A firewall is the front door to your network. Pick the wrong one and you’re either leaving it unlocked or paying for a vault when you needed a deadbolt. Here’s what actually matters when choosing a business firewall.
Throughput: The Number That Actually Matters
Every firewall has a throughput rating, but not all numbers are created equal. Look at the throughput with all security features enabled (IPS, antivirus, SSL inspection) — not just the raw firewall throughput. A firewall rated at 10 Gbps might drop to 1 Gbps when you turn on deep packet inspection.
SSL/TLS Inspection
Over 90% of web traffic is encrypted. If your firewall can’t inspect encrypted traffic, it’s blind to most threats. Make sure the firewall supports SSL inspection without crippling performance.
VPN Capabilities
Remote work isn’t going away. Your firewall needs to support site-to-site VPN for branch offices and client-to-site VPN for remote workers. Check the concurrent VPN session limits — they matter more than you think.
Management & Reporting
A firewall you can’t manage is a firewall that doesn’t get updated. Look for intuitive management interfaces, centralized management options (especially if you have multiple locations), and built-in reporting. Fortinet’s FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer are standouts here.
Licensing Model
Most modern firewalls require subscriptions for security services (IPS signatures, antivirus definitions, web filtering databases). Factor in 3-5 years of licensing costs when comparing prices — the hardware is often the smaller number.
Our Recommendation
For most small to mid-size businesses, we recommend the Fortinet FortiGate series. Excellent price-to-performance, mature management platform, and a security fabric that integrates with switches, access points, and endpoint protection. Browse our firewall inventory.
Not sure which firewall fits your network? Let us help you size it.
