Additional network interfaces Dell R630

[CobaltGroup]

Hi all,

We are going to buy a Dell R630 for running Palo Alto VM100.

As this box has only a few standard broadcom interfaces on board, which NIC card would you recommend to more network ports.

4 Gigabit ethernet ports is sufficient in our case.

Some people claim that intel based NICs are not recommended?

Any advice is appreciated.

Kind Regards

Cobalt

[OtakarKlier]

Hello,

The biggest question is what will you use the extra nics for? The default VM only has 3 interfaces with a total of 4, I think could be wrong in that version.

Regards,

[CobaltGroup]

We have a rather large setup behind the firewall, so we will be using multiple split virtual wires, therefore I would require 8 interfaces

[OtakarKlier]

Hello,

You wont get a full 8 since 1 has to be the Management interface. As forthe NIC card, I would use what ever the Hypervisor you plan on using will support. Also do you think a VM-100 is large enough capacity?

Regards,

[CobaltGroup]

For the time being it's enough, as I'm doing a PoC for the customers, not everything is behind the firewall yet.

But since the device already failed twice during the PoC, I currently look a bit like an idiot with a bad product.

Hence my question if there was any preferred/recommended hardware, but avoid any potential issues in that domain. 

[OtakarKlier]

I'm guessing cost is the reason for the VM rather than a hardware model?

[CobaltGroup]

Well cost is obviously always a reason, nevertheless a box is also a server in the end.

And after cycling through a few other brands, I can't say the hardware appliances are always that much more trustworthy 🙂 

[OtakarKlier]

I hear ya on the bad luck. However I have only had one PAN hardware fail on me in the past 8 years and that has been my lab PA-200. I would honeslty recomment like a PA-3220. Mainly because thats all it is and its a less complicated setup, e.g. no hypervisor or additional hardware. PAN's are pretty good especially their upper end models. Why not put them into A/P HA? THis way if one fails not everything goes down?

[CobaltGroup]

Certainly something to consider once I can convince the customers 🙂

I'm not going to make that investment without knowing it actually works. Since I have stacks of servers anyways, the VM was the quickest en most cost efficient solution.

[OtakarKlier]

You can always get the sales team to get you a 'try before you buy' model?

[CobaltGroup]

True that, nevertheless there should not be a reason why a VM wouldnt work 🙂