Smart Home Security

Best Hardware Firewall for Your Home in 2021

Introduction

If you are in the market for a hardware firewall for home, chances are you are overwhelmed by all the techno-gibberish. Its easy to get lost into the number of choices and the incredible number of features they come with. If you are anything like me, all you want is to protect your smart home and security systems from unwanted digital intrusion.

Most people install high-end security cameras and elaborate security systems to protect their family from physical intrusion. What they forget is that these systems are connected to your home’s WiFi and are fairly easy to manipulate if left unprotected. That’s where firewall hardware devices come into play. These devices connect between the internet source and your local router. They can effectively block any attempt at hacking into your home WiFi to get access to all connected devices in your home.

How do hardware firewalls work?

Don’t worry, there is no techno-gibberish here. To put it simply, hardware firewalls work by first inspecting the data that comes through the internet, determining if it is safe or harmful, and then directing it accordingly. For instance, if it detects any unauthorized access to your WiFi, the device will block this intrusion before it reaches your local router.

Do you need a Hardware Firewall for Home Network?

For most applications I would tend to say you don’t need one. Your home router comes with a built-in firewall that protects your network from external attacks. Besides, most hardware firewalls are hard to set-up and require some technical expertise. If you think you need some extra protection, install and anti-virus software that comes with a firewall. This should be enough protection for everyday use.

Having said that, if you have a ton of security systems connected to your WiFi or if you use a lot of smart devices, you might want the added layer of protection that a hardware firewall provides. Another important reason to install one is, if you run your business from home and store customer details on your devices. Most western countries have excellent privacy protection laws and if you lose your customer data to a cyber-attack, you may be liable for loss of personal data.

Best Hardware Firewall for Home

Firewalla Red: Cyber Security Firewall for Home

This small device packs a large punch. Once plugged in, it will protect your wireless and smart home devices against viruses, malware, phishing attacks, or any unwanted data flow. Firewallas’ unique Intrusion Detection and Intrusion Prevention System makes it a multi-tasking powerhouse. Intrusion Detection, as the name suggests, detects any outside cyber-intrusion into your home. Intrusion Prevention helps filter out the bad stuff from entering into your home.

Active Parental Control:

You can control your kids’ internet usage from the Firewall app – disconnect it when their time is up, filter out malicious content, a ‘social hour’ to block social media for an hour. There is also a dashboard to display your kids’ internet usage – categorized into website, gaming, or social So you monitor their usage without invading their privacy.

There is no monthly fee and you still get regular updates from the company adding new features and keeping your system updated to new forms of cyber-attacks. One important feature that we love is IP detection. You can identify which IP addresses are uploading or downloading content on your network and how much bandwidth is being used. If an IP address is infecting your system, Firewalla will blacklist it and prevent future attempts.

The one major issue we faced is that this device is limited to 100Mbit. This is because it does a lot of complex data processing to detect and prevent intrusion. The speed is limited to allow time for the device to effectively perform its duties.

Pros:

  • Parental control and family protect.
  • Easy to install (easiest on this list)
  • No monthly fee.
  • Compact design.

Cons:

  • Limited to 100Mbit.

SonicWall SOHO 250 WirelessN Network Security Appliance 02-SSC-0940

This is one of the best solutions for home office and even small businesses. Its easy to install, has decent technical support (albeit paid), and includes 2 years of the most important security features after which you can purchase a renewable license. If you just need the firewall function, you do not need to purchase this license. If it’s just for your home network, we recommend using the hardware firewall itself without the added bells and whistles.

What we liked most is SonicWall’s Zero-Touch Deployment which is a cloud-based feature that simplifies and speeds up the deployment and set-up of SonicWall firewalls. This process requires minimal user intervention and is fully automated so you can complete the set-up in a few simple steps.

Pros:

  • Straightforward installation and plenty of online support available.
  • Includes 1 VPN license – Global VPN Client (IPsec)
  • Includes two years of Advanced Gateway Security Suite (renewable license) which includes:
    • Gateway Anti-malware, Intrusion Prevention Service, and Application Control bundled,
    • Premium Content Filter,
    • SonicWall’s Capture ATP (Sandbox feature), and
    • 24×7 Support (SonicWall phone support, firmware updates, and advanced hardware replacement).

Cons:

  • Paid technical support – no free support included in the price.

SonicWall TZ350 Network Security Appliance 02-SSC-0942

Another great product from SonicWall is part of its TZ range which combines cloud-based infrastructure with on-box technologies to provide a high level of security effectiveness. The inclusion of SonicWalls most advanced features in a small, reasonable priced device, make this product perfect for a home office or small business requirement. SonicWall’s UTM (Unified Threat Management) firewalls provide high-speed intrusion prevention, anti-malware support, category-based content filtering, and broad access support for phones, laptops, and tablets. This is a strong firewall that scans all incoming traffic using deep packet inspection technology and removes intrusions and threat even over encrypted connections.

SonicWall provides protection from advanced cyber-threats through automated, real-time threat detection and prevention. The best part is that the system is scalable as your business grows. There are a ton of advanced features like a built-in wireless controller to create a secure high-speed wireless network, centralized management and reporting, integrated security and power for all PoE enabled devices, Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection (RTDMI™), Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and a unified firewall management system.

Pros:

  • Easy installation and set-up.
  • 5G/4G/LTE support
  • Built-in and expandable storage
  • Tons of advanced features for real-time threat detection and prevention.

Cons:

  • Requires a paid license for many of the features.

Protectli Vault 4 Port, Firewall Micro Appliance/Mini PC – Intel Quad Core

The only one on this list that does not come with its own software but allows you to use any open source or paid software of your choice. It has been tested with the most popular options including pfSense, untangle, OPNsense, and many others. Contained in a compact, fanless, and silent device, this product packs a heavy punch. Its suitable for people with limited technical skills as it is super easy to set-up and supports a home or small office environment.

The entry-level price point is quite attractive considering the level of protection it provides. This could e mostly down to the fact the ProtectLi does not have an in-house software but relies on external software for its devices. This is not necessarily a bad thing as in-house software products tend to be buggy and have unreliable support.

Overall, this is an excellent firewall and VPN hardware that supports a wide variety of software. Our favorite choices are pfSense and untangle both of which have excellent feedback from customers using the Protectli device. Combine this device with the right software to make this an excellent choice as a hardware firewall for your home.

Pros:

  • Supports 1 Gbit wire speed throughput.
  • 32GB mSATA upgradable to 960GB
  • US based support team.
  • Uses OpenVPN – no additional licensing costs.

Cons:

  • Gets too hot. Tip: Consider placing a clip-on fan near the device.
  • Less reliable SSD.

Zyxel ZyWALL 400 Mbps UTM Firewall, Includes 1-Year UTM Services Bundle

When you build a great product, it is important to support it with the right software and excellent technical support. Looking at you ZyXel! While this is an excellent firewall device and has great features, there are some drawbacks that push it towards the bottom of our list. Let’s focus on the positives before we delve into the issues.

The device comes with a 13-month UTM (Unified Threat Management) bundle coverage which protects your network from ransomware, viruses, harmful websites, illegal downloads and more.   The fan-less design means your device is quieter than a dead bird and less moving parts means less chances of things breaking down. ZyXel believes in their Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) so much that it provides a lifetime warranty, free firmware upgrade support, and free technical support. TZyXel’s technical team is made up of network engineers who are qualified to guide you through setting up your device and installing firmware updates through their software. Another awesome feature is that ZyXel has tied up with the best in the industry for their specific protective features –

Buggy Software

It’s unfortunate that such a good product is accompanied with software that just doesn’t seem ready for the market. When you try to update the firmware during set-up it takes hours to get done and only after you have resolved the several error messages. You can call technical support and they are helpful. But you would expect a $500+ product to have an easier installation process. Also, if you have internet faster than 400Mbps, well tough luck, because ZyXel will cap it to 400Mbps, if that. Customers reported real world speeds of 200Mbps when using the firewall function only. The WiFi signal also gives away after about 20ft even thought the company advertises about 30ft.

Unless ZyXel fixes some of these issues, we highly recommend choosing from one of the above options.

Pros:

  • Well-designed product with minimal moving parts
  • Knowledgeable technical team
  • Includes anti-virus and anti-spam software

Cons:

  • Buggy Software
  • Does not support high-speed internet – capped at 400Mbps
  • WiFi signal carries only 30 feet
  • Need to pay extra for VPN access
  • System is vulnerable without firmware updates

Conclusion

Most cyber attacks these days are not incoming but outgoing. They do not enter your network through your WiFi but exploit human vulnerabilities instead. Maybe you get a suspicious link and click on it, or you install the latest TV show or software via a torrent website. These provide a vehicle for hackers to enter your system despite any firewall. A firewall or any other security system is only as good as the vigilance of the people who use it.

If you are concerned about your family being a victim of a cyber-attack, start by training them in the basics of internet security. A 2017 found that “phishing/social engineering were major contributing factors for malware and targeted attacks”. The same study also reported that human error or lack of knowledge were the “second most likely cause of a serious security breach, second only to malware”. Having done that, a hardware firewall for your home network is the ultimate line of defense. Cyber security, like charity, begins at home.

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