Antivirus, Firewall and Spyware Resources
Computer Security Essentials for Everyone

Hardware Firewall

Also known as Firewall Appliances or Internet Security Appliances, hardware firewalls are external devices that act as a guard post between your network (your home or office) and external networks (the internet).  A hardware firewall provides a strong protective barrier between the outside world and your home or office network. Hardware firewalls are very effective at protecting against most forms of attack from the internet.  In most cases, a hardware firewall requires very little configuration and once set up, requires very little maintenance except for updating it's firmware periodically.

Hardware Firewall vs. Software Firewalls

As opposed to a software firewall (also known as a personal firewall), a hardware firewall will protect every computer on your network.  Software firewalls are firewall applications (programs) that must be installed on every computer in order to protect everyone in the home or office. 

How does a hardware firewall work?

Hardware firewalls use various techniques to protect against internet threats.  Most use some form of packet filtering, which is somewhat like a "checklist".  Certain types of data packets are allowed through (like http), and others may be blocked (like telnet).  If a packet attempting to travel in or out of a network meets the "blocked" criteria, it is not allowed to pass (and vice versa).  Another technique that is often used with hardware firewalls is Stateful Packet Inspection, also known as SPI.  With SPI, a hardware firewall looks at additional characteristics of the data packet to analyze what to do with it.  It checks to see where the packet came from, if it was sent as a response to a user request for information, if it just "appeared" out of nowhere, etc...  Combined with packet filtering, SPI really makes a firewall appliance "smart", as it makes decisions whether to block or allow data based on a logical analysis. 

Benefits of a hardware firewall appliance

Hardware firewalls are more expensive than personal firewalls, but considering you only need one to protect an entire network, hardware firewalls are the most cost effective method if internet security protection if you have more than one computer to protect.  Unlike software firewalls, which have to be reinstalled and reconfigured after a computer crash or upgrade to a newer computer, a hardware firewall continues protecting without any computer configuration necessary - no matter what computers are on the network.

Recommended Hardware Firewalls

For the purposes of this website, the following recommended firewalls are those designed for home and small business use only.  Larger networks with more than 10-15 computers will most likely need a more robust "business-class" firewall that can handle a lot more network traffic.  Because computer security is so important, we recommend only firewalls from experienced, reputable manufactures with a strong track record of reliability and technical support service.  As with anything else in this world, "you get what you pay for".  You want to be sure you are protected, and protected well.  Internet security is not something most people want to cut corners on.

SonicWall Firewall - Perhaps the best internet security appliance you can buy for a small business, Sonicwall delivers top notch protection.  The firewalls are easy to configure, very reliable, and Sonicwall tech support is outstanding.  Many different models are available depending on specific needs.  Sonicwall's internet security appliances are very scaleable, allowing you to add additional layers of protection as your business needs change.

Checkpoint Firewall - An industry leader in network security for small to large businesses, Checkpoint offers a full range of firewall and internet security appliances.  The products are scaleable, allowing for the addition of more security features as the need for protection increases.

Alphashield - The Alphashield Home Edition is an inexpensive firewall appliance for home use.  It is designed for easy setup by casual home users, and requires little to no configuration.  It installs in Stealth mode, making your computers invisible to hackers.  It's popup blocking capabilities and real time autoconfiguration make it an ideal choice for home or home office use.

D-Link - D-Link firewalls are economically priced internet security devices designed for home or small business use. Easy to install and use, they provide great internet security protection for a small network.

Linksys Hardware Firewalls - Linksys offers a wide range of excellent hardware firewalls that are suitable for home use, SOHO's, and small businesses.

Netgear Hardware Firewalls - The firewalls offered by Netgear offer a high degree of internet security protection at a reasonable price.  Designed for small to medium business use, they are also ideal for home use.  Netgear makes several wireless models also, and even has a hardware firewall with built in print server.

Astaro - Astaro internet security - firewall appliances.  Astaro makes several hardware firewalls and also a software firewall.

HotBrick Firewalls - Easily recognizable by it's unique color, the red and black Hot Brick hardware firewall appliance comes in a variety of models based on the end use.  They offer hardware firewalls for home users, small business as well as enterprise.  With the VPN option and addition of VPN client software, you can easily build a secure tunnel between your home and work computer.  Wireless model available.

WatchGuard Firebox Hardware Firewalls - Also easily distinguished by it's cool red color, Watchguard Firebox firewalls are ideal for small offices or home office (or home use).  Watchguard hardware firewalls have won several awards recently.  Reasonably priced.

3Com Firewalls - 3Com's Officeconnect internet security firewall product line is reasonably priced and offers a great deal of protection.  Available in several models depending on the size of your network and features desired.  3Com also makes internal hardware firewalls and a PC Card firewall, which are excellent products for providing a high degree of protection for your computer or laptop, without the mess of additional wires and devices.

How to choose a hardware firewall

If you stick with one of the manufacturers above when narrowing down your choice of hardware firewall, you can be assured that you are considering a high quality product.  This out of the way, the next thing to consider is "how much firewall do I need"? 

If you want to protect your home computers from internet threats such as intrusion and hackers and have only one to five computers on your network, choose a firewall that is designed for home use.  Especially if you are not highly technical and want firewall protection that is easy to set up.

If you are looking for a firewall to protect your home network and also operate a business out of your home, look for a firewall that also offers the capability of virus protection and spyware protection.  Even if the base firewall you choose doesn't have these features now, you may eventually find you need this extra layer of protection.  As long as your firewall is upgradeable, you should be ok.

If you want a firewall for a small business, please get one that is designed for this.  It may cost a little more up front, but the additional features and ports may come in handy when your business grows.  Don't skimp on features when you are protecting a small business - it's not worth it.

For medium sized businesses to enterprise sized, you need a full featured firewall that will support a lot of users easily, and is rich with expansion capabilities.  Although many of the manufacturers listed above carry products that will fully meet your needs, this page doesn't really focus on the firewall needs of an enterprise.  Use the recommended hardware firewall links above to start your research, but consult an enterprise-level network engineer to help you choose.

 

anti virus
anti virus software
free anti virus
free anti virus scan
computer virus resources

firewalls
hardware firewall
software firewalls
spam firewall
free firewall
firewall resources

computer security check
port scan
firewall scan

spyware
detecting spyware
spyware removers
free spyware remover
spyware scan
spyware resources

adware
adware removers
adware scan
adware resources

computer security suites
computer security resources
computer security checklist
computer security threats
Email security

Computer Security Deals

site map

-----------------
shopping guide
computer related links
other useful links

SECURITY Articles

home