Firewalls
Firewall for 500 users: what you need and what it costs
For 500 people, plan on an internet line of about 1 Gbps and a firewall that can inspect at least 1.5 Gbps with all security features switched on. That is the "threat protection" figure in each brand's datasheet, not the bigger "firewall throughput" number.
What you need
- Users
- 500
- Typical internet line
- 1 Gbps
- Threat protection throughput needed
- 1.5 Gbps
- Licence
- 1 to 3 years of UTM or security bundle
Models that fit
Questions
How big a firewall do 500 users need?
Size on threat protection throughput, at least 1.5 Gbps for 500 users, with 50% headroom for busy hours. If you plan to inspect HTTPS traffic, choose the next size up.
Do I need a licence with the firewall?
Yes. Antivirus, intrusion prevention and web filtering need a yearly subscription. Ask sellers to quote the hardware with a 1-year and a 3-year bundle so you can compare.
Should I buy two firewalls?
If the internet must not go down, a second unit in high availability takes over within seconds. It doubles the hardware cost but usually not the licence cost for the standby unit.
Other sizes
Firewall for 10 usersFirewall for 25 usersFirewall for 50 usersFirewall for 100 usersFirewall for 200 users