Throughput measurement on the Cisco ASA 5512-X device
Throughput measurement on the Cisco ASA 5512-X device
I handle network tasks in a school setting and need to update an older Cisco ASA 5512-X for routing and security. Even though it has 1GbE ports, its performance varies based on usage. Cisco guidelines state the throughput for various services: IPS handles 250 Mbps without extra hardware, while the next-gen firewall supports 200 Mbps for multiprotocol traffic. Our connection offers 200Mb up/200Mb down, and we use web filtering that decrypts and re-encrypts data. My goal is to set the ASA as a router and firewall, keeping only necessary ports open and adding others as needed. My concern is whether this device will limit the connection to 200Mb instead of the full 400Mb available.
I think the boundary is one-way, so you should be able to hit that speed in both ways. However, if you configure it just as a router and simple firewall (only permit or block at the network layer), then you’ll experience these restrictions as shown on that page: Stateful inspection throughput (max): 1 Gbps Stateful inspection throughput (multiprotocol): 500 Mbps
It handles WAN to LAN traffic with basic NAT settings, achieving roughly 650-700Mbit/s. Performance may increase with more complex rules, but heavier rule sets reduce speed. Disable IPS if using on another device.