A firewall is a system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic to avoid malicious activities.
Every operating system has its own built-in firewall, but Linux has its Linux firewall, which some people prefer over windows firewall.
This article was written for those of you who want more information about the difference between Windows Firewall and Linux Firewall, as well as Linux firewalls pros and cons, so that you can make an educated decision on which one is right for your needs!
Table of Contents
What Is A Firewall?
The term “firewall” refers to any device or software application that filters out unwanted data from entering into or leaving a computer’s local area network.
Firewalling protects computers against unauthorized access by preventing outside users from accessing internal resources such as databases, web servers, etc.
A firewall also prevents hackers from gaining control of a user’s machine through remote attacks.
In addition, it may be used in conjunction with other security measures like antivirus programs, anti-spyware applications, password protection, encryption, etc., to provide additional layers of defense.
Differences Between Windows Firewall And Linux Firewall
The main difference between Windows Firewall and Linux Firewall is how they operate in managing connections with other devices and applications. Both systems can block unauthorized access by creating rules based on specific criteria or settings, such as:
- Source And Destination IP Addresses
- Port Number, Protocol Type (TCP Or UDP)
- Protocol Name
Linux Firewall is managed with Netfilter Linux kernel subsystem, which allows the firewall administrator to set up policies for incoming connections.
Windows Firewall operates differently because it’s controlled by a program that runs in user mode.
This means it doesn’t offer all of the features Linux offers, but it does have some advantages over Linux, such as automatically allowing new programs to communicate through windows firewall without requiring specific configurations on your part.
The other main difference between these two systems is how they manage outgoing traffic like DNS requests or online gaming packets when running dual-stack connections.
An advanced configuration in network setups where both IPv{subsc}v{subsc} and IPv{subscc}{sup*}, are being used.
Linux firewall will first send out packets using the IPv{subsc}v{subsc}.
After that, if there’s no response from an external server on the other side of your connection Linux firewall will then switch to use IPv{sup*} for you to get a better experience.
Windows Firewall operates differently because it doesn’t support this feature, so all outgoing traffic is always done through ipv{supsc}.
Linux firewalls have some advantages over windows firewalls because Linux firewalls allow for ICMP echo request delaying.
This advanced firewall feature allows the administrator to control the rate at which they’re sent out, so it’s not easy for attackers to identify and exploit them.
Linux firewalls have this as a built-in feature while windows systems don’t offer these capabilities on their own, but there are third-party programs you can install.
Both Linux and windows firewall systems use routing tables to manage incoming traffic, although Linux uses Netfilter Linux kernel subsystem instead of a program running in user mode like with Windows Firewall.
Linux relies on iproute configuration files for outgoing connections when managing packets, whereas Windows systems rely on its specific protocol configuration.
Windows firewall is basically a program installed on all Microsoft OSs, whereas Linux firewall is not preinstalled on most Linux distros.
Both are very similar in function; however, there are differences between them. The main difference is that the Linux firewall cannot block specific ports, while the Windows firewall allows this feature. Another significant difference is that the Linux firewall blocks only incoming connections while the Windows firewall blocks both incoming and outgoing connections.
Also, the Linux firewall provides better performance than the Windows firewall because it uses less memory space. However, if you need advanced features like port blocking, then use the Windows firewall.
How To Install Linux Firewall?
There are two ways to install a Linux firewall. One way is via command-line interface and another method is GUI-based.
For beginners, I recommend installing a Linux firewall via CLI since they find it easy to understand. On Ubuntu/Debian systems, type sudo apt-get install UFW.
Once done, reboot your PC and check whether the Linux firewall is working fine or not. If everything works fine, go ahead and configure it according to your requirements.
Why Use The Linux Firewall Instead Of The Windows Firewall?
The reason why we should choose Linux firewall over Windows firewall is mainly because of the following reasons.
1) Linux firewall has more options compared to Windows firewall. Linux firewall offers much more functionality than Windows firewall. Some examples include allowing access from specific IP addresses, restricting network traffic by protocols, etc.
2) Linux firewall is entirely free, unlike the Windows firewall, which costs money every month. This means that you won’t be forced into buying expensive software just so that you can protect yourself online.
3) Linux firewall is faster than Windows firewall. Since the Linux firewall runs directly inside the operating system rather than through an application layer, it can process data at a higher speed.
4) Linux firewall is compatible across different versions of Linux and other platforms such as MacOS X and Android.
5) Linux firewall supports multiple languages.
FAQs:
Q. Is Linux Firewall Better Than Windows Firewall?
Yes! The Linux firewall is better than windows for a few reasons.
For starters, Linux firewalls have more advanced features and offer greater control over network connections when compared to Windows Firewall, which relies on an application running in user mode instead of the Linux kernel.
The other difference between Linux firewalls vs windows firewalls is that they manage outgoing connections differently.
Linux firewall relies on iproute files, whereas windows rely on its specific protocol configuration, which Linux doesn’t offer out of the box.
Both Linux and windows firewalls use routing tables when managing incoming traffic, but Linux uses a Netfilter Linux kernel subsystem instead of a program running in user mode like with Windows Firewall – so for this reason, Linux firewall is better.
Q. Is Windows Firewall A Good Firewall?
Windows firewall is very basic and does not provide many useful functions. It only allows users to block specific applications, restrict file sharing, allow some programs to connect to the Internet while blocking others, etc. However, if you want something simple, then the Windows firewall will work perfectly fine. !
Q. What Firewall Does Linux Use?
Linux has its own firewall called Netfilter Linux kernel subsystem, which is a built-in feature. Windows, on the other hand, doesn’t have this as an inherent capability, but there are third-party programs you can install if they’re needed for either configuration or security purposes.
Q. Does Linux Need A Firewall?
The answer depends on what your needs are. If you don’t require any additional protection against malware/viruses/spyware, then no. But if you do, then yes.
Q. How Many Types Of Firewalls Are There In Linux.
There are four types of Linux firewall systems: packet filter, stateful packet inspection (SPI), proxy server, and application-level gateway.
Packet filters inspect packets based on the header information like source address, a destination address, or port number.
In contrast, SPI is more advanced. It can also determine whether incoming packets match a previous connection request from someone else to tell the difference between a request and an intrusion.
A proxy server is used when Linux users are remote or behind a firewall.
In contrast, an application-level gateway works on connections that originate from Linux, like FTP data transfers.
