🛡️ FortiGate 600F vs Cisco Firepower 3110 vs Palo Alto PA-3250
AI-powered analysis across 16 matched specifications
Performance Overview
Scores based on quantifiable specification values (1-10 scale)
Detailed Specifications
| Specification | FortiGate FG-600F Fortinet | Cisco Firepower 3110 Cisco | Palo Alto PA-3250 Palo Alto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Metrics | |||
| Firewall Throughput | 139 Gbps | 17 Gbps (FTD) / 35 Gbps (ASA) | 5 Gbps |
| IPS/Threat Prevention Throughput | 14 Gbps (IPS) / 10.5 Gbps (Threat Protection) | 24 Gbps (NGIPS) | 2.5 Gbps (Threat Prevention) |
| Concurrent Sessions | 8,000,000 | 12,000,000 | 2,000,000 |
| New Sessions/sec | 550,000 | 210,000 (FTD) | 58,000 |
| IPSec VPN Throughput | 55 Gbps | 8 Gbps (FTD) | 2.6 Gbps |
| Networking | |||
| Network Ports | 16 × GE RJ45 (incl. 2 × MGMT/HA) / 4 × 10GE SFP+ / GE SFP / 4 × 25GE SFP28 / 10GE SFP+ | 24 × 1G RJ45 / 4 × 10G SFP+ / 2 × 25G SFP28 | 12 × GE RJ45 / 8 × 1G/10G SFP/SFP+ |
| Uplink Speed | 25GE SFP28 | 25G SFP28 | 10G SFP+ |
| Storage | |||
| Storage | None (2 × 240 GB SSD on FG-601F) | 480 GB SSD | 240 GB SSD |
| Expansion / PCIe | |||
| Expansion Slots | -- | 1 × NIM slot | -- |
| Physical / Environmental | |||
| Form Factor | 1U rack-mount | 1U rack-mount | 2U rackmount (17.34" W × 20.53" D × 3.5" H) |
| Power Consumption | 260W max | 400W max | 650W AC (2, redundant) |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 40°C | -- | -- |
| Weight | -- | 13 kg (28.7 lb) | -- |
| Cooling | -- | Redundant fan trays | -- |
| Management | |||
| HA Support | -- | -- | Active/Passive, Active/Active |
| Software & OS Compatibility | |||
| Operating System / Software | SD-WAN, ZTNA, SSL inspection | FTD / ASA | PAN-OS 11.x / ML-Powered NGFW with WildFire |
Expert Analysis
These three next-generation firewalls represent distinct performance tiers and architectural approaches suitable for different enterprise environments. The FortiGate FG-600F delivers exceptional raw throughput capabilities with 139 Gbps firewall performance, 55 Gbps VPN throughput, and 550,000 new sessions per second, making it ideal for high-density data centre deployments or service provider edge applications where maximum packet processing is paramount. Its 4×25GE SFP28 ports provide future-proof connectivity for 25GbE environments, though it lacks internal storage in the base model.
The Cisco Firepower 3110 offers balanced performance with strong session capacity (12 million concurrent sessions) and excellent threat prevention capabilities (24 Gbps NGIPS throughput). Its dual-mode operation (FTD/ASA) provides deployment flexibility, while the NIM expansion slot allows for future port density upgrades. The dual hot-swappable power supplies and redundant cooling enhance reliability for critical network positions. The Palo Alto PA-3250, while at the lower end of the performance spectrum with 5 Gbps firewall throughput, brings Palo Alto's signature application-layer visibility and ML-powered threat prevention with WildFire integration, making it suitable for security-focused deployments where deep packet inspection and advanced threat detection are prioritised over raw throughput.
Value propositions differ significantly: the FortiGate excels in throughput-per-watt efficiency (139 Gbps at 260W), the Cisco provides the highest session capacity and expansion flexibility, while the Palo Alto offers advanced security features in a more compact performance envelope. Organisations should match these capabilities to their specific requirements—high-speed internet gateways favour the FortiGate, large enterprise networks with many concurrent users benefit from the Cisco's session capacity, and security-conscious environments with moderate throughput needs may prefer the Palo Alto's advanced threat prevention capabilities.
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