A Complete Guide On Linksys Router Firewall Settings

CoreNetworkZ Tech Solutions has a division that designs and implements SOHO networks (as per clients' requirements).

One of the frequent questions I face from clients is about the usage of firewall protection.

If you connect your local network to the Internet, a firewall is essential to protect your network from external intruders. Most SOHO routers provide firewall protection, so there is no need to add an extra firewall for your home network.

Today, I will discuss the role of the built-in firewall offered by Linksys routers.

Aneesh Shetty, a client of CoreNetworkZ Tech Solutions, wanted to extend his office network. He asked for my advice on using the Linksys router firewall to protect his office network.

Aneesh asked, "Hello Alex, I have five Linksys routers with firewall protection. Should I keep the firewall ON on every device?"

My recommendation was simple. If you have multiple devices with built-in firewalls, it is best to turn off the firewall on all routers except the first one.

Aneesh thought having multiple firewalls would give extra protection. I explained to him why he was wrong.

It helps prevent online applications, such as games, from being blocked by multiple router firewalls. I also explained the Linksys Firewall Settings and how to configure them.

This guide explains how to turn off the default Linksys firewall protection.

I will cover the Linksys Firewall Settings and configuration in this section. The first step is to access the Linksys firewall setup page.

Connect the router to a PC with an Ethernet cable and turn on the device. Type 192.168.1.1 in the browser tab and press the Enter key. Enter the login username and password.

Click the Security tab. You will see a window as in the screenshot.

Can you see a disabled button? To turn off the built-in Linksys firewall, select the disabled button.

If it is the first Linksys router in the network diagram, I strongly recommend you select the enabled button.

If you wish to keep your network safe from multicast from an external device, I suggest you check the box 'Filter Multicast'. Linksys firewall will discard all multicast packets.

Shafeeque Ahammed, a Network Engineer trainee, asked, "Can Linksys firewall detect and drop connections through proxy servers?"

The answer is yes.

Let me explain how to enable the Linksys firewall to detect and drop proxy connections. Can you see a proxy check box near Web Filter? Check the box and click the 'Save Settings' button.

One online gamer, Jaison Thomas, asked, "Hello Alex, after installing a new router, my online games are blocked. Why?"

Do you know one thing? Jaison is one of a few readers who asked this question. Linksys firewall sometimes blocks online games due to the wrong security settings.

But there is a solution. We can fix all such problems by activating port forwarding on the Linksys Firewall.

Let me explain how to forward ports on a Linksys firewall.

Click the Applications & Gaming tab. Here, you can select the application and the port number to start a port forwarding.

One of the primary reasons to turn off the firewall is to avoid a dual firewall situation. As explained at the beginning of this tutorial, multiple firewalls are unnecessary for protecting a home network.

Another reason is to prevent issues when playing online games or running web applications through the router. However, in these situations, you may be able to resolve it without turning off the firewall by configuring port forwarding.