Unlike router, a firewall uses encryption to encrypt the data before transmission. A firewall does not share the network but it include the protecting provision to protect the network from the threats….Firewall:

Do You Need Both? It’s important to use at least one type of a firewall – a hardware firewall (such as a router) or a software firewall. If you already have a router, leaving the Windows firewall enabled provides you with security benefits with no real performance cost. Therefore, it’s a good idea to run both.

Unlike routers and switches, firewalls are network security appliances. While routers (without firewall capabilities) blindly pass traffic between two separate networks, firewalls monitor the traffic and helps block unauthorized traffic coming from the outside trying to get into your network.

Hardware Firewall The router is the first line of defense against potential threats. The device assigns a private IP address to each of the computers that connect to the local area network, and then uses a process called network address translation to map the private addresses to a single public address.

Firewalls block all unauthorized connections to your computer (including those of hackers who are trying to steal your data) and even let you select which programs can access the internet so that you’re never connected unknowingly.

Firewalls primarily help protect against malicious traffic, not against malicious programs (i.e., malware), and may not protect you if you accidentally install or run malware on your computer.

10 tips for improving security inside the firewall

1. Remember that internal security is different from perimeter security.
2. Lock down VPN access.
3. Build Internet-style perimeters for partner extranets.
4. Automatically track security policy.
5. Shut off unused network services.
6. Defend critical resources first.

Users not going through the firewall: A firewall can only restrict connections that go through it. It cannot protect you from people who can go around the firewall, for example, through a dial-up server behind the firewall. It also cannot prevent an internal intruder from hacking an internal system.

A good firewall should monitor traffic in both directions, keeping organisational data secure and preventing unauthorised access to the network. More advanced firewalls additionally keep an updated list of known vulnerable or malicious software, blocking access before a connection is made.

5 Firewall Threats and Vulnerabilities to Look Out For

• 1) Insider Attacks. A perimeter firewall is meant to keep away attacks that originate from outside of your network.
• 2) Missed Security Patches.
• 3) Configuration Mistakes.
• 4) A Lack of Deep Packet Inspection.
• 5) DDoS Attacks.

The most significant issue for firewalls is the loss of visibility and control over applications, users and content. In the past, it was easy for firewalls to control traffic because applications were tightly tied to ports and protocols, so classifying them using stateful inspection technology worked well.

Use the following steps to identify and solve firewall problems:

1. 1) Ping a PC near the device.
2. 2) Ping the device.
3. 3) Telnet and/or browse to the device.
4. 4) Confirm the port configuration of the device.
5. 5) Confirm that important IP addresses are not blocked.
6. 6) Trace the route to the device.