VM-Series Next-Generation Firewall Bundle 1 [VM-300]
Palo Alto Networks | PAN-OS 8.1.25-h1Linux/Unix, Other PAN-OS 8.1.25-h1 - 64-bit Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
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Reliable and feature-rich firewall solution for enterprise security needs.
What do you like best about the product?
One thing I really like is how intuitive the user interface is. The dashboard makes it easy to monitor traffic and set up policies without needing to dig through complex menus. The threat prevention and application control features are also top-notch, especially the App-ID feature that gives more granular control over traffic. The performance has been rock solid even during peak loads. Their integration with cloud-based threat intelligence helps a lot with zero-day attacks and emerging threats.
What do you dislike about the product?
The main downside is the learning curve in the beginning. If you’re new to Palo Alto, the terminology and rule management style are a bit different compared to other firewalls like Cisco or Fortinet. Also, licensing costs can add up quickly if you want all the advanced features like WildFire or Threat Prevention. Another small gripe is that some firmware upgrades have caused brief outages, so you need to plan maintenance windows carefully.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Multiple security challenges - access, traffic monitoring, preventing malicious activity/programs. Also the provision of details when it comes to the specific user and apps and access records makes it easier to manage
It has been defenitely great
What do you like best about the product?
The way that it can be used also how easy is to understand everything, truly a powerful tool to use in the CiberSecurity area, helps a lot when matter most
What do you dislike about the product?
I would not say that is dislike, however interface could be more user friendly, however it is still great for what it does and what it helps, keep it up
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
One again I would not say that there is a problem at all, everything works as expected how is expected, so no problems, things that could improve however it’s great
Rock-solid perimeter security with unmatched application visibility
What do you like best about the product?
Palo Alto’s App-ID and Threat Prevention engines give us granular control over traffic we never had with our previous stateful firewall. We can write policies around business apps instead of IP/port combos, then verify exactly what was allowed/blocked in the detailed logs. WildFire zero-day analysis has already caught two pieces of unknown malware in the last quarter, and the cloud signatures hit our gateways within minutes. Centralized management in Panorama is another highlight one commit pushes our rules to three sites, so audit time dropped from hours to minutes.
What do you dislike about the product?
Licensing is pricey and can be confusing (Threat Prevention, WildFire, DNS Security, etc.). The web UI occasionally lags when committing large rule-set changes, and the learning curve for first-time admins is steep expect to spend time in the docs or take the EDU-210 course. Support is generally solid, but faster response requires the higher-tier contract.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Before we moved to Palo Alto, we juggled a traditional port-based firewall, a separate IPS, and far too many manual rules. That setup left gaps: users could tunnel apps over random ports, malware sometimes slipped past signature updates, and every audit felt like a scavenger hunt through spreadsheets.
The PA NGFWs solved three big headaches at once:
1. App-based policy instead of IP/port juggling. With App-ID we now write 15 clean rules around business apps rather than dozens of port rules. Audits take minutes, not hours.
2. Built-in threat and zero-day protection. WildFire and DNS Security catch phishing callbacks and unknown executables before they land on endpoints. Since go-live we’ve seen a \~70 % drop in malware tickets and zero ransomware scares.
3. Unified visibility and management. Panorama pushes configs to HQ and branches in one commit, and the detailed logs make troubleshooting a two-minute task instead of a war-room event.
Bottom line: fewer security incidents, cleaner audits, and a lot more time for the team to focus on strategic projects instead of constant rule-tweaking.
The PA NGFWs solved three big headaches at once:
1. App-based policy instead of IP/port juggling. With App-ID we now write 15 clean rules around business apps rather than dozens of port rules. Audits take minutes, not hours.
2. Built-in threat and zero-day protection. WildFire and DNS Security catch phishing callbacks and unknown executables before they land on endpoints. Since go-live we’ve seen a \~70 % drop in malware tickets and zero ransomware scares.
3. Unified visibility and management. Panorama pushes configs to HQ and branches in one commit, and the detailed logs make troubleshooting a two-minute task instead of a war-room event.
Bottom line: fewer security incidents, cleaner audits, and a lot more time for the team to focus on strategic projects instead of constant rule-tweaking.
A Comprehensive and Reliable NGFW Solution We Trust
What do you like best about the product?
What I appreciate most about Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls is their robust and granular control over network traffic. The ability to identify applications, users, and content (App-ID, User-ID, Content-ID) is unparalleled, allowing us to create highly specific security policies that go far beyond simple port and protocol blocking. The threat prevention capabilities, including WildFire for zero-day threat analysis, are top-notch and have significantly improved our security posture. I also find the centralized management interface (PAN-OS itself, and Panorama for larger deployments) relatively intuitive for such a powerful device, making administration and monitoring efficient. The visibility it provides into network activity is crucial for troubleshooting and incident response.
What do you dislike about the product?
The primary downside, for us and many others, is the cost. Palo Alto Networks firewalls are a premium product, and the initial investment plus ongoing subscription and support costs can be substantial, especially for smaller organizations. While powerful, the sheer number of features and configuration options can also present a steep learning curve for new administrators who aren't familiar with the PAN-OS ecosystem. We've also found that some advanced feature licensing can be a bit complex to navigate, and sometimes troubleshooting very specific or niche issues can require deep dives into documentation or support tickets, which, while generally helpful, can take time.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Palo Alto Networks NGFWs are solving several critical security challenges for our organization. Firstly, they provide robust protection against a wide array of cyber threats, from common malware to sophisticated zero-day attacks, thanks to features like Threat Prevention subscriptions and WildFire. This significantly reduces our risk of breaches and data loss. Secondly, the App-ID feature gives us unparalleled visibility and control over the applications running on our network, allowing us to block unsanctioned or risky apps and enforce granular policies. This has helped us curb shadow IT and improve overall network performance. Thirdly, User-ID integration allows us to tie security policies to actual users and groups rather than just IP addresses, which is essential in our dynamic environment. This has simplified policy management and improved our security posture by ensuring appropriate access levels. The overall benefit is a much stronger, more intelligent security framework that adapts to evolving threats and business needs.
Palo alto Networks NGFW is the best firewall in performance.
What do you like best about the product?
What I love about PAN NGFW, it is resilent in performance and It enhances performance by processing traffic efficiently. Also It detect and blocks zero-day threat in real-time without affecting the firewall performance.
What do you dislike about the product?
Our customers complain about, It's very expensive and some of our customers mention that support is inconsistent, even for premium plans. Desipite those there is nothing to complain about.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
PAN NGFW is solving our customers in giving advanced security features like AI-driven threat prevention, deep visibility into encrypted traffic and automated security updates without affecting the performance of the firewall it self and the normal traffic flow.
Great product, allows for at home use and connection to company systems
What do you like best about the product?
Palo Alto firewall allowed easy user-interface to select gateway location for ease of access in connecting and using VPN to work from home, keeping DoD related material and servers safekeeping.
What do you dislike about the product?
Product sometimes automatically connects me to a wrong gateway VPN location, for example instead of Southeast, it will use North America which will increase latency and work server access delays.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
PA NG Firewalls solving the need for safekeeping multinational company resources and collaborative use with ease of access including company internal websites and sensitive business trade secrets.
Palo Alto Networks!
What do you like best about the product?
Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls stand out for their deep visibility and granular control over network traffic, allowing precise policy enforcement. Their integration of threat intelligence with real-time updates through WildFire enhances zero-day protection. The unified management interface simplifies administration across distributed environments. Additionally, their strong application awareness and user identification features make them especially effective for securing modern, hybrid networks.
What do you dislike about the product?
One downside is the steep learning curve, especially for teams new to Palo Alto’s ecosystem. Licensing and subscriptions can also be complex and expensive, which may be a barrier for smaller organizations. Additionally, software updates occasionally introduce bugs that require careful testing before deployment.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Palo Alto Networks NGFWs are solving problems related to advanced threat detection, application visibility, and secure access control. By identifying and blocking malware, ransomware, and unauthorized applications in real time, they significantly reduce our exposure to cyber risks. The ability to create granular policies based on users and apps, not just IPs and ports, enhances both security and operational efficiency. This has helped us streamline compliance efforts and reduce incident response times.
It's really good at protecting my data.
What do you like best about the product?
The thing I liked the most is the pricing and policies that is based on the user activities. So, it means your are actually protecting our data. Which is also a drawback sometimes because we don't need all the security every time but should be enabled.
What do you dislike about the product?
I didn't face any issues but, your high end security level. that is enabling everything even if we don't use it all the time leads to slowing system and delays tasks, especially for low end systems.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls are solving a lot of problems related to visibility and control over our network traffic. Before using them we had a tough time identifying what applications were being used and blocking unwanted traffic. With the App-ID feature we can now see and control apps no matter what port or protocol they're using. This has helped us reduce shadow IT and apply more accurate security policies. Another big issue was dealing with threats and malware, the integration with WildFire really helps by detecting and stopping threats in real time before they spread across the network. We also benefit from the User-ID feature which ties traffic to specific users not just IP addresses making auditing and policy enforcement a lot more precise. Overall it has made our network more secure and easier to manage even if the setup was a bit tricky in the beginning.
Enhance security with robust DNS and threat prevention features
What is our primary use case?
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.
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Palo Alto Networks VM-Series for more than ten years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
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.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
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.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
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.
How are customer service and support?
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.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
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.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
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.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Adaptation
What do you like best about the product?
I appreciate the flexibility—Palo Alto Networks firewalls adapt well to various environments while offering strong, intelligent, and reliable protection.
What do you dislike about the product?
The initial setup can be complex, and there’s a noticeable learning curve before fully leveraging the full range of advanced features and capabilities.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It protects against advanced threats, secures apps and users, and prevents data breaches—helping us stay compliant, safe, and efficient across our network.
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