Comparing a T35 with a T45
Our WG dealer is stating our T35 is approaching End of Life (in Dec 2025). In comparing the T35 with the T25 and T45 the T25s and T45's have a spec called https content inspection (with IPS Enabled) in the T45 its 301 mbps, but I can't find this spec on the T35, despite checking out Firewalls.com (which had a Watchguard authored PDF), and Guardsite. They show (see screenshot) so I'm not sure what to compare.
The list has the following (in case nobody can see the jpg)
T-35 Specs
HTTPS Full Scan 57mbps
IPS Full Scan 300 mbps
UTM Full Scan 203 mbps
So I'm not sure which number to compare with "https content inspection with IPS Enabled" it seems to be a blend of two specs from the T35.
The client has a 50x50 Fiber Internet with no plans to increase speed, with about 12 users and the same number of PC's. Everything's cloud based, no VPN in use. Would the T25 with Basic Security work - some of the specs from the T25 initially look better than the older T35.
Comments
When I run the comparison using the website (https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/appliances-compare?pid1=17846&pid2=74741&pid3=74736) I see the HTTPS (Full scan) come up as 216Mbps for the T25 and 301Mbps for the T45.
That said, if using the trade-up program, the T35 is apparently only eligible to trade up to the T45 series (https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-sales/promotions/customer-loyalty-trade-up-program - then select Program Overview on the right).
You'd have to check with WatchGuard directly as to whether they'd accept a trade up to the T25 from a T35 but personally I'd go for the T45 (which is a move I'm doing soon - ie. from T35 to T45), especially with the number of users you have (T25 I'd only use for an office of a few users at most).
With all of the throughput specs on the T25 being higher than the T35, it is hard to see why the T25 would perform worse than the T35, and wouldn't perform better.
Thanks everyone for replying, firewalls.com says the T25 is good for up to 216mb, but then on the bullet item list it says for Home or Teleworkers, it states 216mb even with the Total Security suite option.
Note there is an asterisk next to 216mb but then when I surf this series of three web pages there is no reference to what 216mb* means - as in what's the "catch" or YMMV? So it looks like our next Firewall is a T45, though due to budgets they renewed the T35 for another year.
https://www.firewalls.com/brands/watchguard/firewalls/t-series/t25.html
Sidenote question: Are there plenty of Firewalls in stock Stateside? I see that our T35 is made in Taiwan, if there were to be "supply disruption" given possible future worldly events would we be able to obtain a T45 a year from now? Would WG extend paid support on an older Firewall if such events were to occur?
How can we know what that means at firewalls.com ?
Why not contact them and ask?
There is no asterisk on the specs on the WG site for the T25
The 216 Mbps figure is copied off of our datasheet. We have an additional details marker on it, which reads
"HTTPS throughput is measured per NetSecOPEN methodology - 256k response with TLS1.2 AES256 + SHA-256."
So this is just information telling you how the test is run.
The official document lives here:
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-resource-center/docs/firebox-t25
Firewalls are in stock for all of the current models. If the concern is that the devices fail and may not have a replacement available, so long as there is active support on the device WatchGuard will provide a similar or better model if the one you started with is no longer available.
"Replacement hardware may be new or like-new. In the event of hardware obsolescence, WatchGuard reserves the right to replace failed hardware with a model of similar or better features and functionality."
(Hardware Warranty)
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-support/hardware-warranty
-James Carson
WatchGuard Customer Support