Best Easy To Use Linux Firewalls
Have you ever wondered whether Linux is strong enough to secure your system? This is a frequently asked question especially for those starting out with Linux. The answer is yes. But the second consideration here narrows down to, what is your experience level with Linux if you can configure some of its firewalls or just the capability to use these firewalls which sometimes can be a nut to crack.
Linux firewalls mostly require a level of expertise with the terminal and certain commands. Today in this article I will rate a list of the best easy to use Linux firewall.
IPTABLES
This is the most popular Linux firewall out there. You are likely to find It installed in 3 out of 4 Linux systems.
Iptables is at the top because of its simplicity. It runs on a command line. This freaks you I know. It freaked me a lot the first time I heard of a terminal. Iptables becomes part of your simplicity once you master a few commands. The firewall makes use of policy chains to allow or block traffic into your system. Policy chains are a set of controllers that guide the behavior traffic under a given rule. It works by comparing a systems’ authenticity with a set of protocols so as to determine whether to grant access or not. To update or install iptables, type the following command on your terminal – $ sudo apt-get install iptables
IPCOP FIREWALL
The special thing about this firewall apart from being easy to use is its beautiful web-based interface. This interface is color-coded and provides good backing for monitoring system performance. This firewall was specifically designed to suit home-based and small office Linux systems. The ipcop documentation states that it has the sole purpose of creating a user-friendly system, that is configurable and secure. The firewall also supports multiple language abilities.
IPFIRE
This is another open-source firewall for Linux targeting small businesses and homes. It provides a stable security environment through the firewall packet inspection method. This is where a system will store information about each and every connection and in turn, provides a path for automatic response. This enables it to associate every packet transit to its connection. It is easy to use system with high flexibility.
SHOREWALL
This firewall is made upon the iptables netfilter system. The trick is to modify or configure netfilters. This is done by specifying your own firewall gateway requirements in a text file. Shorewall reads through the specifications and with the help of iptables establishes matching authenticity with your system. Shorewall is a simple to use Iptables like which gets you around the hard iptables rules. Although we can never rate Shorewall as an easy to use firewall because it requires intermediate expertise. The firewall is powerful and flexible to support fast-changing networks.
UNCOMPLICATED FIREWALL (UFW)
Uncomplicated firewall or UFW is an Ubuntu-based firewall. Just from its name, you can see that it is not a complicated utility to use. This firewall was developed to ease the configuration of iptables and to be user-friendly. It is built mainly for ipV6 networks. UFW support is provided by the Ubuntu community on its official website. The firewall also has a front-end GUI, the gUFW.
MONOWALL
Monowall provides a very fast secure environment for your Linux system. It is faster than almost all of the rest because of how it implements its connections. Monowall uses a QoS routing system which prioritizes certain connections over others. This method accounts for its speed. It is a special firewall because it is designed to run on low computer memory – as low as 16 MB. Although its downside comes in the form of its lack of a lot of features I would still recommend it. This is because it also designed to be user-friendly and easy to configure.
ZENTYALL SERVER
Initially, this Linux firewall was a server. With time it ended being an Ubuntu distro. The fact that it is a server means that it comes with a powerful firewall. The zentyall model is based on delivering maximum security even while in its default state. To configure zentyall as a firewall you have to install it between your internal network and the internet connection router. This enables it to establish strict policies that control the connection gateway.
Zentyall also comes with a default DNS server, an email server, a DHCP server, and a domain controller. It can do much outside the scope you buy it for.
Conclusion
This post is meant to guide you in making an informed decision on the type of Linux firewalls you want to install on your system. The choice from their henceforth lies in your hands’ friend. Although the list is endless the above list is based on my experience with them, and from my experience, I can judge them as great if not best. Rating a firewall as the best comes from a wide array of essentials like usability, interface, flexibility, and speed. Although this might also be influenced by system portability and the state of community support. This list would go a long way considering many of these factors.