What is the Best Firewall for Home? When it comes to our data, don’t we all want to be safe? The last thing we want is for our passwords to be compromised, or for viruses to infiltrate our computers and steal our data!
Hacks and viruses can happen to even the most technically savvy people, despite taking all precautions, such as never opening unfamiliar emails and creating complex passwords.
So, what are our options? It can be frightening to consider potential data breaches and how they might affect you and your livelihood. But, thankfully, there is a solution: home firewalls. Hardwire firewalls, which protect your home and small businesses, are no longer a virtual thing!
However, selecting the best one can be difficult. We know how difficult it can be, having recently installed new firewalls. That is why we have come to share our knowledge with you today! We scoured the internet for the best home firewall, put them to the test, and now have five fantastic home firewalls to share with you today!
Firewalls are important to us at PC Guide. After all, we’ve all seen how damaging hacks and viruses can be. That’s why we made certain that the products we’re recommending today meet or exceed our ridiculously high standards; otherwise, how can you trust us if we recommend low-performing firewalls?
To ensure that you were using the internet safely, we looked at their protection levels, remote coverage, security infrastructure, control, and device monitoring when selecting our firewalls today. We also took into account the price, the amount of control you had, and customer reviews to ensure that the firewalls were well-liked and the best on the market.
You can relax knowing that you are in good hands today and that you can easily purchase any of these firewalls. After all, it’s not just burglar alarms that keep your home safe these days; it’s also firewalls!
See also: What Is A Firewall? (Important Things You Should Know)
TOP 5 BEST FIREWALL FOR HOME
1. Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway (USG)
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The Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway firewall is the first on our list today. The low-cost hardware firewall and router support Gigabit Ethernet speeds and are ideal for home or office use.
The gateway device sits between the internet and the local WiFi router and routes all traffic before it reaches the router. It can remove any prohibited or potentially dangerous users, sites, or viruses to keep you safe! Because of advanced management and security features, all devices connected to the device are protected and monitored.
Remote management and monitoring features, like those found in all firewalls, are accessible via the Unifi Controller, also known as the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Along with this, there are a slew of other features that enable you to create a secure environment for your computer at home!
You can configure the firewall, enable deep packet inspection, enable QoS features, Intrusion Detection, and much more! There are even features that let you manage other Unifi products at home, such as WiFi access points and switches.
If you already have UniFi devices or plan to add to your collection, this USG firewall is an excellent choice! It won’t break the bank, customers adore it, and the variety of features will keep you busy for days!
We’d say there are probably a few too many features that a typical home user wouldn’t necessarily use, but for the low price, it can’t hurt to have them, can it?
2. Mikrotik hEX RB750Gr3 – Home Firewall
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The Mikrotik hEX RB750Gr3 is packed with powerful features normally reserved for high-end devices at an affordable price. It’s ideal for use in business settings as well as your home network. If you run a small business from home, you will undoubtedly find many applications for it!
RouterOS is used on the router, which allows for advanced routing configurations such as NAT, VPN, bridging, and port forwarding. It also supports Layer-7 application detection and protection, firewall filtering rules, and a variety of other useful configurations, making it a versatile addition to any home. These powerful firewall systems will keep you and other network devices safe and secure at all times.
Its compact design makes it ideal for homes of any size and allows it to be easily tucked away, which is exactly what you need if you dislike clutter. Despite its small size, it is a very effective firewall. The firewall has four Gigabit LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port, making it an excellent choice for home or business use.
While the ports support Gigabit speeds, the device itself can reach 470Mbps, making it ideal for those with internet speeds of up to 500 Mbps! Customers liked the router because it allowed them to achieve their desired speeds without buffering or slow loading times. They also liked how this provided great visibility and customization, allowing you to tailor the system to your specific needs.
While the variety of features and customization is fantastic, first-time users may struggle and find that it takes a long time to set up. Fortunately, there is a wealth of tutorials available online that you can follow; just keep in mind that these can take some time.
If you’re looking for an affordable router with an insane level of customization, look no further than the Mikrotik hEX RB750Gr3 router today!
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3. Protectli Vault Best Home Firewall
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The Protectli Vault is an excellent option to consider for those with more money to spend! The appliance has an Intel Quad-Core processor, 4GB of RAM, and an impressive 32GB of SSD storage, ensuring that open-source firewall software runs smoothly!
You get four gigabit Ethernet ports, a LAN port, and a WAN port to connect the device to a network, which is ideal for all of your needs. This device has a variety of features that make it ideal for both experienced users and hobbyists! Installing open-source software firewall distributions may necessitate some technical knowledge. It can be difficult for beginners, so we recommend avoiding it unless you are a seasoned user.
You can install a variety of open-source software on this device, including dd-wrt, FreeBSD, ClearOS, CentOS, OpenVPN, pfsense, and others, giving you a wide range of customization options. You can customize the device to your specifications and create a security system that meets your requirements.
The device is also extremely dependable; the slow performance will never let you down. The company refers to it as The Vault because it is a small form factor PC designed for hardware firewall and router use. You get 32GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, but most customers upgrade to 8GB of RAM for faster speeds. However, you are not required to do so; you will still receive a fast and reliable firewall.
Customers praised this device for its quiet operation. A fan-less design has no moving or mechanical parts, allowing it to operate virtually silently, even under pressure! It’s ideal for those who prefer a quiet work environment.
While the Protectli is an expensive option for experienced users looking for a customizable and reliable router, it is the one for you!
4. TP-Link Multi-WAN Wired VPN Router and Firewall
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Another low-cost option that we think you’ll like is the TP-Link Multi-WAN Wired VPN Router. The router has 4 gigabit WAN ports and will protect you and your network at all times. The router includes Omada SDN software, which allows you to integrate network devices such as gateways, access points, and switches.
You can even select your preferred method and tailor it to your specific requirements. After all, who wants a firewall that doesn’t work in their favor? There are a variety of modes to choose from, giving you complete control.
As with other firewalls, there is also remote cloud access and management, which allows you to control and manage who is using your network and, if necessary, limit their access to specific applications. All of this can be controlled via an app on your phone or a single interface, providing a streamlined and centralized approach.
When it comes to safety features, you will be spoiled for choice! Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed tests, and security functions can all be added to protect your network! There is also a highly secure VPN that will keep you safe while you browse the internet! There are so many features that you can perfectly tailor the router to your needs.
For added peace of mind, TP-router Link’s is backed by a lifetime warranty! You never have to be concerned when using it because you are protected if anything goes wrong. There is also free technical support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you are never left in the dark or struggling!
While customers praised the router, some complained that it was difficult to set up, particularly for first-time users. There are plenty of tutorials available online, but we recommend giving yourself plenty of time to set up your new router. Looking for a low-cost router with plenty of security and customization options? Then take a look at TP-router! Link’s
5. Bitdefender BOX 2 Firewall
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The Bitdefender BOX 2 rounds out our list today, providing a simple way to protect your home network and internet devices. Once connected, the device begins monitoring and optimizing your network for maximum security; you can simply sit back and relax while it works!
The device has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and supports speeds of up to one gigabit per second, making it ideal for home use or small businesses. This device is great because it works with home controllers like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Whether your devices are wired or wireless, your entire home is now covered and protected!
The firewall provides the standard monitoring and security features, but it also provides cloud-based protection for all of your files! The Bitdefender Total Security antivirus service also includes a number of additional features. When you buy the device, you’ll get a year of free membership, but after that, you’ll have to pay.
Some customers may be put off by the paid subscription, so make sure to factor the additional cost into your budget before making the purchase. The last thing you want is to be charged with something you didn’t expect!
What’s great about this router is its dependability! Bitdefender has a history of providing effective Antivirus and Antimalware software that customers have praised in the past. You can relax knowing that this software is doing the hard work for you!
Although the additional subscription fee may be an issue, why not invest in a powerful and versatile router that includes a great firewall to protect all of your devices?
Alternative Video: Best Home Firewall
THINGS TO CONSIDER ON BUYING BEST FIREWALL FOR HOME
Not too sure what you need from your firewall? Let us show you some essential factors to consider when making your purchase!
1. Protection and Prevention
One of the most important aspects of your firewall is its ability to protect you and disable any potential threats to your computer or devices. You want a firewall that can monitor and control all applications and data entering and exiting your network.
These can then limit traffic entering your computer and network risks by only allowing approved applications to be used, similar to an ad blocker on your internet browser! Look for a firewall that will allow you to scan these applications for potential threats. It’s worth looking into firewalls that run background scans on a regular basis.
2. Device Monitoring
Device monitoring is a useful feature that you will not want to be without! It enables you to locate a device based on its username rather than its IP address! Device monitoring will allow you to identify and monitor how many devices each network user accesses via the infrastructure.
It’s a fantastic feature for those who have multiple devices in their home or who run a small business from home; you’re now in control and can see everything.
3. Throughput
A firewall throughput is a term that refers to hardware firewalls and usually refers to a range of firewall throughputs from which to choose. The throughput of entry-level to midrange hardware firewalls will be around 500Mbps.
As the number of network users grows, you’ll need a firewall to keep up. You should look for models with up to 1Gbps throughput to support multiple users and keep you all safe without sacrificing speed.
To avoid disappointment later on, it’s best to think about how many network users there will be before purchasing your hardware.
4. Remote Coverage
Another feature to consider when shopping for a new firewall is remote coverage. To maintain the highest level of security at all times, you must monitor and control all incoming and outgoing traffic.
You’ll also want to see remote users connected to infrastructure with some control over their activity and access. Remote coverage can also protect your devices when you are not at home and is something to consider before purchasing a firewall.
5. Streamlined Infrastructure?
Ideally, you want all of your security to be contained within a single device: your firewall. It’s pointless to run multiple applications to keep your home secure when there’s a single function that can do it all!
To avoid missing out on protection or having to spend more money on extra security, look for firewalls that include antivirus protection, spam filtering, application filtering, and deep packet inspection. Find the one who can do it all!
6. Where is the command?
Some firewalls provide you with some level of control over network users. You will be able to grant and deny access to specific applications, as well as limit their use to specific application functions!
These give you much better control and visibility over your entire network and can be useful for those who have children or others at home who need to access the network and internet.
They can also be useful for those who run small businesses from home and need to keep applications private for data security reasons. When purchasing a home firewall, it’s important to consider these factors and whether you’ll need them.
7. How Much?
The price, as with anything, is always a factor to consider. Firewalls vary in price depending on their size and level of protection; after all, some of the ones included today are suitable for businesses!
While searching, it’s important to set a budget and stick to it as much as possible. To help you set your budget, consider how frequently you will use your firewall and how much you are willing to pay for it. Remember, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have an excellent home firewall; there is one for every budget!
Final Verdict On The Best Home Firewall
And just like that, we’ve arrived at the end of our journey. As you can see, there are some fantastic options on the market for your new home firewall! Whether you want to improve your security or monitor the number of devices on your network, there is bound to be a firewall that will meet your requirements.
All of the firewalls included today would make excellent additions to your home and are certain to keep you safe and virus-free. Pay attention to the areas we mentioned earlier to find the best firewall for you and your needs.
FAQs About Firewalls For Home
Is it worth having a firewall at home?
Yes. You require a firewall. It’s simply too dangerous to leave your computer “naked” on the internet unless you know exactly what you’re doing. The good news is that you almost certainly already have one and don’t need to do anything.
What are the three kinds of firewalls?
There are three types of firewalls based on their structure: software firewalls, hardware firewalls, or both. The remaining types of firewalls on this list are firewall techniques that can be implemented as software or hardware.
Which is the most secure firewall?
Proxy Server Firewalls, also known as application level gateways, are the most secure type of firewalls that effectively protect network resources by filtering messages at the application layer. Proxy firewalls hide your IP address and restrict the types of traffic you can send and receive.
Is a firewall required for my WiFi?
Yes, Wi-Fi routers function as basic hardware firewalls, and Windows and iOS devices come preinstalled with basic firewall software. However, a basic router and your computer’s firewall software may not be sufficient to protect your company from online threats.