Palo Alto Networks PA-5550-AC Next-Gen Firewall 175 Gbps, Quantum-Optimized

High-Throughput, AI-Ready Protection for Core and Edge

The Palo Alto Networks PA-5550 secures high-speed data centers and internet gateways with ML-powered threat prevention and post-quantum readiness. Built on the PA-5500 Series architecture, it delivers predictable performance with single-pass processing and Precision AI to analyze and stop threats in real time.

Key Benefits & Features

The PA-5550 brings deep visibility, Layer 7 control, and inline prevention to environments that demand scale and resiliency. It supports post-quantum cryptography options, advanced URL and DNS defenses, and NGFW clustering for high availability.

Proven Performance at Scale

Handle growth confidently with 175 Gbps firewall throughput (appmix), 120 Gbps threat prevention, 100 Gbps IPsec VPN, 49 million concurrent sessions, and 1.67 million new sessions per second. These figures enable large east-west and north-south inspection without bottlenecks.

AI-Driven Prevention and L7 Visibility

Inline machine learning and App-ID provide accurate application identification and signatureless prevention against zero-day malware and phishing. Policies are enforced by user and application for precise control, improving security posture while reducing incident response time.

Post-Quantum Readiness

Prepare for future cryptographic shifts with support for PQC use cases across SSL/TLS inspection and VPN, including NIST algorithms such as ML-KEM and ML-DSA.

Operational Consistency and HA

Manage at scale through Strata Cloud Manager with AI-assisted insights, and deploy NGFW clustering for active-active scale and redundancy. The series also supports traditional HA.

Ideal Use Cases

• Data centers and internet edges that need high throughput with deep inspection.
• Service providers requiring large session capacity and resilient clustering.
• Enterprises consolidating security with AI-powered visibility and user-based policy.

Technical Specifications

• Throughput (appmix): 175 Gbps firewall, 120 Gbps threat prevention, 100 Gbps IPsec VPN
• Sessions: 49M max, 1.67M new sessions per second
• Form factor: 3U, front-to-back airflow, 19-inch rack, 5.2 in H x 29.8 in D x 17.3 in W
• Interface mix: 16 x 10/25G SFP28, 16 x 40/100G QSFP28, 4 x 100/400G QSFP-DD; 2 x 1G/10G SFP+ management; 2 x QSFP-DD HSCI; 2 x 10G SFP+ log
• Storage: Optional 3.84 TB RAID1 SSD pair for system and logs
• Power: Approx. 2100 W average, multi-supply redundancy options
• Management: Strata Cloud Manager, user-based policy, App-ID, URL and DNS security services
• Operating range: 0°C to 50°C, front-to-back airflow, MTBF ~8.1 years

Make Your Core Security Future-Ready

Upgrade to the PA-5550 for high-capacity, AI-powered protection with post-quantum options and resilient clustering. 

Model	PA-5550-AC
Product Type	Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)
Firewall Throughput (App-mix)	175 Gbps
Threat Prevention Throughput (App-mix)	120 Gbps
IPsec VPN Throughput	100 Gbps
Max Concurrent Sessions	49,000,000
New Sessions per Second	1,670,000
Virtual Systems (Base/Max)	25 / 225
I/O (Data Ports)	16 × 10/25G SFP28; 16 × 40/100G QSFP28; 4 × 100/400G QSFP-DD
Management / Other I/O	2 × 1G/10G SFP+ (OOB mgmt); RJ-45 console; USB-C console; USB 3.2 Type-A (bootstrap); 2 × HSCI 100/400G QSFP-DD; 2 × 10G SFP+ (Log)
Storage	Optional 3.84 TB RAID1 SSD pair (cold-swap)
Power (Avg/Max)	2,100 W / 3,100 W
Power Supplies	AC: 2+2 redundant (220 V) or 3+1 (110 V)
Input Voltage	100–240 VAC, 50–60 Hz
Max BTU/hr	1638
Rack Size / Dimensions	3U, 19" rack; 5.2" H × 29.8" D × 17.3" W
Weight	70 lb (standalone) / 116 lb (as shipped)
Operating Environment	0–50 °C (32–122 °F); 10–90% RH; up to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
Compliance	Safety: cTUVus, CB; EMI: FCC/CE/VCCI Class A

Routing & L3 Features	Advanced routing engine; OSPFv2/v3, MP-BGP, RIP, static; policy-based forwarding; multicast (PIM-SM/SSM, IGMPv2/v3); BFD & multihop BFD
Interface Modes	L2, L3, Tap, Virtual Wire (transparent)
IPv6	Dual-stack & IPv6-only; IPv6 inspection (L2/L3/Tap/VWire); IPv6 geolocation, OSPFv3, MP-BGP, NAT64, NPTv6; DHCPv6 client (PD) & SLAAC server
VLANs	802.1Q; 4,094 VLAN tags per device / per interface
NAT	Static, Dynamic IP, Dynamic IP & Port (PAT); NAT64, NPTv6; dynamic IP reservation & oversubscription
IPsec VPN	IKEv1/IKEv2, manual key; 3DES, AES-128/192/256; MD5, SHA-1/256/384/512; GlobalProtect LSVPN
SD-WAN	Path quality measurement (jitter/loss/latency), bandwidth monitoring; Prisma Access Hub (hybrid SASE); ADEM for NGFW
TLS/Decryption	Inspect SSL/TLS (SSLv3, TLS1.1–1.3); decrypt classical (RSA/ECDHE/DHE) & post-quantum KEX (ML-KEM, HQC; experimental BIKE/Frodo-KEM)
Post-Quantum Readiness	PQC for SSL/TLS decryption, site-to-site VPN, Cipher Translation Proxy; PQC algorithms inc. ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA; PCIe slot for future PQ
High Availability	NGFW clustering (active/active) with dual-active data plane & single control plane; HA active/passive
Management	Strata Cloud Manager with AI-powered operations; Strata Copilot assistant
MTBF	8.1 years (PA-5540/PA-5550)
Certifications (Summary)	Safety: cTUVus, CB; EMI: FCC/CE/VCCI Class A

Included (PAN-PA-5550-AC)	4 × PAN-PA-5500-PWR-2700-AC; 5 × PAN-PA-FAN-2RU-A; 1 × PAN-PA-5500-ACC-A accessory kit; 1 × PAN-PA-3RU-RACK-A; 2 × PAN-SFP-CG; 1 × PAN-PA-5500-SSD-3.84TB-PAIR
Optional / Spares	PAN-PA-5500-SSD-3.84TB-PAIR (spare); PAN-PA-5500-ACC-A (spare kit with AC power cables, USB cable, Cat6); PAN-PA-5500-ACC-B (spare kit with DC cables, USB, Cat6)

INTERNATIONAL -

International buyers must acknowledge that all duties and taxes are their sole responsibility and Network Devices Inc is not held responsible for possible additional charges.

DOMESTIC -

Products are shipped Monday through Friday via UPS/FedEx/USPS. The estimated delivery time is 1-6 business days depending on location. If “Free Shipping” is offered, it will be by Ground only and within USA Continental States Only (48 States). There will be a surcharge on shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and APO/FPO addresses. After you have made a purchase, the surcharge will be calculated using the parcel’s weight and size. Network Devices Inc ships the product the same day of receiving an order. Otherwise you will a receive notification of delay or cancellation of said order.