The document compares the Cisco ASA 5505, ASA 5512-X, and ASA 5515-X firewall appliances. It provides a detailed feature comparison table listing the specifications of each appliance, including throughput, VPN and user support, interfaces, memory, and other hardware specifications. The ASA 5512-X and 5515-X models support more users, connections, VPN peers and have higher throughput compared to the 5505 as they are designed for small offices and branch locations. The document aims to help users choose between the ASA 5500 Series and next-generation ASA 5500-X models.

1. Compare Cisco ASA 5505, ASA 5512-X and ASA 5515-X
Cisco ASA 5500 Adaptive Security Appliance and ASA 5500-X Series Next-
Generation Firewalls for Small Offices and Branch Locations
You are used to select Cisco ASA 5500 Series, or tend to migrate to new Cisco ASA
5500-X? Why migrating to Cisco ASA 5500-X, especially for Small Offices and Branch
Locations? The detailed feature comparison of Cisco ASA 5505, ASA 5512-X
and ASA 5515-X may tell you why…
Compare Cisco ASA 5505, ASA 5512-X and ASA 5515-X
Feature
Cisco ASA
5505;
Security Plu
s
Cisco ASA 5512-X;
Security Plus
Cisco ASA
5515-X
Stateful inspection
throughput (maximum1
)
Up to 150
Mbps 1 Gbps 1.2 Gbps
Stateful inspection
throughput
(multiprotocol2
) - 500 Mbps 600 Mbps
IPS throughput3
Up to 75
Mbps with
AIP-SSC-5
250 Mbps
(extra hardware not
required)
400 Mbps
(extra
hardware not
required)
Next-generation
throughput4
(multiprotoc
ol) - 200 Mbps 350 Mbps
3DES/AES VPN
throughput5
Up to 100
Mbps 200 Mbps 250 Mbps
Users or nodes Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
IPsec VPN peers 25*
250 250
Cisco Cloud Web For detailed sizing guidance see the CWS Connector

2. Feature
Cisco ASA
5505;
Security Plu
s
Cisco ASA 5512-X;
Security Plus
Cisco ASA
5515-X
Security users Sizing for ASA 5500 and ASA 5500-X
Premium
AnyConnect VPN
peers(included/maximu
m) 2/25 2/250 2/250
Concurrent connections
10,000;
25,000*
100,000 250,000
New connections per
second 4000 10,000 15,000
Virtual interfaces
(VLANs)
3 (trunking
disabled)/
20 (trunking
enabled)*
50; 100 100
Security contexts
(included/maximum)6
Not available
0,0;
2,5 2,5
High availability
Not
supported*
Not supported;
active/active and
active/standby**
Active/active
and
active/standby
Expansion slot 1 SSC 1 interface card
1 interface
card
User-accessible flash
slot - No No
USB 2.0 ports
3 (1 on front,
2 on rear) 2 2
Integrated I/O
8 Fast
Ethernet with
2 PoE ports 6 GE copper 6 GE copper

3. Feature
Cisco ASA
5505;
Security Plu
s
Cisco ASA 5512-X;
Security Plus
Cisco ASA
5515-X
Expansion I/O -
6 GE Copper or
6 GE SFP
6 GE Copper or
6 GE SFP
Serial ports
1 RJ-45
console 1 RJ-45 console
1 RJ-45
console
Solid state drive -
1 slot, 120 GB MLC
SED
1 slot, 120 GB
MLC SED
Memory 512 MB 4 GB 8 GB
Minimum system flash 128 MB 4 GB 8 GB
Systembus
Multibus
architecture Multibus architecture
Multibus
architecture
Temperature
32 to 104°F
(0 to 40°C)
23 to 104°F (-5 to
40°C)
23 to 104°F (-5
to 40°C)
Relative humidity
5 to 95
percent
noncondensi
ng
10 to 90 percent
noncondensing
10 to 90
percent
noncondensing
Altitude
Designed and
tested for 0
to 9840 ft
(3000 m);
agency
approved for
2000 m
Designed and tested
for 0 to 15,000 ft
(4572 m)
Designed and
tested for 0 to
15,000 ft (4572
m)
Shock
1.14 m/sec
(45 in./sec)
1/2 sine
input 70G, 4.22 m/sec
70G, 4.22
m/sec
Vibration 0.41 Grms2
(3 to 500 Hz) 0.41 Grms2 (3 to 500
0.41 Grms2 (3
to 500 Hz)

4. Feature
Cisco ASA
5505;
Security Plu
s
Cisco ASA 5512-X;
Security Plus
Cisco ASA
5515-X
random input Hz) random input random input
Acoustic noise 60 dBa max 64.2 dBa max 64.2 dBa max
Temperature
-13 to 158ºF
(-25 to 70ºC)
-13 to 158ºF (-25 to
70ºC)
-13 to 158ºF (-
25 to 70ºC)
Relative humidity
5 to 95
percent
noncondensi
ng
10 to 90 percent
noncondensing
10 to 90
percent
noncondensing
Altitude
0 to 15,000
ft (4570m)
Designed and tested
for 0 to 15,000 ft
(4570m)
Designed and
tested for 0 to
15,000 ft
(4570m)
Shock 30G 70G, 4.22 m/sec
70G, 4.22
m/sec
Vibration
0.41 Grms2
(3 to 500 Hz)
random input
1.12 Grms2 (3 to 500
Hz) random input
1.12 Grms2 (3
to 500 Hz)
random input
AC range line voltage
100 to 240
VAC 100 to 240 VAC
100 to 240
VAC
AC normal line voltage
100 to 240
VAC 100 to 240 VAC
100 to 240
VAC
AC current 1.8A 4.85A 4.85A
AC frequency 50/60 Hz 50/60 Hz 50/60 Hz
Dual-power supplies None None None
DC domestic line voltage
See the ASA
5500 Series
Hardware
-40.5 to 56 VDC (-48
VDC nominal) -40.5 to 56
VDC (-48 VDC

5. Feature
Cisco ASA
5505;
Security Plu
s
Cisco ASA 5512-X;
Security Plus
Cisco ASA
5515-X
Installation
Guide
nominal)
DC international line
voltage
See the ASA
5500 Series
Hardware
Installation
Guide
-55 to -72 VDC
(-60 VDC nominal)
-55 to -72 VDC
(-60 VDC
nominal)
DC current
See the ASA
5500 Series
Hardware
Installation
Guide 15A (maximum input)
15A (maximum
input)
Steady state 20W 51W 65W
Maximum peak 96W 56W 70W
Maximum heat
dissipation 72 BTU/hr 192 BTU/hr 239 BTU/hr
Form factor Desktop
1RU, 19-in. rack-
mountable
1RU, 19-in.
rack-mountable
Dimensions (H x W x D)
1.75 x 7.89 x
6.87 in.
(4.45 x 20.04
x 17.45 cm)
1.67 x 16.7 x 15.6 In
(4.24 x 42.9 x 39.5
cm)
1.67 x 16.7 x
15.6 In (4.24 x
42.9 x 39.5
cm)
Weight (with AC power
supply)
4.0 lb (1.8
kg) 13.39 lb (6.07 kg)
13.39 lb (6.07
kg)
Safety
UL 60950,
CSA C22.2
No. 60950,
EN 60950
IEC 60950,
AS/NZS6095
IEC 60950-1: 2005,
2nd
Edition
EN 60950-
1:2006+A11: 2009
UL 60950-1:2007,
2nd
Edition;
CSA C22.2 No. 60950-
IEC 60950-1:
2005,
2nd
Edition
EN 60950-
1:2006+A11:
2009
UL 60950-

6. Feature
Cisco ASA
5505;
Security Plu
s
Cisco ASA 5512-X;
Security Plus
Cisco ASA
5515-X
0 1-07, 2nd
Edition 1:2007,
2nd
Edition;
CSA C22.2 No.
60950-1-07,
2nd
Edition
Electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC)
CE marking,
FCC Part 15
Class B,
AS/NZS
CISPR22
Class B, VCCI
Class B,
EN55022
Class B,
CISPR22
Class B,
EN61000-3-
2,
EN61000-3-3
CE: EN55022
2006+A1: 2007 Class
A; EN55024
1998+A1:2001+A2:20
03; EN61000-3-2
2009; EN61000-3-3
2008;
FCC: CFR 47, Part 15
Subpart B Class A
2010, ANSI C63.4
2009;
ICES-003 ISSUE 4
FEBRUARY.2004;
VCCI: V-3/2011.04;
C-TICK: AS/NZS CISPR
22,2009
KC: KN22 & KN24
CE: EN55022
2006+A1:
2007 Class A;
EN55024
1998+A1:
2001+A2:2003
; EN61000-3-2
2009;
EN61000-3-3
2008;
FCC: CFR 47,
Part 15
Subpart B
Class A 2010,
ANSI C63.4
2009;
ICES-003
ISSUE 4
FEBRUARY.200
4;
VCCI: V-
3/2011.04;
C-TICK:
AS/NZS CISPR
22,2009
KC: KN22 &
KN24
Industry certifications
FIPS 140-2
Level 2
In process:
Common
Criteria
EAL4+ US
DoD
Application-
In process In process

7. Feature
Cisco ASA
5505;
Security Plu
s
Cisco ASA 5512-X;
Security Plus
Cisco ASA
5515-X
Level Firewall
for Medium-
Robustness
Environments
, and
Common
Criteria EAL4
for IPsec/SSL
VPN
1
Maximum throughput measured with UDP traffic under ideal conditions.
2
Multiprotocol = Traffic profile consisting primarily of TCP-based
protocols/applications like HTTP, SMTP, FTP, IMAPv4, BitTorrent, and DNS.
3
Firewall traffic that does not go through the IPS service can have higher throughput.
4
Throughput was measured using Cisco ASA CX Software Release 9.1.1 with
multiprotocol traffic profile with both AVC and WSE. Traffic logging was enabled as
well.
5
VPN throughput and sessions count depend on the ASA device configuration and
VPN traffic patterns. These elements should be taken into consideration as part of
your capacity planning.
6
Separately licensed feature; includes two SSL licenses with base system.
More info you can read here…
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/asa-5500-series-next-
generation-firewalls/data_sheet_c78-701253.html
More Cisco ASA Topics…
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Find Your Cisco’s Next-Generation Firewalls
ASA 5506-X/SecurityPlus, 5506W-X & 5506H-X, Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services
ASA 5508-X and ASA 5516-X Overview
Cisco ASA 5585-X Comparison

8. ASA 5505 vs. ASA 5510 vs. ASA 5512-X vs. ASA 5515-X