The firewall is the main protective shield of a network to check and allow / deny both incoming and outgoing traffic. Properly configured, our network will be able to operate with better security due to the control that is carried out, and, of course, it will be safe against suspicious traffic. From this article, we will recommend some open-source firewall solutions. The fact that you can have more control than the tool can do due to its open source feature, is already a great advantage.
It is good to remember that the term open-source does not mean that the software is free. Rather, it refers to the fact that the user has access to the source code. One of the advantages of this is that it is possible to promote collaboration among multiple users of an open-source program. They can audit and / or modify the source code with complete independence and according to their needs.
On the other hand, there are more possibilities for the programs to be updated. Not only in relation to usability but also in terms of security . Now, only if I have a large network infrastructure can I implement components such as firewalls? No.
Open-source programs provide both corporate and individual users the opportunity to configure all essential network functions for proper operation. In short, there are solutions that allow the configuration of routing functions and networks in general, such as DHCP and DNS. Back to the mention of security, these open-source programs have several features that allow adding a considerable protection shield: firewalls, antivirus, antispam services and web filters.
The best open-source firewalls
Pfsense
It is an open-source firewall solution based on FreeBSD, it has a custom kernel, which can be installed on the machine of your choice. However, you can opt for the alternative of mounting a virtual machine (VMWare, Virtual Box and others) and installing Pfsense using the ISO image . Also, through virtual machines it is also possible to install via a bootable USB device or the embedded image ( .img ).
Here are some of the features:
- Advanced routing and firewall functions
- NAT (Network Address Translation), better known as NATeo.
- Load balancer.
- It has a VPN client / server with IPsec and OpenVPN
- Advanced monitoring of network activity using logs and graphics.
- DNS server
- IDS / IPS systems with Snort or Suricata to further protect the network
- Dynamic DNS and captive portals.
- DHCP and DCHP Relay services.
- Possibility of installing additional software to have more services available.
We suggest accessing the official portal to download the latest version of the stable ISO ( Community Edition ). Also, you can access the source code in its entirety through its repository on Github.
This firewall is one of the best you can use today, although it has a tough competitor that has gained a lot of relevance in recent times: OPNSense.
OPNSense
It is an open-source firewall solution that is also based on FreeBSD, in fact, it is a fork of Pfsense in which the source code has been optimized a lot, with the aim of consuming very few resources. This firewall has a large number of services, the most notable are its weekly software updates, both to incorporate new features and to correct bugs that have been found. We can install OPNsense in any 64-bit system, in addition, we can also choose the alternative of mounting a virtual machine (VMWare, Virtual Box and others) and installing OPNsense using the ISO image . ( .img ).
OPNsense’s functionalities are, in essence, the same as Pfsense, as it is designed to compete with it, so the configuration and service options are similar. OPNsense allows you to use it as if it were a router with NAT, it allows you to create advanced firewall rules, it has a load balancer, VPN client / server with IPsec, OpenVPN, Tinc and also Wireguard, DNS server, DHCP, and it even has the IDS / IPS Meerkat. Other important features are that it has advanced monitoring of network activity using logs and graphics and allows additional software to be installed very easily.
We suggest accessing the official portal to download the latest version of the stable ISO and give the best PFsense alternative a try.
IPFire
It is considered one of the best open-source firewall solutions. It is characterized by its modularity and high flexibility from the moment its design has been started. It not only has firewall functions, but also as a proxy server and VPN gateway.
On the other hand, it has an IDS system that analyzes network traffic to find potential vulnerabilities and their exploits. This means that if an attack is detected, both the event and its author will be blocked.
If you need to receive support in case of any inconvenience, it has a large active community . It has thousands of developers. So you can feel calm since you will receive help from people with a lot of experience and knowledge. Other features that you can take advantage of are Dynamic DNS, DHCP services and wake-on-LAN among many other functionalities. IPfire is the FreeBSD alternative since it is based on Debian.
SmoothWall
It has a very simple web interface to understand and use. So it doesn’t take much Linux knowledge to get started with this firewall. It has support for LAN, DMZ and both internal and external network firewall functions. On the other hand, it has acceleration functions for web proxy and if you want to have an overview of web traffic, you can access complete statistics about it.
We suggest accessing the official portal to access all the instructions and find the appropriate installer for your need. Do you have hardware that is not entirely modern? No matter, SmoothWall is characterized by being a very efficient firewall, so it is not necessary to have too many resources on your machine.
Untangle Firewall
It is a Debian 8.4 based solution. It has some basic network functions that are available at no cost. In the event that you want to add additional functions, there are paid applications. Untangle administration is extremely practical thanks to its web-based graphical user interface.
- Blocking spam traffic
- Blocking of potential phishing and virus events
- Activating OpenVPN features
- IPS systems
- Adblocker type ad blocking
- Restricted Portal
- Complete web traffic monitor
Access the official portal link and follow the installation instructions. You can enjoy everything that this solution offers, including payment services, for 14 days through the free trial.
And you, do you use open source firewalls? Or do you prefer traditional solutions?