I'm not a psychic, but one thing I know about you is that you have a lock on your front door. Everybody does. You probably also have latches or locks on your windows. In fact, I wouldn't mind betting that your home has some security features, like a Ring doorbell or alarm system. Am I right?
Another thing I'm sure about is that your home has an internet connection. According to the Pew Research Center, 96% of adults in the U.S. can access the internet. However, I guess, like most homes, it won't have much in the way of security to protect your online life. Maybe you have some anti-virus software or a basic firewall built in your internet router, but an insecure internet connection is as foolish as leaving the front door wide open with a note saying, "Please help yourself."
These days, we conduct so much of our lives online. Our computers, phones and tablets contain a huge amount of sensitive and personal data, such as bank details, home addresses, dates of birth and even our calendars. Many of us might also have security cameras or baby monitors, but do you know if they are secure? Do you know what sort of data these devices are sending back to base?
If you don't secure your internet connection, you are putting yourself and your loved ones at risk. If you have children using the internet, they could be at risk, especially if they access social media or browse the internet without safeguards or limits set. All families need parental controls to restrict internet access because there are some bad people out there.
The problem with the subject of online security is that it's very dry and often seen as boring. We know we should take the issue seriously, but there are so many other fun things to do online and many of us put off doing something about making our online lives safer. Fortunately, there are devices on the market that can make internet security simple, easy and even fun. And one of those systems is Firewalla.
Jerry Chen and his team at Firewalla produce a range of products that can secure internet connections and wireless networks. Starting with the affordable Firewalla Purple, the range goes all the way up to the uber-sophisticated Firewalla Gold Pro. The big deal is that there are no ongoing subscriptions with the Firewalla devices. Just buy the device and you're protected without any monthly payments.
All the company's devices can be controlled with the Firewalla smartphone app. Settings can be easily changed and it gives warnings of risks and dangers. With a Firewalla device installed on a network, you can secure your online life and it just takes a few minutes to set up. There are similar devices on the market from other brands, but Firewalla appears to have the most accessible and comprehensive system for home users.
The latest device from the company is the Firewalla Orange. It's a tiny Linux-powered box that includes a Wi-Fi 7 router and a sophisticated firewall that acts like door staff at a rowdy nightclub. Firewalla Orange checks every device trying to join your network and examines every piece of data coming from the internet or leaving your network. It's a bit like having a 24/7 guard dog at the door to your online life.
Setting up a Firewalla Orange takes a few minutes. It's powered with a small adapter and has LAN and WAN ports for connecting to the network at 2.5 Gbps—which makes it suitable for any household or office with gigabit internet service.
The best position for the Firewalla Orange on a network is just between the internet modem/router and a wireless mesh network or computer. You can use the Firewalla Orange's built-in Wi-Fi function to provide wireless networking for your home or office.
Using the Firewalla smartphone app, you can set up all the basic network settings and be up and running in minutes. Protection can be taken a step further by turning on Firewalla Orange's parental controls, plus a whole host of other integral security features to make your home or office network secure for everyone using it.
Currently, there's a lot of concern about younger children accessing social media or AI bots. Children can end up doomscrolling and spending far too much time on TikTok or Instagram when they should be sleeping or doing schoolwork. With the Firewalla Orange, the extensive parental controls are designed to deal with those issues.
Turning on the Parental Controls opens a dashboard where each family member can be added with their devices, whether that's a phone, laptop or tablet. Everything can be controlled down to a granular level of detail. You decide how much time each family member is allowed to spend online and when they can access the internet. You can choose which websites they can access.
Safe search can be turned on so children can research their homework or browse the internet without the risk of running into content like pornography or sites depicting violence. Social networks and websites can be individually restricted or only allowed for a given time limit or set hours of the day.
Most importantly, specific websites can be easily banned. In fact, there is no end of possibilities when it comes to restricting or curating your children's internet access and experience. With Firewalla, you can easily invoke the kind of limits that some Governments want to introduce for children using the internet.
As well as keeping children safe, a device like Firewalla Orange can protect an entire network and everything behind its firewall. It does this by constantly monitoring every byte of data coming in or out of the network. It can stop sensitive data or passwords from being inadvertently leaked. What's more, it can trigger warnings for a whole range of other safety or security issues. For example, if someone in your home is accessing YouTube in the middle of the night, Firewalla will let you know and can block the activity if you want to.
As you use Firewalla Orange, it can learn what you want to control and make it easier to deal with security weaknesses on your network. Obviously, you don't want to be pestered constantly with false flags, so if you don't want Firewalla Orange to tell you how much data your partner is using while binge-watching Netflix, you can mute those warnings or ignore them altogether. It's a very flexible and intuitive system.
Firewalla Orange can also be set up as a VPN server or client. It's such a small device, you can even take it with you on the road and use it to provide extra protection when working in a café or hotel room. All it needs is a USB-C 5V power supply from a mains adapter or a power bank.
Firewalla Orange uses the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard and you can use it to establish your own wireless network in a hotel room or temporary workspace simply by plugging it into an Ethernet port or by piggybacking on another Wi-Fi hotspot.
Security can be a dry subject, but once you begin to learn how to take steps to secure your network, you'll probably be surprised by how interesting the subject is. You'll also be surprised by how many wireless devices you have on your home or office network. You'll also notice how often those devices are chatting with remote servers, snitching on your usage and lifestyle without you knowing.
You can use Firewalla Orange or a similar security device to gain deep insights into your network usage. Firstly, a firewall router gives you clarity. It can provide a window on your home or business network, helping you understand its physical layout and will identify where any weak points and risks exist.
Secondly, by securing your network, you can have total control over your online presence. You can apply the policies and rules that are important to you and your family or colleagues. Over time, the system can develop into a personalized security bubble that will reduce the risk of hacking by limiting the surface area open to attack from an outside agent. It's your network, so you get to make the rules.
Thirdly, there is protection. Firewalla Orange can monitor a network 24/7. It works away quietly in the background, never sleeping, always checking the passage of every piece of data entering or leaving the network based on the rules you have set up. It's a digital sentry.
If there are risks detected, the traffic will be blocked and you'll be told about it. It's then up to you what you choose to do. The system has an AI assistant that informs you about each potential risk that's been identified. It's a handy mentor for expanding your knowledge about all things to do with networking.
Fourthly, Firewalla Orange lets you set up a "Zero Trust Network Architecture." This means your network never trusts a user or a device by default. It can isolate devices and networks, verifying every connection so only trusted traffic is permitted—even behind the firewall.
Security may be one of those things we tend to put off, but if you've ever had your identity compromised due to a data breach, you will know what a pain it can be. By taking online security seriously with a suitable system like Firewalla's Orange, you can dramatically reduce any potential risks and forget about it—knowing your digital guard dog is awake at all hours sniffing checking and probing for risks while keeping your children and network safe.
The Firewalla Orange is available from the Firewalla website and is priced at $379, although prices can fluctuate a little due to the crazy prices that DDR4 RAM is fetching. The Firewalla app is a free download and once you've bought your Firewalla Orange, there are no ongoing subscriptions or charges.