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Network Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Jan 30, 2021
A next-generation firewall solution with an efficient parallel processing feature
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the architecture because it separates the management plan process and the data plan process."
  • "I like the architecture because it separates the management plan process and the data plan process."
  • "I think visibility can be improved."
  • "My customers have been attacked by ransomware. It's difficult to understand how the ransomware got through Palo Alto Panorama and Palo Alto dashboard monitoring from reporting."

What is most valuable?

I like the architecture because it separates the management plan process and the data plan process. When I perform something CPU-intensive on management configurations, it doesn't disturb the data plan.

On the data plan, it uses parallel processing. This makes the security process and network process is more efficient.

What needs improvement?

I think visibility can be improved. If I use the Panorama monitoring dashboard, it's still the same with or without Panorama. Even with monitoring, we don't get any valuable information. 

If I am a customer, I will take many variables into considerations. If I choose to use Panorama, there should be a difference between when I use it and when I'm not. If I'm a customer who paid for Panorama even when I have many firewalls, I won't get good visibility of the information I need to easily monitor our security environment.

My customers have been attacked by ransomware. It's difficult to understand how the ransomware got through Palo Alto Panorama and Palo Alto dashboard monitoring from reporting. It makes it difficult to conclude what happened on the traffic which passed through Palo Alto. As such, I have to generate an all block report CSV file and analyze it through Excel.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for about two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

On performance and stability, I've never heard any complaints. The product is running well and easily maintained by an admin.

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

I think scalability's the same as any other firewall. If we look to scale five years later, it will be scalable to perform the change. This model on Palo Alto makes it easy to add a new network, so Palo Alto offers more scalability.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is still not good for me.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is so simple. We just needed to make a password and make it a point to point connection. I think it's that simple; make a point to point connection, access the web UI, perform initial configuration so the firewall can be managed through the network, and then we can manage everything through the web UI.

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

The device is very expensive compared to Cisco and Fortinet. But many of my customers use Palo Alto as Palo Alto is the standard of their organization.

What other advice do I have?

I'd tell potential users of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls that their decision depends on their budget. If you have an adequate budget, then I recommend Palo Alto. If you have a limited budget, you need to consider your needs and look at Cisco ASA's price and Fortinet's price.

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

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
Network Engineer at Vibs
Real User
Jan 29, 2021
Stable, good technical support, and there are helpful use case description on the website
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability is very good."
  • "I have experience with multiple firewall vendors and I have seen that products from other vendors have bugs."
  • "This is a difficult product to manage, so the administrator needs to have a good knowledge of it, otherwise, they will not be able to handle it properly."
  • "This is a difficult product to manage, so the administrator needs to have a good knowledge of it, otherwise, they will not be able to handle it properly."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and this is one of the firewalls that we implement for our clients.

What needs improvement?

This is a difficult product to manage, so the administrator needs to have a good knowledge of it, otherwise, they will not be able to handle it properly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good.

We have a small number of clients with this solution in place.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support is good.

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

I have experience with multiple firewall vendors and I have seen that products from other vendors have bugs. My feeling is that Palo Alto does not have this problem.

Some of the vendors that I have worked with are Fortinet and Sophos. The setup and management of these products are easy compared to Palo Alto.

How was the initial setup?

Implementing this product can be a little bit difficult. The configuration is difficult compared to other products, so it would be nice if there were videos are other instructions available. It can be very time consuming for the network administrator.

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

The pricing is very high.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for anybody who is implementing this firewall is to follow the guide or instructions that are available. There are multiple resources and examples of use cases available on the Palo Alto website, and you can directly follow them.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
895,151 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1483797 - PeerSpot reviewer
Service Delivery Engineer - Network Security Lead at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Jan 16, 2021
Very flexible, integrates well with apps and other security tools; robust
Pros and Cons
  • "Flexible and integrates well with apps and other security tools."
  • "It's a flexible solution and integrates well with apps and other security tools like SIEM, web applications."
  • "Interface could be improved visually and simplified."
  • "The interface could be improved visually and simplified."

What is our primary use case?

I deploy this solution for our clients. Firewalls can be used when you want to achieve SD-WAN connectivity. In a client's VPN or site-to-site VPN, it can be used to secure networks locally. If you have an extender or server room, you can secure your IT infrastructure for your servers. The solution can be installed on edge to protect your internal network. If you have services running on AWS or Google Cloud, or Alibaba Cloud, it can be deployed there. Some clients have a hybrid kind of infrastructure. I'm a service delivery engineer and network security lead and we are customers of Palo Alto. 

What is most valuable?

It's a flexible solution and integrates well with apps and other security tools like SIEM, web applications. They can share their data orchestration. It's robust and fast in terms of architecture and data processing, there aren't any bottlenecks.  

What needs improvement?

The interface could be improved visually and simplified. It sometimes feels like some of the features are hidden and not easy to find. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a very stable solution. 

How are customer service and technical support?

In terms of technical support, I've noticed that as long as you have an enterprise license the support is good. 

How was the initial setup?

For a beginner, the initial setup might be somewhat complex because the interface is a bit different, so there's a learning curve. It's not that steep, and once you get it, it's okay. In terms of other solutions, the Palo Alto deployment takes longer than Fortinet, for example, because of the intricacy of the user interface. In a medium size organization, deployment can take three to four days. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. The uptake is mostly with medium and large enterprise, it's strong there. For small to medium size businesses, the preference is usually Fortinet or Sophos. It's really about what suits the client. 

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. Integrator
PeerSpot user
reviewer1485417 - PeerSpot reviewer
Partner Alliance Director at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Jan 16, 2021
Good interface and dashboards and very user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "The interface is very nice. We generally like the UI the product offers."
  • "The dashboard and management console are both very user-friendly."
  • "The solution could offer better pricing. We'd like it if it could be a bit more affordable for us."
  • "The solution could offer better pricing. We'd like it if it could be a bit more affordable for us."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our internal network.

What is most valuable?

The active features on the solution are excellent.

The dashboard and management console are both very user-friendly. Everything is easy to navigate.

The interface is very nice. We generally like the UI the product offers.

What needs improvement?

The ability to check cases could be improved upon. We find that most of the packets we have to directly open with the PA. Until then, it's possible that there cannot be any support.

Take, for example, the XDR. The XDR is the real power to all our solutions from PA, however, when we are using their XDR, we have directly to contact PA. It's like this for the licensing or for any technical issues.

The solution could offer better pricing. We'd like it if it could be a bit more affordable for us.

The solution should offer SD-WAN.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution since 2016. It's been quite a few years now, at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. We don't have bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's quite good and we've been happy with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't tried to expand the solution or to scale it up. It's not an aspect of the solution our company has explored just yet. Therefore, I can't speak to its capabilities in this aspect. I'm not sure what exactly is possible.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't have any experience with technical support. I've never had to contact them. Other colleagues would be the ones that deal with this aspect. I wouldn't be able to comment on their level of knowledge of responsiveness.

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

We're also using Check Point as a firewall.

How was the initial setup?

The initials setup was pretty straightforward. It was not complex at all for us. We didn't run into any issues during the implementation.

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

The licensing is paid on a yearly basis. 

The pricing could be better, however, the cost depends on the sizing of the product. The pricing, therefore, varies from company to company for the most part.

What other advice do I have?

We have a partnership with Palo Alto.

We're using the 5000 series of Palo Alto. It's a next-generation firewall. We're currently using the Management Gateway and Virtual Firewall. Also, the Endpoint Solution.

I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. We've been pretty happy with it so far.

I'd rate the solution at 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
reviewer1371849 - PeerSpot reviewer
CIO/CTO at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Jan 14, 2021
User-friendly GUI, reliable, and the application firewall performs well
Pros and Cons
  • "Palo Alto is more affordable than some competing products, such as Check Point."
  • "With regards to support, they have a lot of things to improve."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use this product to protect our network.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the application firewall.

The GUI is user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

The way that the roles are made, specifically with how you specify the path, could be simpler.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We used the product on a daily basis and have had no critical issues so far.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have hundreds of users in the company and have not tried scaling it.

How are customer service and technical support?

With regards to support, they have a lot of things to improve.

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

We also use Check Point as a firewall. Both have their advantages but for my part, Palo Alto is better because of the way it handles applications. Check Point is better if you are only using ports and TCP/IP.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is of medium difficulty. It is not simple yet not complex.

What about the implementation team?

We implement in-house with some assistance from the vendor. It took a few hours to deploy.

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

Palo Alto is more affordable than some competing products, such as Check Point.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is a good product and I recommend it.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Marine Consultant/Captain/Senior DPO at Jan Arild Hammer
Consultant
Jan 5, 2021
The best firewall that is easy to set up and has good flexibility and stability
Pros and Cons
  • "Its flexibility is the most valuable."
  • "This is the best firewall."
  • "Its price can be better. They should also provide some more examples of configurations online."
  • "Its price can be better."

What is our primary use case?

We use it to control what users may access internally and externally, which covers everything. We are using its latest version. The model that we are using is 3220.

What is most valuable?

Its flexibility is the most valuable.

What needs improvement?

Its price can be better. They should also provide some more examples of configurations online.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for one and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't scaled it because if you want to scale it upwards, you have to change the firewall.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have sometimes used the local support here in Norway. That has been okay. There are no problems.

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

I have tried Sophos, Cisco, and FortiGate. This is the best firewall.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. There is good documentation for this.

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

Its price can be better. Licensing is on a yearly basis.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a ten out of ten. It is the best solution I have tried. I am happy with this solution.

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
it_user1199040 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior solution architect at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Dec 17, 2020
Good management options, and we have confidence in the security that it provides
Pros and Cons
  • "The management options are good."
  • "We have a lot of confidence in this solution."
  • "Technical support could be faster."
  • "There are some options available in other firewall products that are not supported, so there is room for improvement in that regard."

What is our primary use case?

We use this product as our perimeter firewall.

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.

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 technical 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
PeerSpot user
Director, Middle East, East India & SAARC at DMX Technologies
Real User
Dec 13, 2020
It is fine normally but has issues during peak business hours and needs better load handling, VPN connectors, and support
Pros and Cons
  • "It worked fine normally."
  • "The VPN connectors should be better. We had some challenges in terms of the VPN with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall, and that's one of the main reasons why we moved to Sophos. Its load handling can also be improved. There were challenges when traffic was high. During peak business hours, it did not function very well. There was a lot of slowness, and the users used to complain, especially when they were connecting from outside. We even reported this to the support team. Their support should also be improved. Technical support was a bit of a concern while using this solution. We didn't get very good support from the Palo Alto team."
  • "I would not recommend this solution."

What is our primary use case?

We were mainly using it because we had two ISP links, so it was a kind of gateway device. Whenever a link went down, the firewall used to automatically switch over to the secondary link so that the internet connectivity is kind of highly available.

What is most valuable?

It worked fine normally.

What needs improvement?

The VPN connectors should be better. We had some challenges in terms of the VPN with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall, and that's one of the main reasons why we moved to Sophos.

Its load handling can also be improved. There were challenges when traffic was high. During peak business hours, it did not function very well. There was a lot of slowness, and the users used to complain, especially when they were connecting from outside. We even reported this to the support team.

Their support should also be improved. Technical support was a bit of a concern while using this solution. We didn't get very good support from the Palo Alto team.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for almost two to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It was fine normally, but during peak business hours, it used to have challenges. We faced this issue at least two to three times a month.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is not very scalable. We had around 100 users. We had around ten people in our IT team.

How are customer service and technical support?

Support was a bit of a concern while using this solution. The support that we received was not too great, which caused a lot of issues. They were not very customer friendly.

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

This was the first firewall that we used. 

How was the initial setup?

I didn't do the installation.

What other advice do I have?

I would not recommend this solution. I am sure they will come up with better models to overcome some of the challenges that we faced, but I would definitely not recommend this particular model.

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
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: May 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.