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PCNSA Practice Question: Deploy a firewall for a branch office with 50…

A company needs to deploy a firewall for a branch office with 50 users. Which Palo Alto Networks platform is most appropriate for this requirement?

⚠ Common exam trap

Test-takers frequently choose the PA-3250 (Option A) because they assume a 'branch office' needs a mid-range model for reliability, but the PA-220 is specifically designed for small branches and is the correct answer based on user count and throughput requirements.

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

PA-220

The PA-220 is the most appropriate platform for a branch office with 50 users because it is a low-end, entry-level next-generation firewall designed for small to medium-sized businesses and remote/branch offices. It supports up to 100 Mbps of threat prevention throughput and includes all core NGFW features (App-ID, User-ID, SSL decryption) at a cost-effective price point, making it ideal for this user count.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    PA-3250

    Why it's wrong here

    PA-3250 is a mid-range model for larger environments, not for a small branch with 50 users.

  • ✓

    PA-220

    Why this is correct

    PA-220 is the entry-level hardware platform suitable for small branch offices with up to 50 users.

  • ✗

    VM-Series

    Why it's wrong here

    VM-Series is virtual and could be used, but physical hardware is typically preferred for branch offices and the PA-220 is more cost-effective.

  • ✗

    PA-5280

    Why it's wrong here

    PA-5280 is a high-end data center firewall, overkill for a 50-user branch.

About these practice questions

This PCNSA question is part of Courseiva's 516-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →

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JA

Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

This PCNSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PCNSA exam.