🛡️ FortiGate 400F vs Cisco Firepower 2130 vs Palo Alto PA-3220

FortiGate FG-400F vs Cisco Firepower 2130 vs Palo Alto PA-3220 compared across 25 matched specifications — scores, the full spec table and a verdict.

FortiGate FG-400F

Fortinet

Overall Score

Best for: High-density data centre and service provider deployments requiring maximum throughput and session scalability

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Cisco Firepower 2130

Cisco

Overall Score

Best for: Medium to large enterprises needing balanced performance, VPN scalability, and expansion flexibility

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Palo Alto PA-3220

Palo Alto

Overall Score

Best for: Security-focused environments prioritising application visibility and threat prevention over raw throughput

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FortiGate 400F vs Cisco Firepower 2130 vs Palo Alto PA-3220: performance overview

Scores based on quantifiable specification values (1-10 scale)

FortiGate FG-400F

Cisco Firepower 2130

Palo Alto PA-3220

Compute

FortiGate FG-400F

9.5

Cisco Firepower 2130

8.0

Palo Alto PA-3220

6.5

Memory

FortiGate FG-400F

9.0

Cisco Firepower 2130

7.0

Palo Alto PA-3220

5.0

Storage

FortiGate FG-400F

5.0

Cisco Firepower 2130

6.0

Palo Alto PA-3220

6.5

Networking

FortiGate FG-400F

9.5

Cisco Firepower 2130

7.5

Palo Alto PA-3220

7.0

Expandability

FortiGate FG-400F

6.0

Cisco Firepower 2130

7.5

Palo Alto PA-3220

6.0

Management

FortiGate FG-400F

8.5

Cisco Firepower 2130

7.0

Palo Alto PA-3220

8.0

Detailed Specifications

Specification	FortiGate FG-400F Fortinet	Cisco Firepower 2130 Cisco	Palo Alto PA-3220 Palo Alto
Key Metrics
Firewall Throughput	79 Gbps	8.5 Gbps (FTD) / 20 Gbps (ASA)	4 Gbps
IPS/Threat Prevention Throughput	12 Gbps (IPS) / 9 Gbps (Threat Protection)	10.4 Gbps (NGIPS) / 3 Gbps (TLS Inspection)	2.2 Gbps (Threat Prevention)
IPSec VPN Throughput	55 Gbps	2.5 Gbps (FTD)	2.4 Gbps
Concurrent Sessions	7,800,000	3,500,000	1,000,000
New Sessions/Second	500,000	68,000 (FTD)	46,000
Compute
Processor	--	--	--
Hardware Acceleration	Full SSL inspection	TLS decryption	Dedicated hardware acceleration
Memory
Memory	--	--	--
Storage
Storage	None (2 × 480 GB SSD on FG-401F)	200 GB SSD	240 GB SSD
Networking
Network Ports	16 × GE RJ45 (incl. 2 × MGMT/HA) / 8 × GE SFP / 8 × 10GE SFP+ (4 standard + 4 ultra-low latency)	12 × 1G RJ45 + 4 × 10G SFP+ / 1 × 1G RJ45 dedicated management	12 × GE RJ45 + 4 × 1G SFP + 4 × 1G/10G SFP/SFP+ / 1 × 10/100/1000 management / 2 × 10/100/1000 + 1 × 10G SFP+ HA
Max VPN Peers	--	20,000	--
GPU / Accelerators
GPU / Accelerators	--	--	--
Expansion / PCIe
Expansion Slots	--	1 × Network Interface Module (NIM) slot	--
I/O & Ports
Management Ports	2 × MGMT/HA included in GE RJ45 ports	1 × 1G RJ45 dedicated	1 × 10/100/1000 out-of-band
HA Ports	Included in GE RJ45 ports	--	2 × 10/100/1000 + 1 × 10G SFP+
Management
Management Features	SD-WAN, ZTNA	--	PAN-OS 11.x
Power
Power Supply	200W max	Dual hot-swap AC (100–240V) / 400W max	650W AC (2, redundant)
Physical / Environmental
Form Factor	1U rack-mount	1U rack-mount	2U rackmount (17.34" W × 20.53" D × 3.5" H)
Weight	--	12 kg (26 lb)	--
Operating Temperature	0°C to 40°C	--	--
Cooling	--	Redundant fan trays	--
Security
Security Features	Full SSL inspection, ZTNA	TLS decryption	App-ID enabled, Threat Prevention
Software & OS Compatibility
Operating System/Software	--	--	PAN-OS 11.x
Status	--	--	End-of-Sale (active support)
Warranty & Support
Warranty & Support	--	--	--

Key Metrics

Firewall Throughput

FortiGate FG-400F79 Gbps

Cisco Firepower 21308.5 Gbps (FTD) / 20 Gbps (ASA)

Palo Alto PA-32204 Gbps

IPS/Threat Prevention Throughput

FortiGate FG-400F12 Gbps (IPS) / 9 Gbps (Threat Protection)

Cisco Firepower 213010.4 Gbps (NGIPS) / 3 Gbps (TLS Inspection)

Palo Alto PA-32202.2 Gbps (Threat Prevention)

IPSec VPN Throughput

FortiGate FG-400F55 Gbps

Cisco Firepower 21302.5 Gbps (FTD)

Palo Alto PA-32202.4 Gbps

Concurrent Sessions

FortiGate FG-400F7,800,000

Cisco Firepower 21303,500,000

Palo Alto PA-32201,000,000

New Sessions/Second

FortiGate FG-400F500,000

Cisco Firepower 213068,000 (FTD)

Palo Alto PA-322046,000

Compute

Processor

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220--

Hardware Acceleration

FortiGate FG-400FFull SSL inspection

Cisco Firepower 2130TLS decryption

Palo Alto PA-3220Dedicated hardware acceleration

Memory

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220--

Storage

FortiGate FG-400FNone (2 × 480 GB SSD on FG-401F)

Cisco Firepower 2130200 GB SSD

Palo Alto PA-3220240 GB SSD

Networking

Network Ports

FortiGate FG-400F16 × GE RJ45 (incl. 2 × MGMT/HA) / 8 × GE SFP / 8 × 10GE SFP+ (4 standard + 4 ultra-low latency)

Cisco Firepower 213012 × 1G RJ45 + 4 × 10G SFP+ / 1 × 1G RJ45 dedicated management

Palo Alto PA-322012 × GE RJ45 + 4 × 1G SFP + 4 × 1G/10G SFP/SFP+ / 1 × 10/100/1000 management / 2 × 10/100/1000 + 1 × 10G SFP+ HA

Max VPN Peers

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 213020,000

Palo Alto PA-3220--

GPU / Accelerators

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220--

Expansion / PCIe

Expansion Slots

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 21301 × Network Interface Module (NIM) slot

Palo Alto PA-3220--

I/O & Ports

Management Ports

FortiGate FG-400F2 × MGMT/HA included in GE RJ45 ports

Cisco Firepower 21301 × 1G RJ45 dedicated

Palo Alto PA-32201 × 10/100/1000 out-of-band

HA Ports

FortiGate FG-400FIncluded in GE RJ45 ports

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-32202 × 10/100/1000 + 1 × 10G SFP+

Management

Management Features

FortiGate FG-400FSD-WAN, ZTNA

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220PAN-OS 11.x

Power

Power Supply

FortiGate FG-400F200W max

Cisco Firepower 2130Dual hot-swap AC (100–240V) / 400W max

Palo Alto PA-3220650W AC (2, redundant)

Physical / Environmental

Form Factor

FortiGate FG-400F1U rack-mount

Cisco Firepower 21301U rack-mount

Palo Alto PA-32202U rackmount (17.34" W × 20.53" D × 3.5" H)

Weight

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 213012 kg (26 lb)

Palo Alto PA-3220--

Operating Temperature

FortiGate FG-400F0°C to 40°C

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220--

Cooling

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 2130Redundant fan trays

Palo Alto PA-3220--

Security

Security Features

FortiGate FG-400FFull SSL inspection, ZTNA

Cisco Firepower 2130TLS decryption

Palo Alto PA-3220App-ID enabled, Threat Prevention

Software & OS Compatibility

Operating System/Software

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220PAN-OS 11.x

Status

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220End-of-Sale (active support)

Warranty & Support

FortiGate FG-400F--

Cisco Firepower 2130--

Palo Alto PA-3220--

★

Expert Analysis

AI-assisted analysis based on published specifications

These three next-generation firewalls represent distinct performance tiers and architectural approaches suitable for different enterprise environments. The FortiGate FG-400F delivers exceptional throughput capabilities with 79 Gbps firewall performance, 55 Gbps VPN throughput, and 7.8 million concurrent sessions, making it ideal for high-density data centre deployments or service provider edge applications where raw packet processing and session scalability are paramount. Its comprehensive port configuration with 16 GE RJ45, 8 GE SFP, and 8 10GE SFP+ ports provides exceptional connectivity flexibility, though it lacks internal storage in the base model.

The Cisco Firepower 2130 offers a balanced approach with dual-mode operation (8.5 Gbps FTD or 20 Gbps ASA) and strong security processing at 10.4 Gbps NGIPS throughput. Its 3.5 million session capacity and 20,000 VPN peer support suit medium to large enterprise environments requiring robust VPN connectivity and threat inspection. The NIM expansion slot provides future-proofing flexibility, while dual hot-swappable power supplies and redundant cooling enhance reliability for critical deployments.

The Palo Alto PA-3220, while at the lower performance tier with 4 Gbps firewall throughput and 1 million sessions, excels in application-aware security with App-ID enabled inspection and dedicated hardware acceleration. Its 2U form factor with redundant power supplies offers physical resilience, though the end-of-sale status may influence procurement decisions. This model best serves organisations prioritising deep application visibility and threat prevention over maximum throughput, particularly in security-focused branch offices or medium enterprise perimeters where application control is more critical than raw session capacity.

FortiGate FG-400F

Best for: High-density data centre and service provider deployments requiring maximum throughput and session scalability

Cisco Firepower 2130

Best for: Medium to large enterprises needing balanced performance, VPN scalability, and expansion flexibility

Palo Alto PA-3220

Best for: Security-focused environments prioritising application visibility and threat prevention over raw throughput

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FortiGate FG-400F

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Cisco Firepower 2130

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Palo Alto PA-3220

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