What are Hardware Firewalls?
Everyone who has ever used a computer can probably tell you a story about being blocked in a firewall somewhere. Their function is surprisingly modest. They inspect traffic as it enters and leaves the computer and, based on some simple rules, either allow or deny that traffic. WindowsFirewall, UFW, IPTables, FirewallD: these are all examples of some of the most common names in this realm. A Hardware Firewall is just the same except it lives outside of the server.
A Hardware Firewall is a device which is entirely separate from your server. It has the same fundamental principle in that it inspects traffic and, based on the rule set configured, allows or denies traffic appropriately.
How Do Hardware Firewalls Work?
The hardware firewall is setup differently depending on your current configuration. The Firewall is situated outside your server and is connected directly to your uplink. If this is a new setup, the Firewall is then connected to your server. If this will be a new setup to a production server, a maintenance window would be scheduled to handle the physical connection. Once the connection to the server is established, all traffic to and from the server goes through the firewall, forcing it to pass inspection. This allows you to have granular control over the type of traffic you’re receiving, which is incredibly important.
