Firewalla Orange brings portable Wi-Fi 7 Zero Trust

Cybersecurity start-up Firewalla has launched Firewalla Orange, a portable multi-gigabit firewall and Wi-Fi 7 router that targets home users, small offices and mobile professionals who want Zero Trust-style protection on the move.

The device, which is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, combines routing, wireless access and network security in a single unit. It is positioned as a way to extend consistent security policies across fixed and temporary locations.

Firewalla Orange offers more than 2 gigabits per second of software-based packet processing. It runs on a four-core 64-bit ARM processor and includes 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The hardware has two 2.5 Gbit Ethernet ports for multi-gigabit wired connections.

The unit supports Wi-Fi 7 and can connect up to 50 wireless clients. Firewalla is targeting use in homes, small offices and shared spaces where laptops, phones and smart devices sit on the same network.

Firewalla Orange sits in a market where many firewall products are tied to fixed sites and rack-mounted hardware. The company is pitching portability as a differentiator for consultants, remote workers and frequent travellers.

The product includes an intrusion prevention system and the company's Active Protect rules, which block identified threats in real time. It supports device isolation and microsegmentation using Firewalla's VqLAN technology, as well as VLAN support for more structured networks.

GEO-IP filtering allows administrators to restrict traffic by country or region. The system uses rule-based least-privilege access as part of its Zero Trust enforcement model, which limits device access to specific services.

Firewalla Orange also includes tools for identifying unusual activity. AI-based network analytics provide insights into unknown devices, alarms and anomalies on the network.

The device includes a built-in VPN server that supports both WireGuard and OpenVPN. A VPN client within the unit allows selective routing of traffic, site-to-site links and remote access for small teams or hybrid work set-ups.

Privacy features include DNS over HTTPS and Unbound DNS. NTP intercept adds an extra layer of control over time synchronisation traffic, which can reduce misuse of that protocol.

The product runs detailed network management functions. These include smart queue and rate limiting for traffic prioritisation, as well as policy- and content-based routing for both WAN and VPN paths.

Firewalla has added consumer-focused controls in the same platform. Advanced parental controls sit alongside Safe Search features, which apply filters to web queries. The company has also integrated its "Social Hour" function, which families can use to pause social media use on household devices.

Portability is a central element of the design. The unit is compact and lightweight at 12.8 by 8.3 by 3 centimetres and 244 grams. It uses 5-15 watts of power through a USB-C adapter, which can connect to common chargers and power banks.

When users connect Firewalla Orange to public Wi-Fi in venues such as hotels, airports or co-working spaces, the unit establishes a private network perimeter around connected devices. The company describes this as extending Zero Trust-style security into temporary locations.

The router also offers Wi-Fi tethering as a backup WAN option. Users can connect it to a mobile phone hotspot if the primary broadband link fails, which keeps the same security policies in place while switching connection types.

Firewalla is selling Firewalla Orange as a one-off purchase at USD $339 with no monthly subscription for standard features. This pricing structure targets buyers wary of recurring security software and hardware fees.

Since 2017 Firewalla has sold home and small-business security devices in more than 100 countries. The firm develops its own hardware and runs a security stack that it updates over time for existing users.

"Security should not stay stuck on a shelf," said Jerry Chen, Co-Founder of Firewalla. "People are mobile, threats are mobile, and networks are everywhere. Firewalla Orange gives users a security perimeter that moves with them while delivering multi-gigabit performance normally reserved for much larger systems."