Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Reviews

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. 

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.

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

I didn't see any issues with its stability. 

It is scalable.

I found them quite good.

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.

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. 

Public Cloud

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

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.

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

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

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

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. 

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

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

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. 

On-premises

We use it to secure all traffic leaving and entering AWS.

It allows us to see all our traffic to properly secure it and only allow what is needed through the firewall.

• Full content inspection
• Visibility into the traffic in AWS.

There is work to be done on the integration side, as AWS doesn't integrate well with third-party firewalls.

I would like to see AWS have more integration with Palo Alto from a routing standpoint, so it could become a routing egress without having to redesigning it.

One to three years.

It is very stable, and we are not putting stress on it.

It is fairly scalable. We have a couple hundred servers already.

They are the leading next-generation firewall. I would recommend deploying a next-generation firewall.

I am using the on-premise and AWS version. They are exactly the same.

The tool's cloud version makes application migration easy. 

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

I have been working with the solution for two years. 

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

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

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

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

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

We primarily use the solution for IT. I am from the Palo Alto Partner end, so I am not using it deliberately. I usually deploy to clients in various industries, including the payment gateway industry. 

In Palo Alto the most important feature is the App-ID. It's the biggest selling point in my opinion.

Another important application feature is the Content-ID.

The solution offers great templates.

Overall, the solution has a lot of great features on offer.

Even when the solution locks away a virus, there seems to be a delay for four or five minutes. It should be as little as one. Right now, it's such a long delay. It can be frustrating for clients and I need to answer a lot of questions surrounding that.

The solution needs to have more easily searchable details or documentation about it online, so it's easier to Google if you have queries.

The solution requires more use cases.

I've been on this Firewall for the last two years.

The stability is very good. There aren't bugs, glitches, or crashes. It's very reliable.

Although I haven't personally tried to scale the solution, my understanding is that it's easy to do so. It's convenient for enterprises. It's my understanding it would scale especially well for enterprises.

I've had to reach out to technical support many times. Sometimes, I find that it can take a while to reach support, or for them to get back to us. This is especially true on weekends and holidays. Other than that, it's been pretty good. We're pretty satisfied with the level of support we get.

I only have experience with Palo Alto; I don't know much about other VM firewall solutions.

The initial setup is not complex. It's quite straightforward. The deployment process is great. It only takes about five to ten minutes or so.

I handle the maintenance and troubleshoot any issues that arise. 

I mostly figured out the deployment myself and used Google to assist when I had questions.

I don't have any dealings with the accounting side of the solution. That's handled by someone else. I'm not sure what the cost is or if we pay monthly or yearly.

We're partners with Palo Alto. We're using the latest version of the solution.

We have a VM-Series via Palo Alto and K2K and the hardware Series.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

We are a solution provider and the Palo Alto VM-Series is one of the products that we implement for our customers. Our customers use this virtualized next-generation firewall as part of their security solution.

The VM series has an advantage over the physical version because we are able to change the sources that the machine has, such as the amount of available RAM. With a physical machine, you cannot the resources without adding something to the machine.

The management can be done from a single console window.

The implementation should be simplified.

We have been using the Palo Alto Networks VM-Series for three years. 

This solution is stable.

The VM-Series is a scalable product.

The support is good.

The implementation involves setting up policies.

We deploy this product with our in-house team.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

On-premises

The use case varies. I use it as a gateway, and others use it for microsegmentation in the cloud. Additionally, some deploy it on-premises to protect specific environments. Most of the use cases are in cloud environments.

The most valuable features are the DNS security and threat prevention capabilities. The DNS security significantly enhances security through visibility and detection, allowing control over crucial traffic like DNS, which is often exploited by ransomware. Additionally, threat prevention and URL security are crucial licenses I recommend to customers, raising the security level substantially.

There are continuous developments with many new features coming every year. Although I receive feature requests from customers, I don't have any particular areas for improvement in mind right now.

I have been working with Palo Alto Networks VM-Series for more than ten years.

Setting up the VM-Series is usually very easy. The firewall can be deployed and set up within half an hour, though it depends on the complexity of the configuration.

In terms of stability, I would rate it eight out of ten. Perfection is unlikely as the dynamic nature of traffic and constant changes can result in occasional bugs despite regular updates. Perfection in stability remains challenging for any vendor.

I rate the scalability of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series ten out of ten. It is easy to use with an excellent graphical user interface and extensive documentation, which contributes to its high scalability.

I conduct most of the support myself and rate the overall support a nine out of ten. However, sometimes cases take longer to resolve, and there's always room for improvement, especially in terms of response time from higher support levels.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward and easy. The process involves registering and configuring the software, and with flex mode, it is easy to scale by purchasing additional credits for more CPU and RAM without needing new hardware.

The pricing is more on the expensive side, but it is justified due to its functionality, reliability, and throughput, even with all features enabled. In comparison to FortiGate, Check Point, and Cisco, the performance does not degrade significantly. Although I rate the cost six out of ten, the features justify the higher expense.

Overall, I rate Palo Alto Networks VM-Series an eight out of ten. While no product is perfect, I am satisfied with its performance and value.

Hybrid Cloud

Microsoft Azure

Our primary use case involves working with TVS Group of companies in India, a large automobile manufacturer. We take care of their entire cybersecurity system. We implement Palo Alto Networks VM-Series firewalls along with third-party vendors and support them remotely for their day-to-day issues. We use these solutions to enhance cybersecurity and provide protection against various security threats.

The VM-Series firewalls are described as useful for security posture, offering next-generation features such as Unified Threat Management, app-centric capabilities, and threat intelligence. The firewalls use sandboxing and behavioral analysis to allow or quarantine new traffic. They help in identifying legitimate domains and instruct admins if approval is needed. This set of features is very helpful in daily tasks.

An improvement could be the integration of security intelligence with Palo Alto cloud via APIs. This would allow IOCs, domains, and hash values to be automatically entered, reducing manual entry. Integration with CSIRT across all use levels would make it easier for administrators to stay updated on the blocked entities without manual intervention.

I have been working with Palo Alto Networks VM-Series firewalls for about four to five years.

Generally, the VM-Series firewalls are stable. I would rate the stability as eight out of ten.

The solution is scalable and can easily handle an increase in the number of users.

I have worked with Palo Alto technical support for over two years. They are responsive and provide high-quality assistance. Previously, I have raised tickets, and they were efficiently handled by the technical team. My experience has been positive overall.

Positive

The initial setup of the VM-Series firewalls is quite easy compared to traditional firewalls. It is manageable with fewer administrators required. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the setup as nine for its ease of implementation.

I am directly involved in the implementation of these firewalls. It typically takes around two to three hours to deploy the firewalls in a single environment.

The solution is user-friendly and easy to manage within an environment. As a VM, it requires no physical space and can be managed with one or two admins. It's also 99.9% secure, according to cloud security standards. Overall, I give Palo Alto Networks VM-Series a rating of nine out of ten.

On-premises

Other