3rd Party firewall

[darkelixa]

Is a 3rd party firewall really needed if you have a hardware firewall turned on?

 

[Deleted member 178]

hardware firewalls block inbound connections, software firewalls block either inbound and outbound. now it depend on you. personally i will say yes.

debate on wilders about it : http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=228607

 

[Jack]

Is a 3rd party firewall really needed if you have a hardware firewall turned on?

Yes you do, because router-based firewalls only provide protection from computers on the Internet, not from computers on your home network. For example, if a mobile computer or guest computer connects to some other network, becomes infected with a computer worm, and then connects to your home network, your router-based firewall won't be able to prevent the spread of the worm. However, a firewall running on each computer on your network can help control the spread of worms.
Hardware and software firewalls each have their own advantages. The best preparation is to have a combination of both hardware and software firewalls to have a well protected system.

 

[win7holic]

IF you have own connection. i mean is; your connection JUST for you use on your PC or laptop, NOT with other laptop or PC (like a split connection, 1 connection for 2 or more PC or laptop). it no problem if you NOT use 3rd party firewall, just use windows firewall no problem at all.

 

[HeffeD]

The best preparation is to have a combination of both hardware and software firewalls to have a well protected system.

Exactly!

Aside from what has already been mentioned, a software firewall adds another layer of defense to your system. If someone is able to get passed your hardware firewall, now they need to deal with your software firewall.

 

[LochNess]

You might want to have a look at you 'router settings' .... especially, the 'firewall' setup... in some cases, it might be disabled by default... you generally have a number of options for firewall (i.e., Off > High)...

 

[Littlebits]

Is a 3rd party firewall really needed if you have a hardware firewall turned on?

It depends on several factors:

Some router based firewalls have both inbound and outbound connection blocking like mine, therefore it is most likely Windows Firewall is all you would need.

However for extra security, you may want to add a software based firewall also.

Some router based firewalls are complicated to setup, therefore many users will just disable them and use a software based firewall which is sometimes much easier to configure. Sometimes depending on your router's brand, the firewall might be more easier to configure than a software based firewall.

Also depends on the user's needs. If a user hasn't had any kind of security threats in the past with their firewall setup, then it is most likely they won't in the future and really wouldn't benefit from changing their firewall setup. Of coarse it is still possible but unlikely that they could encounter a threat. If a user has had security threats in the past with their firewall setup, then it is most likely they will continue to have more threats in this case the user should consider changing their firewall setup.

Also depends on the user's experience level, if a user doesn't understand how to configure a firewall setup, then the firewalls will be useless to them.

Most of my customers just use Windows default firewall because that is all they can understand how to use. Most of my customers if they have a router based firewall, have it disabled because they block connections to things that they need.

It is sad that most firewalls are too complicated for basic users, so they just won't get the same security as advanced users do. When they are the one who need the extra security the most.

I believe it is best to use both a router firewall and a software based firewall if you know how to configure them and use them properly. The best firewall for a user is one that the user completely understands all of the features and how to use them correctly.

Thanks.