NethSecurity

Overview

NethSecurity is an OpenWrt-based unified threat management system for small and medium-sized businesses. It is best suited to administrators who can run a self-hosted firewall and want several network controls in one system. Its feature range is substantial, but x86-64 hardware and subscription gates on some management services narrow the fit.

Key features

NethSecurity brings firewalling together with multi-WAN, content filtering, deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention and VPN. Multi-WAN can balance connections, while traffic shaping lets administrators set minimum and maximum bandwidth to prioritize traffic. That breadth suits businesses managing competing network demands; it also means the system is more than a simple perimeter firewall.

VPN support includes IPsec, OpenVPN and WireGuard, with site-to-site VPN among the supported uses. Threat Shield blocks attacks from known malicious IP addresses using named blocklists and confidence scores. For additional network visibility, the third-party Netify Informatics service can use DPI metadata; organizations should weigh that cloud-service dependency against their preference for keeping analysis local.

The optional NethSecurity Controller runs on NethServer 8 and remotely manages multiple installations. Without a subscription it can register up to three community firewalls. A valid subscription removes the unit limit, but registration is then limited to subscribed firewalls. Nightly automatic cloud backups also require a subscription, so the free setup gives up both those backups and broad controller registration.

Pricing

NethSecurity uses a freemium model with a free plan and a 30-day trial. Plan prices are custom pricing. Community is the no-subscription option and covers three units, with approximately 400 detected DPI applications. It is the clearest fit for a small deployment that can manage without subscription-only backup.

Personal raises the approximate detected DPI application count to 2,000. Business offers the same approximate count and includes two support tickets per year, making it the more suitable tier for organizations that want a limited support allowance. Partner is aimed at deployments with more than 20 active subscriptions and provides unlimited units. Partner +20 active subscriptions carries a yearly partnership fee, requires 20 or more active subscriptions, and includes unlimited support tickets; buyers must contact sales.

The 30-day trial activates the Business plan, but excludes services with additional fees, and commercial support cannot be requested during the trial. For subscribed customers, professional support response time is one business day during Monday-to-Friday business hours in the Italian time zone, excluding Italian holidays. The trial is useful for assessing Business-tier functions, but it is not a route to trial commercial support.

Platforms

NethSecurity supports Linux, self-hosted and web environments, with a hybrid deployment model. It is currently available only for x86-64 systems. Minimum hardware is 1 vCPU or core, 1 GB of RAM, 1 GB of disk and two Ethernet cards, which rules out other architectures and requires two network interfaces even for a minimum deployment.

Who it's for

NethSecurity makes sense for small and medium-sized businesses seeking firewall, intrusion prevention, VPN and traffic management in a self-managed system. It is particularly relevant where multi-WAN balancing, bandwidth controls or management of several installations matter. It is a weaker fit for teams that cannot provide x86-64 hardware, want subscription-free cloud backups, or need controller registration for unsubscribed firewalls beyond the three-community-firewall limit.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Combines firewall, intrusion prevention, content filtering, DPI, VPN and multi-WAN, reducing the need to assemble those network functions separately.
• Pros: Supports three VPN technologies and bandwidth prioritization with minimum and maximum settings, giving administrators choices for remote links and competing traffic.
• Pros: Described by its maker as a 100% open source project, with a community option for up to three units.
• Cons: x86-64-only availability and two required Ethernet cards constrain hardware choices.
• Cons: Nightly cloud backups require a subscription, and the unsubscribed controller is limited to three community firewalls.
• Cons: Community detects approximately 400 DPI applications versus approximately 2,000 for Personal and Business; plan prices are custom pricing.

Alternatives

pfSense is worth considering for buyers seeking free, open-source firewall and router software through its Community Edition; Plus is also offered, with no listed price.

Arista NG Firewall may suit readers looking for a web-based option with a free tier for basic security and connectivity, though that tier has limited capabilities. IPFire is a straightforward alternative for those preferring a free open-source firewall operating system without feature tiers or licence renewals.

OPNsense offers a free Community Edition and paid Business Edition options for buyers comparing those editions. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Secret Management is another listed option.

Sangfor EasyConnect, Cato SASE Platform and Check Point DDoS Protector are alternatives to consider alongside NethSecurity.

For a broader shortlist, see Network Firewall Software.

Verdict

Choose NethSecurity if your business wants a self-managed x86-64 system that combines firewalling with VPN, intrusion prevention and traffic controls. Its main advantage is that breadth; its main reason to look elsewhere is the hardware restriction, compounded by subscription requirements for nightly backups and unrestricted controller registration.