In short: WatchGuard FireboxV is the Firebox firewall as a virtual machine for VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V and KVM. Each instance is licensed by size, from Micro to Extra Large, which caps the virtual CPUs it uses and the capacity it supports, combined with Standard Support, the Basic Security Suite or the Total Security Suite.
What FireboxV is
FireboxV is WatchGuard's virtual firewall. It runs the same Fireware operating system as a hardware Firebox, so policies, VPNs and security services work the same way, but it is installed as a virtual machine on a hypervisor you already run.
Organisations use it to protect a server room or private cloud, to segment virtual networks from each other, to terminate site-to-site VPNs inside a data centre, or to give a hosting platform a firewall without adding hardware. If your servers are in Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure rather than your own data centre, Firebox Cloud is the product to look at instead.
Sizes and what changes between them
FireboxV is sold in five sizes rather than by user. Each size caps the virtual CPUs the firewall will use and sets its capacity limits, such as VLANs, VPN tunnels and the number of EDR Core endpoints included with the Total Security Suite. If the virtual machine has more CPUs than the size allows, the extra cores are not used.
| Size | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Micro | A very small site or a lab |
| Small | A small server environment or a single application network |
| Medium | A mid-sized private cloud or several segmented networks |
| Large | A busy data centre edge or many VPN tunnels |
| Extra Large | High-throughput environments with no CPU cap |
WatchGuard publishes the limits for each size on its FireboxV comparison page. Ask us which size fits, because the right answer depends on the security services you switch on as much as on bandwidth.
Subscriptions for FireboxV
Each size is available with Standard Support, the Basic Security Suite or the Total Security Suite. The contents match the hardware suites described on our Firebox page, with two differences worth knowing: the Prime Security Suite is offered only on newer hardware appliances, and on FireboxV the Access Portal needs the Total Security Suite.
Size and subscription are combined into one licence per instance, for example a Medium FireboxV with the Total Security Suite.
How FireboxV is licensed
Each FireboxV instance needs its own licence, activated in your WatchGuard account and applied to the virtual machine as a feature key. Subscriptions run for a fixed term and are renewed at the end. You can move to a larger size or a higher suite as your needs grow; we arrange the new licence and apply it to the existing instance.
The licence covers the WatchGuard software and services only. The hypervisor, host hardware and any operating system licences for the host are separate. Ask us for a quote for the size and subscription you need.
Requirements and deployment
FireboxV runs on VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V and KVM. WatchGuard lists the supported hypervisor versions in its Fireware documentation, and not every feature is available on every platform: FireCluster high availability, for example, is not supported on Hyper-V, whose virtual switches do not support promiscuous mode.
Once deployed, a FireboxV can be managed from WatchGuard Cloud or locally with Fireware Web UI and Policy Manager, alongside any hardware Fireboxes you run, so branch and data centre firewalls follow one policy approach.
Who it suits and how we help
FireboxV suits organisations that run their own virtualised servers and want a full next-generation firewall in front of or between them, and IT teams who already use Fireboxes at their offices. We size the instance, deploy it on your hypervisor, migrate rules from your current firewall where practical and renew the licence for you. Compare other options in firewalls and network security.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Which hypervisors does FireboxV support?
FireboxV runs on VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V and KVM. WatchGuard lists the supported versions in its Fireware documentation, and some features, such as FireCluster, are not available on every hypervisor.
How do I choose a FireboxV size?
There are five sizes, from Micro to Extra Large. Each caps the virtual CPUs the firewall uses and sets capacity limits, so choose from your expected throughput with security services switched on, not just your internet bandwidth. We help you size it before you buy.
Is FireboxV the same as Firebox Cloud?
They run the same Fireware software, but FireboxV is for hypervisors you run yourself, while Firebox Cloud is deployed from the AWS or Azure marketplace and can be licensed either by bringing your own licence or pay as you go.
Can I change the size of a FireboxV later?
Yes. You can move to a larger size or a higher security suite by applying a new licence to the instance. We quote the change and apply it for you.