Hardware protection or software?

Question

firewall

All health!
We plan to launch several servers to work as web servers, virtualization, virtual machines ...
There are a couple of 3Com 2952-SFP Plus switches, as well as D-LINK DGS-1224T
But as my younger brother told me, I need a firewall to protect from the outside, he advised look at Check Point. While I smoke manuals, but I'm completely zero in these matters. I realized that there are software options, for example, use one of the server virtual machines under clearos or pfsense (I haven’t figured out which one is better yet, someone even Zentyal, Vyatta advise, so far these are new words for me).
I still tend to buy used. hardware firewall option. So set it up and forget it (if that's possible, of course). Please advise what to do and what to buy. I plan to entrust the setup to one of the freelancers for system settings and networks.

Answer 1

But as my younger brother told me

You ask him what else we will defend against.
Maybe a virtual machine with Linux is enough for you, which looks at the world with one interface, the second into your network and lets in only 80 / tcp and 443 / tcp.