Chances are, you’ve got the above two questions on your mind—otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. So let’s get straight to the answers so you can get back to your other demanding duties.
We’ll then move on to other FAQs for those of you who want more answers to your burning firewall questions.
Is Cisco Meraki a Firewall?
Yes, Cisco Meraki is a firewall—well sort of. Cisco Meraki is a cloud-managed IT company that designs end-to-end network infrastructure solutions for both personal and business use, including its lineup of Cisco Meraki MX Firewalls. Said firewalls are strong yet simplified and come with many impressive features:
- 100% cloud-managed
- Powerful throughput levels
- Highly successful SD-WAN
- Zero-touch, self-provisioning deployments
- Built-in site-to-site VPN capability
- Layer 7 traffic classification and control
- Intrusion detection engine
- Identity-based and device-aware security
- Advanced security threat protection that covers an entire organization
The truth is, Cisco Meraki’s firewalls are what all other firewalls strive to be.
Which Firewall Does My Business Need?
There is a slew of Cisco Meraki MX Series firewall products that meet any business need:
For small businesses with up to 50 clients (meaning, network connections):
- MX64 and MX64W (wireless)
- MX67 and MX67W
- MX68, MX68W, and MX68CW (CAT 6 LTE)
For mid-sized companies with 200 clients:
- MX85
For large organizations that need to support up to 2,000 clients:
- MX250
For campus-wide areas (or for use as a VPN concentrator) that need to support up to 10,000 clients:
- MX450
Other Firewall FAQs
We know you have more firewall questions (or you wouldn’t still be reading), and you’ve come to the right place for answers. We are experts on the topic and love talking about it whenever we have the chance.
What Is a Firewall Anyway?
Remember the old saying about how there are no dumb questions? If you’ve heard the word “firewall” for years but still don’t know exactly what it is, you’re not alone. You’re also in good hands because we’ll explain without judgment.
But first, here’s how Cisco defines a firewall: “A network security device that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic and decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on a defined set of security rules.”
The way we explain what a firewall is: “A barrier between secured and controlled internal networks (an intranet) and unsecured and untrusted external networks (such as the internet). In other words, the firewall “barrier” prevents unauthorized access into or out of an organization’s computer network.”
A firewall can be a piece of hardware, software, or both. However, Cisco Meraki MX Series firewalls are appliances that are controlled remotely in the cloud.
Why Does My Business Need a Firewall?
Let’s get one thing straight. Yes, your business does need a firewall, and there are many reasons for this.
A firewall:
- Defends against unauthorized users, including hackers who want to steal your organization’s and your customers’ valuable data
- Blocks user access to unapproved websites, like certain social media or otherwise inappropriate sites
- Tracks violations to business policies
- Protects your company from spam, viruses, worms, and other undesirable web traffic
- Logs unauthorized access attempts
- Provides VPN services so mobile devices and remote users can securely access the organization’s secure internal network even when outside the office
- Meters and limits the network bandwidth allowed for non-business use
- Prioritizes and reserves bandwidth for business traffic
How Do I Get a Firewall Solution for My Business?
This is the simplest of all questions to answer. Stratus Information Systems is a premier Cisco Meraki firewall dealer. With this comes the knowledge, experience, and prices you need to get set up with the right firewall solution for your business needs.
Contact us today with any other firewall questions you may have or to get help choosing and purchasing a Cisco Meraki firewall. We’re happy to help.