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How essential is your home network security? Well, your home network is never perfectly guarded. Despite proper settings and prudence, even the most tech-savvy people are exposed to dangers such as malware, and the need to secure systems against those threats becomes more crucial.

According to the FBI’S 2021 Internet Crime Report, cybercrime cost people in the United States nearly $7 billion. And while scams and frauds triggered the number, personal data breaches also played a critical role. In most events, those data breaches could have been avoided by a reliable firewall for home router.

In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about firewall for home router, to make sure you secure your devices and prevent hackers from breaching your home network. So, let’s get started!

Firewall for Home Router

A firewall is a security guard between your home network and the Internet. Most home routers come with a built-in firewall to prevent outside hacking, and it is usually active by default, but you should check to make sure the function is enabled.

The firewall device that is plugged into your router protects everything connected to your home network. It blocks malicious traffic and even sends warning signs if any connected devices are outdated.

Types of Firewalls

Firewalls are basically of two types—hardware and software. Your router acts as a hardware firewall and Windows includes a software firewall. Plus, you almost always have the freedom to install third-party firewalls for extra security, depending on your needs.

Hardware Firewall

Your home router uses network address translation (NAT) as firewall for home network. It works by sharing a single IP address from your ISP and distributing it among all connected devices in your home. No matter whether you have fixed wireless or fiber-optic internet, your router distributes all incoming traffic from the internet. And this is where the NAT plays the role of a firewall—preventing malicious incoming requests from reaching your computer or devices.

Software Firewall

A software firewall is installed on your devices. As this type of firewall runs on your computer, it can identify which applications want to use the internet. So, it functions as a barrier, keeping specific traffic in and out.

Home Network Security Firewall

Since this article focuses on home router firewalls, this article covers a few essentials you must know about hardware firewalls for home networks. So, read on if you want to take your home security to the next level!

Firewall for Home Router: Basics

The firewall prevents malicious traffic from getting into your systems and is critical for IoT, enterprise servers, and other systems where you cannot observe internet traffic or its consequences right away.

Let’s begin with some interesting details about hardware firewalls!

What Does Firewall Filter?

It filters incoming traffic from your internet provider’s network before reaching your home system i.e. server, cellphone, desktop, etc.

What are Firewall’s Essential Computing Resources?

Your home router firewall comes with onboard storage and memory to save usage trends and run configurations.

Is Firewall Difficult to Integrate?

Not at all. You can integrate it easily with other infrastructure components like security information and event management or your security operations center.

How Extensive is Firewall’s Coverage?

Well, this depends on your specific equipment. Typically, you can secure any networked system from your desktop to smart home devices.

Enable Your Wireless Router's Built-In Firewall

Most users have a powerfully built-in firewall available, but they don’t know about it. So, the first thing you need to do is learn how to activate your home router firewall. Follow these steps to enable and configure your built-in firewall.

  1. Access your home router's configuration page.
  2. Check if you can find a firewall
  3. Select Enable.
  4. Save your settings
  5. Select Apply.
  6. After this, your router will go through a reboot process to apply your new settings.
  7. Add firewall rules and access control lists that suit your security and connectivity needs.

Advantages of a Home Firewall Device

A hardware firewall is not a part of your computer, which makes it quite reliable. In case your computer gets infected with a worm, that malware could damage your software firewall. However, it couldn’t affect your hardware firewall.

Moreover, hardware firewalls manage a network built around a single server. If you run a giant network, you can conveniently configure your firewall’s settings from a single device.

Best Firewall for Home Network

Here are some of the best firewalls to protect your home network:

Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway

Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway is one of a kind and supports gig speeds. Get a wide variety of features to protect your data at a price that comes as a pleasant surprise. The solid and powerful design guarantees to withstand years of use. Manage it remotely or via an app—whatever suits your needs.

The only downside, if any, is the abundance of features that you would not probably need for standard home usage.

Mikrotik hEX RB750Gr3

This compact and robust router comes packed with incredible features—reserved for high-end devices only. Simple to set up and easy to use, Mikrotik hEX RB750Gr3 works great. Customize it according to your needs to get the best possible experience.

The bad news is that new users may find it difficult to access some of the advanced settings. Thankfully, there is a range of tutorials available online to make things easier for you.

Protectli Vault

If affordability isn’t your prime concern, the Protectli Vault is a great option to consider. Enjoy an Intel Quad-Core processor with 32GB of SSD storage. Say hello to a customizable and reliable home-security partner—ideal for all your needs. Get an impressive variety of features that make it all the more worthwhile. The fan-less construction feature makes it run virtually silent—perfect for a quiet and cozy workplace.

Of course, all this comes with an expensive price tag. But definitely not a choice you would regret.

There You Are!

Since home network security and high-speed internet have become such a major part of our lives, malicious or unnecessary network traffic can be very annoying. Once you have established that the problem can be solved to some extent with a firewall, you can remedy it by investing in a good hardware firewall.

As established before, a firewall for home router helps shield your computer or network against online threats, securing your home network. Picking the right home router firewall can sometimes be tricky but going with one of the abovementioned routers is the safest way through. If nothing else works, and your home network security continues to suffer, it may be time to upgrade your internet plan or change your router. Call at 1-855-349-9328 for professional assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the firewall in my router good enough?

The firewall in your router acts as a basic hardware firewall, but it may not provide enough network security to protect your home network from online threats

Which firewall is best for home use?

Our top 3 picks are Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway, Mikrotik hEX RB750Gr3, and Protectli Vault.

What are the 3 types of firewalls?

These are hardware firewalls, software firewalls, and cloud-based firewalls.

What are the five steps to configuring a firewall?

Follow these steps to enable and configure your built-in firewall:

  1. Access your home router's configuration page.
  2. Check if you can find a firewall.
  3. Select Enable and save your settings
  4. Select Apply.
  5. Add firewall rules and access control lists that suit your security and connectivity needs.

Which type of firewall is the most secure?

Hardware firewall is not a part of your computer, which makes it more secure. If your computer gets infected with a worm, that malware could damage your software firewall. However, it couldn’t affect your hardware firewall.

Should the firewall be on or off in the Wi-Fi router?

You should always keep the firewall feature enabled on your Wi-Fi router.