Senior Network Architect at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Good support, and the filtering options for URLs and applications help to improve our security
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are the User ID, URL filtering, and application filtering."
  • "The user interface could use some improvement."

What is our primary use case?

The VM-Series firewall is part of our overall security solution.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the User ID, URL filtering, and application filtering. These features have helped us a lot. 

What needs improvement?

The user interface could use some improvement.

I would like to see SD-WAN features added in the future.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this product for three years.

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
769,662 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, this product is great.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

I have been in contact with technical support and find that they are great.

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

We have the VM-Series as well as the physical appliance.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It doesn't take too long to deploy, although every company their own set of requirements. For example, the level of compliance varies between companies.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

When I joined the company, the VM-Series firewall was already in-place.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

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
Assistant Professor at Facultatea de Economie și Administrarea Afacerilor din Iași
Real User
A user-friendly solution with a highly intuitive web interface
Pros and Cons
  • "Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is very easy to use."
  • "It'll help if Palo Alto Networks provided better documentation."

What is our primary use case?

I am the guy they call up first for the central infrastructure and configuration of the malware, firewall, and main applications, and I use Palo Alto Networks VM-Series for that.

What is most valuable?

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is very easy to use. It takes maybe one week to learn how it works, but the suite itself is very flexible. After you install it, it's very easy to use because of the intuitive web interface.

It's great for me at the moment. I have all I need. All the traffic is very well filtered, and I believe it's the future of the firewall.

What needs improvement?

The firewall itself is very complex. You have to do a lot of research, look through all the documentation, consult, and figure out how to use it. It's not so easy as a regular firewall, like Hypertable. It'll help if Palo Alto Networks provided better documentation. It would be even better if they had simple documentation on some use cases as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Palo Alto Networks VM-Series for about one month.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

At the moment, Palo Alto Networks VM-Series has been stable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I have used the Palo Alto Network's technical support before, and it's fine for the moment.

How was the initial setup?

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is a VMware appliance and very simple to install. It must be turned on to change the default password and to configure the IP address, and that is all. After that, it's easy because it has a very intuitive web interface.

What about the implementation team?

I implemented Palo Alto Networks VM-Series on my own.

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

Because I work for a university and the URL is for the institution, it's a free license for us.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Palo Alto Networks VM-Series a nine.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
769,662 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Solution sales at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 20
An enterprise solution that needs to improve order process
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool's cloud version makes application migration easy."
  • "Palo Alto Networks VM-Series needs to improve its order process."

What is most valuable?

The tool's cloud version makes application migration easy. 

What needs improvement?

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series needs to improve its order process. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the solution for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution's stability a nine out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the product's scalability a nine out of ten. 

How was the initial setup?

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series' deployment is not difficult. 

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

The solution is expensive. I rate its pricing a three out of ten. 

What other advice do I have?

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is an enterprise product because it is costly. I rate it an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Flag as inappropriate
PeerSpot user
Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Easy to launch, scalable, and technical support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "What I like about the VM-Series is that you can launch them in a very short time."
  • "The one issue that I didn't like is that the SNMP integration with interfaces didn't record the interface counters."

What is our primary use case?

We are a service provider and I work on both shared firewall and dedicated firewall solutions for our customers. The primary focus is firewall threat protection. The rest of the features are used, albeit not too much. At this moment, it is not an overly complicated or advanced solution. 

What is most valuable?

What I like about the VM-Series is that you can launch them in a very short time. You don't have to wait for the hardware to route for them to be staged and installed. From that perspective, it's easy to launch and it's good because it is more scalable.

The product is quite responsive.

What needs improvement?

The one issue that I didn't like is that the SNMP integration with interfaces didn't record the interface counters. It seems that you really need to upgrade to the very latest version, whereas the physical one has worked for ages now. I think that it narrowly affects the Azure deployment because I remember that we were using the VMware solution before, and we didn't have such issues.

I think that the most important point for Palo Alto is to be as consistent and compatible as possible. It should be compliant such that all of the features are consistently available between the physical and virtualized deployments.

It is not always easy to integrate Palo Alto into the network management system. This is significant because you want to compare what your network management system is giving you to what Palo Alto is giving you. Perhaps in the GUI, they can allow for being able to monitor the interface traffic statistics.

The other things are pretty much great with traffic calls and sessions, but just being able to look at it on an interface physical level, would either avoid using the monitoring integration by SNMP or would create a reference, a baseline check. This would allow you to see whether your network monitoring system or tool is actually giving you correct traffic figures. You need traffic figures for being able to recognize trends and plan the capacity.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the VM-Series for almost five years, since 2016.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not had trouble with bugs or glitches.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. We haven't experienced any constraint limitations for scaling.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have been in contact with technical support and I find them to be quite good.

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

In my previous work, I dealt with both physical and virtual systems. However, currently, I am only working on virtual solutions.

How was the initial setup?

I have found the initial setup to be okay. But, then again, I have been using Palo Alto firewalls since 2014, so it's hard for me to say if it is difficult to become familiar with or not.

What about the implementation team?

Our in-house team is responsible for maintenance.  We usually have three people who are able to work on it and do so from time to time, depending on the requirement.

What other advice do I have?

I don't have too many complaints as I compare the virtualized version to the physical one. Perhaps I haven't noticed any issues because we use the proper hardware, and it was strong enough to carry the workload and remain quite responsive.

My advice for anybody who is implementing the VM-Series is to be very well prepared and test it in advance. Make sure to scope it and understand the performance implications. Also, be sure that the core features are understood and are supported on the VM. Then, test it before implementation or migration.

This is a very good product but I can't rate it as perfect because there are these little issues that are pretty common and you expect things to work, but they don't because of some incompatibilities. I think there was also some limitation on how you can do the high availability on virtualized power, in Azure in particular. If these common features were consistently working on both physical and virtual deployments then I would probably rate it a ten out of ten.

As it is now, I would rate this solution a nine 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
PeerSpot user
Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Easy to launch, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is that you can launch it in a very short time. You don't have to wait for the hardware to arrive and get it staged and installed. From that perspective, it is easy to launch. It is also scalable."
  • "It would be good if the common features work consistently in physical and virtual environments. There was an integration issue in the virtual deployment where it didn't report the interface counters, and we had to upgrade to the latest version, whereas the same thing has been working in the physical deployment for ages now. It seems that it was because of Azure. We were using VMware before, and we didn't have any such issues. We do see such small issues where we expect things to work, but they don't because of some incompatibilities. There also seems to be a limitation on how to do high availability in a virtualized environment. All features should be consistently available in physical and virtual environments. It is not always easy to integrate Palo Alto in the network management system. We would like to be able to compare two network management systems. They can maybe allow monitoring an interface through the GUI to create a reference or do a baseline check about whether your network monitoring system is actually giving you the correct traffic figures. You need traffic figures to be able to recognize the trends and plan the capacity."

What is our primary use case?

We mostly use it for threat protection. Currently, I'm working on virtual solutions, and it is deployed on the cloud. We have three people who work with this solution.

I have previously worked on the shared firewall as well as dedicated firewall solutions, where we deployed it on-premises as well as on the cloud. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that you can launch it in a very short time. You don't have to wait for the hardware to arrive and get it staged and installed. From that perspective, it is easy to launch. It is also scalable.

What needs improvement?

It would be good if the common features work consistently in physical and virtual environments. There was an integration issue in the virtual deployment where it didn't report the interface counters, and we had to upgrade to the latest version, whereas the same thing has been working in the physical deployment for ages now. It seems that it was because of Azure. We were using VMware before, and we didn't have any such issues. We do see such small issues where we expect things to work, but they don't because of some incompatibilities. 

There also seems to be a limitation on how to do high availability in a virtualized environment. All features should be consistently available in physical and virtual environments. 

It is not always easy to integrate Palo Alto in the network management system. We would like to be able to compare two network management systems. They can maybe allow monitoring an interface through the GUI to create a reference or do a baseline check about whether your network monitoring system is actually giving you the correct traffic figures. You need traffic figures to be able to recognize the trends and plan the capacity.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Palo Alto Networks VM-Series since 2016. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I didn't see any issues with its stability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

I found them quite good.

How was the initial setup?

I found the initial setup okay. I have been using firewalls since 2014, so it is hard for me to say whether it is easy to install or not.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise getting very well prepared by defining the scope and testing it in advance. Make sure that you understand the performance implications and that the core features are supported on the VM, and they are tested before the implementation or migration.

I would rate Palo Alto Networks VM-Series a nine 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
PeerSpot user
Managing Partner at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
It scales linearly with load and no issues
Pros and Cons
  • "We have reduced the number of configuration lines by 90%. We need fewer number of admins right now because of it."
  • "It scales linearly with load and no issues."
  • "All areas need improvement: manufacturing, education, financial, etc."

How has it helped my organization?

We have reduced the number of configuration lines by 90%. We need fewer number of admins right now because of it.

What is most valuable?

The best features are:

  • User identification
  • Application identification
  • Logs and monitoring.

What needs improvement?

All areas need improvement: manufacturing, education, financial, etc.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

None. Works by day with no issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues. It scales linearly with load and no issues.

How are customer service and technical support?

I would rate the customer service as 10 out of 10: great.

I would rate the technical support as 10 out of 10: very professional.

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

We did have a previous solution that we used. We switched due to scalability and the other solution had too many issues.

How was the initial setup?

It was easy to deploy.

The deployment works well.

What about the implementation team?

We did not need a vendor team. We implemented in-house.

What was our ROI?

Our ROI is excellent.

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

Do not buy larges box if you do not need them. Rightsizing is a great task to do beforehand.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Check Point, Fortinet, and others.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller.
PeerSpot user
Security Operations Specialist at a logistics company with 201-500 employees
Real User
A stable, scalable solution that meets our requirements
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that I have found the most useful is that it meets all our requirements technically."
  • "Its web interface is a bit outdated, and it needs to be updated. They can also improve the NAT functionality. We have had issues with the NAT setup."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for all next-gen firewall features such as ACLS, application monitoring, security, virtual networking, etc.

What is most valuable?

The feature that I have found the most useful is that it meets all our requirements technically. 

What needs improvement?

Its web interface is a bit outdated, and it needs to be updated. 

They can also improve the NAT functionality. We have had issues with the NAT setup.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for the last five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has good stability. We haven't had any issues, and it has never been down. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. It has handled the network very well with our growth in the last five years. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't directly contacted them, but based on what I have heard from our network team, they are pretty quick at getting back to us. 

How was the initial setup?

It was complex. We used a lot of professional service hours. 

What about the implementation team?

We had an in-house team as well as a consultant. 

What other advice do I have?

I would definitely recommend this solution. It comes under the top industry leaders and is comparable to other top products in this category. 

I would rate Palo Alto Networks VM-Series a nine out of ten. 

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
System Engineer at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
MSP
A solid operating system with all the necessary data center security features
Pros and Cons
  • "They now know the details about their network traffic that they did not know before: Applications that they are using and some application they did not know they were using."
  • "A solid operating system with all the necessary data center security features."

    What is our primary use case?

    I have some financial experience with the program. We use it with Cisco and Fortinet technology, and have integrated it with NSXi.  

    It has had good performance.

    As an integrator, we need to understand the business case:

    1. The customer's needs. 
    2. The implementation phase. 
    3. Provide clarity and clarify details with the customer.
    4. Relate to their business's needs more than the technology system. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    I am an integrator. Palo Alto Networks has improved my position in the cyber security market here in Paraguay. It is easy to sell. Basically, I just need to implement the demo and the program starts itself. So, it has improved our position in this market. It is a program with very strong performance in an excellent position along with quality data sharing. Overall, it has improved our width. 

    My clients have a group who will be on the security scheme. They now know the details about their network traffic that they did not know before: Applications that they are using and some application they did not know they were using. It has improved the retail control of their traffic and the users on their network. 

    What is most valuable?

    • Its strong intelligence is the feature that I like the most.
    • A solid operating system with all the necessary data center security features. 
    • Easy to manage.

    What needs improvement?

    When you have a client compare box against box, a lot of times Palo Alto is a bit more expensive, but its network firewalls have a very rich ratio.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    One to three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    No issues. We did integration with NSXi and the system works likes a charm. There have not been any issues in regards to the format, delivery, or management. It has worked great.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I have not encountered any problems.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I have not had to call the technical support yet, which makes me very happy.

    Their pre-sale team, who assisted us initially, consists of very responsive, kind people.

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

    We were previously Cisco partners. It is different since it is a network company.

    How was the initial setup?

    It is very simple. They have a very unique approach to simplicity. You have to do some basic set up to some parts where it will be needed. Therefore, it is simple compared to Cisco or Check Point. Also, it is very flexible.

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

    The licensing is pretty much like everyone else.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    In each case, it depends on the expectations of the customer. 

    I have worked with Fortinet, Cisco, and Check Point. However, once I began to work with the Palo Alto Networks, it became my preference for cyber security.

    Compared to Cisco, Palo Alto is a much better product.

    What other advice do I have?

    It is a great product. It is a great company, and I am very glad to work with them. 

    Use the learning material that Palo Alto has free on their webpage. The customer should compare it with other products. They need to see the product and understand the power that that technology brings to cyber security. In this case, they can see the benefit against risks to your network and its capacity to prevent threats.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator and partner.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: April 2024
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.