- Any particular reason you prefer a router's firewall over OS X's ... ?
- ...will Rita's router's reinforced, robuster (
) firewall be automatically turned on... ?
- Hardware firewalls are OS-independent, not vulnerable to malicious attacks, and faster due to their dedicated hardware, while software firewalls aren't. On the down side, hardware firewalls are more expensive and subject to 'single point of failure' disruption of your internet connection. For details, see
Firewalls – Overview and Best Practices.
- Most (if not all) routers come with their (hardware) firewalls ON by default. Software firewalls, like those provided by the OS, tend to be OFF by default (this may be related to the ubiquitousness of routers and their hardware firewalls). I consider this difference a minor point.
