With so much business occurring on the internet, it is vital to have as much protection from attacks as possible. Several firewall options are available. pfSense is an open source solution, which has been gathering a reputation for world-class service and reliability. Here are three strong reasons to use their firewall products.
More Than a Firewall
pfSense software is more than a simple firewall. It incorporates routing aspects as well. The base install includes access to many options including NAT, DNS and DHCP. Add-on packages expand the available functionality to include Snort, Squid, and FreeSWITCH with a single click. This gives pfSense-based solutions a versatility that is unmatched by many conventional firewall packages.
Replaces Your Existing Router
The firewall and routing solution is most effective when incorporated into a pfSense hardware appliance, such as the FW3120 ultra compact x64 networking system. A unit such as this highlights the qualities this software solution does best. It replaces your present router altogether, using the code in the unit itself. That gives the pfSense hardware appliance the ability to be both a router and a firewall at the same time.
Open Source Origins Means Low Costs and Maximized Options
Many companies prefer to use close sourced options such as Windows or Mac, instead of an open source solution like Linux. This comes from a belief that open source requires a large learning curve and lots of head scratching time to configure. This is not the case. In fact, pfSense is a quality, robust firewall that uses a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to ease its configuration. As well, open source solutions have the side benefit of low entry costs. Likewise, a plethora of options exists for boosting the security and features it provides.
When you are considering firewall solutions for your organization, be sure to choose the best option for your needs. While there are expensive close source solutions available, a versatile, robust and powerful open source option such as a pfSense hardware appliance might best satisfy your requirements.
