When can you use a hardware or software firewall?

Answer 1

Hardware Firewall is more secure because it stops viruses from getting into your computer. However, they do not protect from applications or Trojans from sending information out of your network.

Answer 2

Software firewall helps in protecting small scale network connections, for example, a home network. A software firewall gives you the ability to take additional protection with you, wherever you go.

Businesses often have dedicated hardware firewalls that have a host of different tools to help block threats at the periphery of the network. Hence hardware firewalls are used for protecting large scale of networks.

Reference : Comodo personal firewall

Answer 3

Hardware Firewalls

For the sake of simplicity, think of hardware firewalls as specialized network boxes that contain customized hardware and software. When properly configured, hardware firewalls provide a protective barrier that hides an organization's internal PCs from the outside world. They can also shield one company department (say, finance) from another (say, human resources).

In many cases, hardware firewalls are great solutions for organizations that want a single security umbrella that protects multiple systems. For this very reason, most FORTUNE 500 networks have hardware firewalls in place.

So what's the downside? Since they are specialized devices, hardware firewalls tend to be expensive, complicated, difficult to upgrade, and tricky to configure. In other words, they are best reserved for IT managers who are specially trained to install, configure, and monitor such devices.

Low-end hardware firewalls, now found in network switches and routers for the home, also have their limitations. If you take a personal laptop on the road, for instance, your system is no longer protected by the home-based firewall.

Software Firewalls

In contrast to their hardware cousins, software firewalls are more ideal for individual users or small businesses that have dial-up or broadband internet connections. Instead of using a custom (and often expensive) piece of hardware, a software firewall installs on an individual's PC, notebook, or work group server.

Even if an organization has hardware firewalls in place, it's wise for individuals to use software firewalls on their own systems. The main reason: software firewalls are especially convenient for mobile workers who need digital security when working outside of the corporate network. That's because the entire security solution is, in essence, a single application running on one's computer. Another major benefit, software firewalls are easily upgraded. Users simply download patches, fixes, updates, and enhancements from the firewall provider's web site, or the provider sends these improvements via the Internet.

Answer 4

You can have either or both. There are both software and hardware firewalls. I have a router with a hardware firewall built in, and also use a software firewall.