Q: What other options do I have in protecting my network if I remove my firewall because my firewall is slowing down my entire network?
A: A firewall can be located on your computer (part of the OS), or between your local area network and the internet. It is typically built into the modem/router provided by your broadband provider.
The one on your computer would not impact network performance for anyone – including yourself. It simply filters what is allowed into your computer.
I’ll assume you mean that your network firewall is slowing down internet speeds. Older style network firewalls can have an impact on internet speeds, but not on local area network speeds.
There are a few fixes:
- If you have an older firewall, replace it with a new stateful packet unit. These do not slow down internet access like the older rule-based firewalls can.
- You may be using an inexpensive, low-speed firewall. Same story – replace with a new stateful packet unit.
- If your firewall includes intrusion detection or intrusion protection systems, these may need to have their settings modified so that they don’t have as many rules to filter by. This would best be done by an IT professional to ensure the security of the network isn’t degraded in the process.
