170 total users on the client side. On the administrative side, we have two or three people.

We're using version PA-200. The solution is deployed on-premises.

How has it helped my organization?

We reduced access to unwanted websites by 80%. It allows us to optimize user efficiency. For example, I have restricted the calling feature on LinkedIn, so people can still use LinkedIn, but they aren't able to dial out or receive calls.

We restricted social media sites so that only basic features can be used. The monitoring functionality allows us to see which users are using which websites,  the frequency, and the level of usage. It improves the network monitoring in our organization and gives us the required control level to restrict user access.

Palo Alto Next-Gen Firewall has Panorama, which is a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities, but I haven't worked with it yet.

The unified platform gives us more visibility and restricts unwanted guests and unwanted traffic. It gives us more insight into network traffic so that we can analyze it.

It helps eliminate multiple network security tools and the effort needed to get them to work together. Previously, I used other network monitoring tools for bandwidth monitoring. Now, the security features and wireless detection are in a single platform, so it definitely reduces the need for multiple platforms.

It has affected our network operations and network-related costs, but it's not the main benefit. The main benefit is the visibility and not having to maintain or manage multiple platforms. It's a bit costly because it has a lot of features, and each feature has a cost. It's important to do a cost-benefit analysis and know the requirements of your organization. We don't have to manage five to seven platforms and we're getting all the information in a single platform, so we can compromise a little bit on the cost side.

What is most valuable?

The packet level inspection is the most valuable feature. The traffic restriction features allow us to restrict the sub-features of any platform.

I really like the security aspects. That's why it's highly rated on Gartner. The antivirus definitions, updates, and malware detection are pretty good.

It embeds machine learning in the core of the firewall to provide inline real-time attack prevention, which is a very nice feature. It's part of the add-on services subscription. The autonomous behavior toward malware and potential risk is pretty good. 

Machine learning is really good to have. We received some false positives with machine learning, which was the main problem we had with it.

It's very important to me that the solution integrates natively with security solutions. Inside attacks are very rare. Most attacks are generated from the outside or from a public site, so having Palo Alto is really important on a public site.

What needs improvement?

Palo Alto is like Microsoft. It has varied features, but it's too technical. A lot of the features could be simplified. The procedure, process, features, and usability could be more simple.

It's too complex and sometimes the process to implement a single thing is hectic.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about eight months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. If you use the virtual solution, you may need to change the subscription.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't directly worked with Palo Alto's technical support, but their community logs have been really helpful and we can find the answer to almost anything. The documentation is good.

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

We previously used Fortinet and Cisco.

We switched to Palo Alto because it's an all-in-one solution. We were attracted by its level of detection, level of monitoring, and level of packageable inspection.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is straightforward. Deployment took a week. 

I haven't used it inline directly. First, I did a port mirror. Once I was fully satisfied with the level of detection, I put all of my traffic through it.

We use two or three administrative staff for maintenance. 

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

The price is high.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated other features, but we chose Palo Alto early on in the process because of the features and usability.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten. 

In terms of a trade-off between security and network performance, I would rate it more toward network security. We have a lot of other alternatives for monitoring but not for the security side or antivirus detection.

I would highly recommend Palo Alto. If you want a cheap solution, I would recommend Sophos. But if someone is looking for real-time protection, I would suggest that they go with the virtual instance of Palo Alto, which is PA-200 VM, because it simply fulfills our requirements.

For personal use or SMEs, the price of PA-400 is high, but the security and performance are worth it.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Hamada Elewa - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer - Security Presales at Raya Integration
Real User
Top 5
App-ID, invented by Palo Alto, knows an application, who's communicating with it, and how it is used inside a network
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are the power of the threat prevention and the WildFire service. Its strength comes from the huge number of sensors all over the world. The firewalls have a rich library of signatures."
  • "If you enable SSL you will face a problem. The throughput of the firewall will be degraded. SSL is a big issue on all firewalls. All products suffer from issues with SSL, but Palo Alto firewalls suffer more from it."

What is our primary use case?

We use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls as internet firewalls, LAN or WAN firewalls, as well as data center firewalls.

How has it helped my organization?

When you apply App-ID and User-ID and Content-ID, you will protect your environment more than with any other firewall. That's because Palo Alto is a leader in App-ID. They invented it. It knows the application and who's communicating with it, and how it is used inside a network. If you use Palo Alto as your internet firewall, for example, when your employee accesses the internet, you will determine which applications he's communicating with, including which ports and the behavior of the user. That helps protect your environment.

The Palo Alto NG Firewalls unified platform has helped to eliminate security holes in our customers' environments. When you have multiple firewalls from Palo Alto to protect more than one segment, such as the LAN, WAN, internet, and data center segments, you can manage all of these from a single point with Palo Alto Panorama. It makes it easy to configure and monitor all of these segments.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the power of the threat prevention and the WildFire service. Its strength comes from the huge number of sensors all over the world. The firewalls have a rich library of signatures.

Also, the new generation of Palo Alto firewalls includes machine learning embedded in the hardware itself and that is effective in the new era of attacks. Nowadays, we don't know the behavior of the attacks, so we need a product to learn along with us: How an attack will affect us and how the attack will enter a corporate environment. That's why the machine learning aspect is important.

They also provide a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities. You can configure or change anything in the firewall itself from the management console, and there is a separate console for managing all the firewalls you have, called Panorama. It's a very good central manager. I like Panorama. It is the most powerful and capable central manager of firewalls. It gives you very rich information about your environment, and what is moving inside it. It helps you to configure it easily.

It's also important that the NSS Labs test report from July 2019 about Palo Alto's NG Firewalls showed that 100 percent of the evasions were blocked. NSS Labs is the most accurate public report that all my customers want to see. All my customers ask about NSS Labs and where Palo Alto is positioned in their reports. To position Palo Alto, I will show my customer the NSS Lab report. It's the most important report.

In addition, in the last two series, Palo Alto separated the engines. That means you will not face any issue with the performance or the firewalls. There is an engine for performance, an engine for the IPS, and another engine for other features. There isn't only a single engine responsible for all these features.

What needs improvement?

The IoT could be better. IoT environments will be part of IT and measuring these zones will make your IT environment more resistant to attacks. You need a powerful firewall to secure the IoT segment, the same way that Palo Alto Firewalls do for the IT segment.

Also, if you enable SSL you will face a problem. The throughput of the firewall will be degraded. SSL is a big issue on all firewalls. All products suffer from issues with SSL, but Palo Alto firewalls suffer more from it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for at least four years, but for my company it has been almost 10 years.

I have worked with many Palo Alto models, including the PA-3000 Series, the new PA-3020 Series, and the new-generation PA-3400. I have worked with the PA-800 Series and the 5K as well.

Our company provides services for the whole cycle, from design and sizing to ordering and implementation. We provide all professional services. And we support systems after implementation.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a very stable firewall.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

If you choose a model, from PA-3000 or PA-400, or the PA-5000 Series, you should size it correctly from the beginning, and you must consider expansion, otherwise you could face a big problem, as it's not scalable. But, if you have a big company, and you've chosen it as a data center firewall, you can choose a modular version, so that it is easily scalable.

How are customer service and support?

There are two types of support. If you choose partner support, you will face a big problem because it will take more time to reach Palo Alto. But if you choose direct support from the vendor, they will support you very well.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

It's very simple to deploy Palo Alto NG Firewalls into our clients' environments. One of my professional service team engineers was able to do an implementation on his own after shadowing just one implementation. He didn't take any courses or do any formal training. He was just a shadow on a single implementation. After that, he did an implementation. It's a very easy firewall.

The time it takes to deploy this firewall depends on the environment. If it's a complicated environment, a big corporate environment, the number of policies and rules and segments will be the determining factor. But it won't take that long. If you enable App-ID, you will need more time. App-ID is one of the most powerful tools inside NG Firewalls from Palo Alto, but it needs professional engineers to implement it. After that, you will have a very good security tool.

What was our ROI?

Our customers certainly see ROI from Palo Alto firewalls. For example, if a bank doesn't have Palo Alto firewalls, or any technology from Palo Alto, they will face many attacks, which would be resolved by Palo Alto. These attacks could compromise some of their customers and result in taking their money. What will the bank do then? The ROI comes from protecting customers.

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

Palo Alto is one of the most expensive firewalls in the world. Everyone knows that. But you need at least one layer from Palo Alto to protect your environment because it is the strongest company in the security field.

The licensing model for container security is complicated for me and for my customers.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I deal with Fortinet Fortigate firewalls, Forcepoint firewalls, and Cisco firewalls every day. We sell and implement them, like Palo Alto.

Palo Alto now has the IoT license on the firewall. They can protect you from DNS attacks. The WildFire license is a very rich license, and other vendors don't have that. And if your firewall is an internet edge firewall, Palo Alto GlobalProtect will give you a host compliance check without adding anything else. Also App-ID and Content-ID are very good and very mature, unlike with other vendors.

I have also used Palo Alto NGFW’s DNS Security for two of my customers. It's a good addition to the firewall, but it's not perfect. Palo Alto is not specialized in DNS attacks. There are a lot of companies that specialize in DNS attacks. They are more mature than Palo Alto in this area. Palo Alto is not like Akamai or Infoblox or EfficientIP, as those companies are specialized in DNS, DNS servers, and DNS attacks. Palo Alto is not only a DNS company.

What other advice do I have?

Someone who says, "We are just looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall?" can get a free firewall, but they will not be protected. They will not be updated against the latest attacks all over the world.

There are tools on the Palo Alto portal that can be used to enhance the configuration of your Palo Alto product and they are free.

Overall, I love Palo Alto.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Diamond Partner
PeerSpot user
Chan Lung - PeerSpot reviewer
Presale Consultant at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Provides strong protection through network segmentation and XDR
Pros and Cons
  • "Palo Alto NG Firewalls offer an efficient interface that simplifies log checking, troubleshooting connection issues, and firewall policy configuration."
  • "Enhancing support teams' capability to handle cases without much delay would be beneficial."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily help users migrate from traditional firewalls to Palo Alto NG Firewalls. This involves troubleshooting, assisting with application control and backup configuration, and teaching users how to optimize the firewall for their needs. Additionally, I guide users through the process of redesigning their firewalls and migrating their servers, which often includes helping them understand and manage the vast number of applications they have. Sometimes, the firewall cannot identify specific applications, requiring customization to ensure accurate recognition and security. Currently, I am working on a management query language, which involves collaborating with other teams to assess the necessity of specific applications and connections between the firewall and various assets. This ensures optimal security and network efficiency.

How has it helped my organization?

Although Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls now utilize machine learning, its significance wasn't initially apparent to me. My first experience with Palo Alto revealed the power of their machine learning through features like WildFire, which uses real-time analysis to understand and combat hacker attacks. While early versions had tools like Power Tool that hinted at machine learning capabilities, Palo Alto didn't explicitly promote this functionality until version 10, likely in response to increasing market competition and the growing prominence of machine learning in firewalls. The embedded machine learning is helpful.

Palo Alto NG Firewalls has improved our organization's security by providing strong protection through network segmentation and XDR. The firewall has proven effective in reducing security risks and monitoring endpoint activity. It offers excellent application recognition and thorough threat analysis, boosting overall network security.

Palo Alto NG Firewalls have reduced over 90 percent of our network downtime.

What is most valuable?

Palo Alto NG Firewalls offer an efficient interface that simplifies log checking, troubleshooting connection issues, and firewall policy configuration. The process is user-friendly, guiding users through network infrastructure setup, interface creation, settings application, and policy configuration in a clear and intuitive manner.

What needs improvement?

Palo Alto Firewalls can improve their support structure, especially concerning longer working hours for engineers. Enhancing support teams' capability to handle cases without much delay would be beneficial. Additionally, the high cost of the product could be re-evaluated.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Palo Alto Next Generation Firewalls for over ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Palo Alto NG Firewalls are stable. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate them around seven or eight for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I find Palo Alto NG Firewalls to be highly scalable, and would rate their scalability as eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Customer support's effectiveness depends on the clarity and completeness of information provided by users.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

I've used Check Point and Fortinet in addition to Palo Alto, but I prefer Palo Alto's interface and performance.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for Palo Alto NG Firewalls is clear and instructive, detailing network infrastructure setup before advancing to policy configuration.

A fresh deployment of Palo Alto NG Firewalls can be completed in three days, followed by a two-day handover session to train users. This totals five days for deployment and training. However, migrations for companies with over 10,000 users and 20 subnets can take up to a month, potentially involving additional user requests or a phased approach.

What about the implementation team?

I have vast experience deploying these firewalls on-premises within our team, making use of the intuitive interface provided by Palo Alto for implementation.

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

Although Palo Alto is expensive, its superior security functions, application identification, and overall performance justify the cost and make it stand out from the competition.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Palo Alto NG Firewalls nine out of ten. The Palo Alto NG Firewalls are great, but they are expensive.

I'm most interested in Palo Alto NG Firewalls, specifically how to improve their efficiency and application identification capabilities. Sometimes applications have unique requirements or behave differently, making accurate identification crucial. Palo Alto NG Firewalls excel at application-level security because they can block traffic, prevent attacks, and identify potentially compromised applications. Unlike traditional firewalls, Palo Alto NG Firewalls go beyond basic policy enforcement and traffic filtering by incorporating intrusion prevention systems and antivirus functionality. This allows them to analyze internal traffic for risks, similar to how antivirus software protects endpoints.

Future users need to appreciate the costs involved in using Palo Alto, and the manual configuration required is beneficial because it ensures clarity and control over what is being configured. To enhance your organization's security posture and management, I recommend implementing Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.

Three people in our organization are directly using the Palo Alto NG Firewalls.

Upgrading Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls requires some maintenance.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Network Security Engineer at Diyar United Company
Reseller
Has good reliability and application filtering capabilities, but there should be better support and network performance
Pros and Cons
  • "I'm using most of its features such as antivirus, anti-spam, and WAF. I'm also using its DNS Security and DNS sinkhole features, as well as the URL filtering and application security features."
  • "I am in GCC in the Middle East. The support that we are getting from Palo Alto is disastrous. The problem is that the support ticket is opened through the distributor channel. Before opening a ticket, we already do a lot of troubleshooting, and when we open a ticket, it goes to a distributor channel. They end up wasting our time again doing what we have already done. They execute the same things and waste time. The distributor channel's engineer tries to troubleshoot, and after spending hours, they forward the ticket to Palo Alto. It is a very time-consuming process. The distributor channels also do not operate 24/7, and they are very lazy in responding to the calls."

What is our primary use case?

I have deployed it as my internal firewall in the cloud. I also have it on-premises as my perimeter firewall. I am also running Palo Alto in my DMZ. 

I'm using the PA-5532 Series. We have cloud and on-premises deployments. The cloud deployment is on the Azure public cloud.

How has it helped my organization?

We are using it on Azure Cloud as an internal firewall for filtering the east-west traffic. At the same time, we are using this firewall as a second-layer firewall in our perimeter for filtering the application URL and other things for the users. We are using another firewall as a perimeter for the DMZ. So, all internal applications that are connecting users are connecting through this firewall. We have other vendors as well, but the main applications are going through the Palo Alto firewall.

Its predictive analytics work very well for blocking DNS-related attacks. We are moving malicious URLs to the unknown IP in the network. They are reconfigured.

Its DNS security for protection against sneakier attack techniques, such as DNS tunneling, is good.

What is most valuable?

I'm using most of its features such as antivirus, anti-spam, and WAF. I'm also using its DNS Security and DNS sinkhole features, as well as the URL filtering and application security features.

In terms of application filtering and threat analysis, it's a little bit better as compared to the other UTM boxes, such as Sophos or other brands. It is secure and good in terms of application classification and signatures. It is a trustable solution.

What needs improvement?

In terms of the network performance, I am not very happy with Palo Alto. Other solutions, such as Fortinet, have better throughput and network performance.

I am in GCC in the Middle East. The support that we are getting from Palo Alto is disastrous. The problem is that the support ticket is opened through the distributor channel. Before opening a ticket, we already do a lot of troubleshooting, and when we open a ticket, it goes to a distributor channel. They end up wasting our time again doing what we have already done. They execute the same things and waste time. The distributor channel's engineer tries to troubleshoot, and after spending hours, they forward the ticket to Palo Alto. It is a very time-consuming process. The distributor channels also do not operate 24/7, and they are very lazy in responding to the calls.

It is expensive as compared to other brands. Its pricing can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for more than four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is fine. I'm happy with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. Its usage is extensive. We are using it daily. It is our core device.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is very bad as compared to the other vendors. The support ticket is opened only through the distributor channel, and it takes a lot of time to get a solution for the issue. I'm not happy with their technical support. I would rate them a four out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

Palo Alto is the main core product in our case, but we also have Fortinet, Check Point, and Cisco ASA firewalls. Fortinet is one of the key products in our network.

How was the initial setup?

The process of configuring Palo Alto devices is very easy. There is not much in it, but if we want to add or remove a device in Panorama, it is a very complicated setup. Adding, deleting, and updating a device from Panorama is very difficult. The interaction between Panorama and Palo Alto devices isn't good. They need to improve that. FortiManager works very well in terms of device interaction and other things.

The deployment duration depends on the customer infrastructure and where they want to deploy the box, such as in the data center or at the perimeter, but for me, generally, two days are enough for the setup. I provide customers the ways to design a secure network, and they can choose whatever is convenient for them based on their existing network.

What about the implementation team?

In my environment, there are the four network security engineers who are the owners of these devices. We take care of the deployment and management of security devices.

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

Its price is higher than other vendors. They need to re-think its pricing. 

With Fortinet, the SD-WAN feature is totally free, whereas, with Palo Alto, I need to pay for this feature. With Fortinet, there is one licensing, and I can get many things, whereas, with Palo Alto, I need to go for individual licensing.

What other advice do I have?

I'm working in a systems and data company, and I recommend Palo Alto and other firewalls to many people. The users can choose one based on their budgeting because Palo Alto is expensive as compared to other brands.

Palo Alto NGFW’s unified platform hasn't 100% helped to eliminate security holes. In some cases, we are using other products. I'm mainly using it for WAF and securing my DMZ infrastructure. It is working well in terms of the functionalities in layer 3 and layer 4.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: reseller
PeerSpot user
IS&S Europe and Global Infrastructure Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Great at threat prevention and has good policy-based routing features
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are the threat prevention and policy-based routing features."
  • "I think they need to have a proper hardware version for a smaller enterprise. We had to go to a very high-end version which is very expensive. If we chose the lower-end version, it would not meet our goals. A middle-end is missing in its portfolio."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution as a firewall. We use it for VPN setup, threat protection, and for internet breakout also. We actually deploy several different versions. We have a TA200, a PA820, and a PA3200 series.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the threat prevention and policy-based routing features. 

What needs improvement?

I think they need to have a proper hardware version for a smaller enterprise. We had to go to a very high-end version which is very expensive. If we chose the lower-end version, it would not meet our goals. A middle-end is missing in its portfolio.

For example, there's the PA820 and the PA220, but there's nothing between. So they are really missing some kind of small-size or medium-size usage. Right now, you have to choose either a big one or you have a very small one, which is not really good.

In the next release, it would be helpful if there was some kind of a visualized feature that showed the traffic flow, or something like that, to be able to simulate. When we define something if we could see a simulation of how the flow will be treated that would be great. Because today everything is done by experts by checking logs, but it's very time-consuming. If there's also a simulator to use when you apply some configuration, you can also apply on the simulator, to copy the configuration. So, you can see maybe to generate some traffic and to see how it will be treated. That will be very good.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is pretty stable. Once you have it configured, normally it shouldn't have any issues. It does sometimes impact the metric flow, but that's natural because it filters everything going through, so it slows down the speed.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't think that product is really scalable. You have to either replace it with a higher version or use what you have. I think that's the only way. You cannot add something to increase its capacity, so you have to replace the current equipment to a new version or a new, higher version.

How are customer service and technical support?

For technical support, we have a contract with some local suppliers. It depends on our partner, so it's probably different from location to location, but as long as they are certified with Palo Alto, normally they should have a one or two experts in their organization. So you just need to find a good person to work with.

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

We did previously have a different kind of a firewall. We used Check Point before. We also used NetScreen and Cisco. But in the end, we defined our standard and now use Palo Alto.

How was the initial setup?

Firewalls are never easy. You have to have very good network expertise to set it up, so it's not about the product being easy to use or not. It's because of the nature of the firewall. You have to understand how it works, how it should be set up, and to understand your data flows and things like that. 

I'm not really the person who does the hands-on setup and integration. I'm the guy who monitors the global deployment. I'm in charge of defining the standard, to deploy the standard to the site, but there's an operational team to do the final installation, configuration, and those types of things.

On the one side, it will take maybe two or three days to enable the firewall, but if you are talking about the global deployment, that depends on the budget, and the resources that will take different time periods to deploy worldwide, so we are still not finished for all the locations. So we are still doing it.

Globally we have around 100 locations. We have two major network engineers who manage the firewall, but to deploy it you also need a local IT because they have to physically be on site. And the two experts remotely control the equipment, configuration, and upgrades, etc. So it's very hard to say how many people you need. It depends on your company size and where your locations are based. For us, we have two dedicated people, but we also have the local IT when we need them to physically help in the integration. 

What about the implementation team?

We do use external partners for the setup. We use also our internal teams as well.

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

It's a bit pricey.

What other advice do I have?

Once you install it, you use it every day. You can't stop because it's a security feature and a precaution. Also, we are using it to do some local breakouts, so we use utilize the local internet to carry some business traffic, to ensure there's no interruption. You have to let it run 24/7.

I would suggest you be careful when choosing your model. Consider your bandwidth as well as how you want to run the local area network because the throughput of the firewall has to be well designed.

I would rate this solution a nine out of10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Andres Briceño - PeerSpot reviewer
Cybersecurity Coordinator at Pronaca
Real User
Top 5
Offers robust integration, comprehensive log visibility, and effective threat prevention
Pros and Cons
  • "The Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls excel in their integration capabilities."
  • "The integration with AI needs improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We have implemented peripheral firewalls and micro-segmentation within our LAN network. To further segment our data center, we have deployed firewalls in the middle of the network. Additionally, we utilize Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls in our GCP environment for various use cases, including URL filtering, URP, file blocking, and threat prevention.

How has it helped my organization?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls natively integrate all security capabilities, making it crucial for our XDR integration. To address the challenges of our small cybersecurity team, we have implemented significant optimizations. This streamlined approach allows us to efficiently monitor and analyze all logs, ultimately providing a comprehensive view of our security posture.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls embed machine learning at their core to provide crucial, real-time inline attack prevention. In today's world of relentless cyber threats, detecting and blocking malware, viruses, and hacker intrusions is paramount. These attacks pose a constant threat to our data security, making firewalls essential tools for safeguarding our digital assets.

It provided immediate benefits to our organization through their seamless integration, automation capabilities, enhanced visibility, and robust traceability features.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are consistent in securing data centers across all our workplaces.

What is most valuable?

The Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls excel in their integration capabilities. By combining them with XDR, Prisma Access, or other Palo Alto Networks SaaS products, organizations can achieve enhanced visibility, trust, and threat prevention. The integration with Cortex XDR enables automated threat prevention through the use of playbooks. This comprehensive solution is ideal for advanced threat detection, log correlation, and other security-related tasks.

What needs improvement?

The integration with AI needs improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for seven years.

How are customer service and support?

We provide the initial level of support for our customers' firewalls. If a customer requires direct assistance from Palo Alto support, we can open a case and facilitate their connection.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial deployment is straightforward. I would rate the ease of deployment a nine out of ten.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

When comparing Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto firewalls, I found Palo Alto to be the most effective. Its configuration interface is more intuitive, making it easier to set up policies and manage the firewall. In contrast, I encountered significant challenges with Cisco and Check Point firewalls. To date, I have not experienced any issues with Palo Alto.

What other advice do I have?

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

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer a robust security solution. However, when integrated with a comprehensive platform like Cortex XDR and XSOAR, their value proposition significantly increases for businesses. By leveraging indicators of compromise, NG Firewalls can generate Extended Detection and Response alerts, streamlining the identification and mitigation of threats. This automation eliminates the need for manual intervention by technicians and cybersecurity analysts, resulting in improved efficiency and overall security posture.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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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.
Updated: April 2025
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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.