While both firewalls are excellent for small business cyber security, the F80 and F180 models come with some clear differences. Barracuda cyber security solutions are pretty thorough, and these are only two of several cloud-gen firewalls that offer more support than you might expect.
A big selling point here is the user-friendly approach, on top of the fact that you’re getting next-gen firewall features. Layered threat protection is a given between these two models, which promises things like behavioral analysis, sandboxing, and a lot more.
Regardless of the similarities they share, it’s essential you know where your network stands when it comes to the security it needs. This article highlights a comparison of F80 vs F180 Barracuda security and what makes them a viable option for growing businesses.
An Introduction to Barracuda Cyber Security
Over the years, Barracuda Networks has famously introduced many viable network security solutions for the modern age. Not only do they tackle today’s network security threats, but they also focus on ease of use, growing businesses, and dynamic workforces.
A lot of this can be determined by their firewall features and cloud-supportive direction. Similar to many firewalls on the market, you’re guaranteed to come across some unique differences.
For example, the F80 is rated for up to 100 users, while the F180 goes a little higher, up to 200 users. The differences go far beyond that, and these specs matter if you’re going to find proper alignment between firewalls and your business’s network.
What is the Barracuda F80 Firewall?
Even if the main focus of this firewall is aimed at small businesses, it’s still a good option for mid-range organizations as well. Considering it’s built with 51 to 100 users in mind, you can assume that it covers many types of growing operations. It’s also known for cloud security management that’s simple and easy to understand.
Aside from that, here are several specs that are important to review:
- Firewall Throughput: 2 Gbps
- VPN Throughput: 720 Mbps
- IPS Throughput: 600 Mbps
- NGFW Throughput: 400 Mbps
- Threat Protection Throughput: 380 Mbps
If you know anything about network security hardware, this should give a pretty good example as to what the F80 is capable of. In the same vein, if you think this falls a bit short of what your network needs, then it isn’t a bad idea to consider what the F180 can do.
What is the Barracuda F180 Firewall
Also rated for small to mid-size organizations, the F180 still delivers a unique level of network protection that differs from what the F80 is capable of. Being rated for up to 200 users makes it a pretty scalable solution, not to mention the upgrades found in its specifications.
Take a look at how the F180 compares to the F80 specs listed above:
- Firewall Throughput: 1.7 Gbps
- VPN Throughput: 300 Mbps
- IPS Throughput: 500 Mbps
- NGFW Throughput: 550 Mbps
- Threat Protection Throughput: 480 Mbps
You might notice the F80 is a little stronger in a few categories, but this shouldn’t be your only decision maker. Other important aspects include things like end-of-life dates, and it’s safe to assume that the F80 will be the first one to phase out.
F80 vs F180 Advanced Cloud Security Solutions
When it comes down to your decision-making, due diligence says you should review all of the fine print between the two firewalls. To help you avoid the process of reading through the entire datasheet, the table below should offer a summary to help support your choice.
| Specification | Barracuda F80 | Barracuda F180 |
|---|---|---|
| Firewall Throughput (Gbps) | 2 | 1.7 |
| VPN Throughput (Mbps) | 720 | 300 |
| IPS Throughput (Mbps) | 600 | 500 |
| NGFW Throughput (Mbps) | 400 | 550 |
| Threat Protection Throughput (Mbps) | 380 | 480 |
| Concurrent Sessions | 80,000 | 100,000 |
| New Sessions per Second | 12,000 | 9,000 |
| Copper Ethernet NICs (GbE) | 5x1 | 6x1 |
Similarities aside, it’s important to use a bit of hindsight and keep your scope of network and cloud security in the long term. The landscape of cyber security and its associated challenges can change pretty quickly, another reason it’s best to think ahead.
The Bottom Line
In the realm of Barracuda cyber security, it isn’t about superiority in the comparison of the F80 vs F180 firewalls. You should look at each of their specs to determine which firewall aligns most with your security demands and network objectives.
Both are stellar options in their own right, but they’re definitely geared toward businesses at specific stages of growth. For those who are still a bit unsure of which direction to go, have a talk with our team members about which model is best for your situation.
