List of Linux router or firewall distributions
Encyclopedia
This is a list of operating system distributions designed for use as the operating system
of a machine acting as a router and/or firewall
.
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
of a machine acting as a router and/or firewall
Firewall (computing)
A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....
.
| Name | Status | Type | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Linux Alpine Linux Alpine Linux is a Linux distribution based on uClibc and BusyBox, which has the goal of being lightweight and secure by default while still being useful for general-purpose tasks. Alpine Linux uses PaX and grsecurity patches in the default kernel and compiles all packages with stack-smashing... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | a run-from RAM Linux distribution. Its original target was small appliances like routers, VPN gateways, or embedded x86 devices. However, it supports hosting other Linux guest OSes under VServer control, making it an attractive hosting solution as well. Uses Busybox BusyBox BusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It... and uClibc UClibc In computing, uClibc is a small C standard library intended for embedded Linux systems. uClibc was created to support uClinux, a version of Linux not requiring a memory management unit and thus suited for microcontrollers .The project lead is Erik Andersen. The other main contributor is Manuel... . |
| Astaro Security Gateway | Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free (for home use only) / Paid Registration and hardware version (for business use) | Router/Firewall & UTM. |
| BrazilFW | Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | BrazilFW is a Linux mini-distro, designed for setting up network utility services such as internet connection sharing, firewalling, routing and wireless access points. The main goal of BrazilFW is to continue the development of the former Coyote Linux Coyote Linux Coyote Linux is a small distribution of Linux, including the operating system and the necessary services for a firewall/router, intended for easy NAT sharing of an internet connection with a single IP address among many computers on a local network, using spare "commodity" hardware... floppy firewall/routing system. |
| Bifrost Network Project Bifrost (operating system) Bifrost is a light weight distribution of Linux optimized for networking.It is named after Bifröst, the bridge which connects the world and the land of Gods in Norse mythology.-Primary Usage:... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | The goal of this project is to find out stability, performance, filter capabilities, administration, computer security, scalability and development possibilities of a Linux based streamlined router/firewall system. Recent distributions are being used as pure Internet routers, equipped with 1GB or more of internal memory. |
| ClarkConnect | Inactive | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free but paid support | Firewall and Internet server distribution. Now known as ClearOS |
| Collax Security Gateway | Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free and subscription versions | Router,Firewall, UTM, VPN-SSL, antivirus, antispam, etc... |
| ClearOS ClearOS ClearOS is a Linux distribution, based on CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, designed for use in small and medium enterprises as a network gateway and network server with a web-based administration interface. It is designed to be an alternative to Windows Small Business Server. ClearOS succeeds... |
Active | Redhat derivative | Free or Paid Registration | Router/firewall for SMBs with network, gateway and server modules accessed through WebConfig WebConfig WebConfig is an open sourced server administration and configuration tool licensed under the GPL. It is featured in ClearOS, ClarkConnect and CentralPointe Server. The goal of the tool is to make administration tasks of the Linux server easy to use and focuses on tasks relevant to operating the... . Can have a Paid registration for extra online services but not necessary for operation of the OS. |
| Devil-Linux Devil-Linux Devil-Linux is a Linux distribution for use as a router/firewall which boots and runs completely from CD-ROM. Devil-Linux is capable of running on an older PC. This, combined with a hub or switch is a solution some Linux users may prefer instead of using a dedicated router.Devil-Linux does not... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | firewall/router/server distribution running from CD. |
| DD-WRT DD-WRT DD-WRT is a Linux-based firmware for several wireless routers, most notably the Linksys WRT54G . Like other similar projects, DD-WRT is third-party firmware designed to replace the firmware that ships pre-installed on many commercial routers... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free or Paid Registration for X86 | Embedded Linux firmware distribution based on OpenWrt OpenWrt OpenWrt is a Linux distribution primarily targeted at routing on embedded devices. It comprises a set of about 2000 software packages, installed and uninstalled via the opkg package management system. OpenWrt can be configured using the command-line interface of BusyBox ash, or the web interface... available on a variety of wireless routers. |
| Endian Firewall Endian Firewall The Endian Firewall is an open source GNU/Linux distribution that specializes on Routing/Firewalling and Unified Threat Management. It is being developed by the Italian Endian Srl and the community.... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free for PC: Endian Firewall Community (complete) or hardware version | Unified Threat Management distribution. (Router/Firewall, Gateway Anti-Spam & Anti-Virus for Web, FTP and Email, OpenVPN, IPsec, Hotspot functionality; No CaptivePortal for PC version). EndianFirewallCommunity is a complete version, only Captive Portal is not present. The anti-virus for EndianFirewallCommunity is Sophos or ClamAV. The Intrusion Protection is Snort |
| EnGarde Secure Linux EnGarde Secure Linux EnGarde Secure Linux is an open source server-only Linux distribution developed by . EnGarde incorporates open source tools such as Postfix, BIND, and the LAMP stack.... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | A Router/firewall & web-, email- and database server distribution. |
| Fli4l Fli4l fli4l is a Lightweight Linux distribution developed by German developers. The project's aim is to provide a small Linux system that fits onto a single floppy and turns any machine into a router. Thus, it is possible to share a DSL connection with other machines on a local network, and provide... |
Active | Linux | Free | a single floppy ISDN, DSL and Ethernet-Router. |
| floppyfw Floppyfw floppyfw is a Linux distribution running BusyBox to provide a firewall/gateway/router on a single bootable floppy disk.Floppyfw is maintained by Thomas Lundquist. Development is ongoing... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | floppyfw is a router with the advanced firewall-capabilities in Linux that fits on one single floppy disc. |
| FREESCO FREESCO FREESCO is a free replacement for commercial routers supporting up to 10 Ethernet/ARCnet/Token ring/Arlan network cards and up to .- General description :... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | a free replacement for proprietary routers supporting up to 10 network cards and up to 10 modems. |
| FreeWRT | Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | Router distribution. |
| Gibraltar Gibraltar (Linux distribution) Gibraltar Firewall is an operating system based on Debian. Gibraltar is used to secure local area networks as a firewall software. The current version is 3.0, published on 06 February, 2010.Dr. Rene Mayrhofer published Gibraltar Firewall in 1999... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free for PC (boot from cdrom is necessary) or hardware version | Router/firewall distribution. |
| Global Technology Associates, Inc. Global Technology Associates, Inc. Global Technology Associates, Inc., is a developer and pioneer of Internet firewalls. The company is privately held with its headquarters, development and support facilities based in Orlando, Florida.-History:... |
Active | FreeBSD FreeBSD FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant... derivative |
Free (Limited functionality) or Paid | GB-OS Firewall UTM Appliance. |
| IPCop IPCop IPCop is a Linux distribution which aims to provide a simple-to-manage firewall appliance based on PC hardware. IPCop is a stateful firewall built on the Linux netfilter framework.... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | Router/firewall distribution. |
| IPFire IPFire IPFire is a free Linux distribution which acts as a router and firewall in the first instance. It can be maintained via a Web interface. The distribution furthermore offers selected server-daemons and can easily be expanded to a SOHO-server.... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | Router/firewall distribution. |
| ISA Server Appliance Editionhttp://www.microsoft.com/Forefront/edgesecurity/isaserver/en/us/hardware-partners.aspx?pf=true | Active | Windows Server derivative | Paid | Router/firewall/Cache |
| LEAF Project LEAF Project The LEAF Project is a collection of Linux distributions that began as a fork from the the Linux Router Project "linux-on-a-floppy" distribution... |
? | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
? | a customizable embedded Linux network appliance used as an Internet gateway, router, firewall, and wireless access point. |
| Linux Router Project | Inactive | ? | ? | Router distribution (Defunct as of 2003). |
| Mikrotik RouterOS Mikrotik Mikrotīkls Ltd., known internationally as MikroTik, is a Latvian manufacturer of computer networking equipment. It sells wireless products and routers. The company was founded in 1995, with the intent to sell in the emerging wireless technology market. As of 2007, the company had more than 70... |
Active | Linux based | Free (Limited functionality) or Paid | Linux based operating system with MLPLS, BGP, OSPF, Firewalling, Traffic Control, VPN, IPSEC, ... support. Free version requires you to sign-up for an account on their website. |
| M0n0wall M0n0wall m0n0wall is an embedded firewall distribution of FreeBSD, one of the BSD operating system descendants. It provides a small image which can be put on Compact Flash cards as well as on CDROMs and hard disks. It runs on a number of embedded platforms and generic PCs... |
Active | FreeBSD FreeBSD FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant... derivative |
Free | Small Web-administrative router/firewall/VPN (ipsec/pptp only; no openVPN) distribution. |
| OpenWrt OpenWrt OpenWrt is a Linux distribution primarily targeted at routing on embedded devices. It comprises a set of about 2000 software packages, installed and uninstalled via the opkg package management system. OpenWrt can be configured using the command-line interface of BusyBox ash, or the web interface... |
Active | Linux | Free | Modular embedded distribution for ARM, MIPS, PPC and x86 devices. |
| PfSense PfSense pfSense is an open source firewall/router distribution based on FreeBSD. pfSense is meant to be installed on a personal computer and is noted for its reliability and offering features often only found in expensive commercial firewalls. It can be configured and upgraded through a web-based... |
Active | FreeBSD FreeBSD FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant... derivative |
Free (complete) | Customized distribution tailored for use as a firewall, router, DHCP Server, Gateway, OpenVPN, IPsec, Proxy and Anti-Virus (Snort). |
| Securepoint UTM | Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Paid Registration and hardware version | Router/Firewall/VPN Gateway & UTM. |
| Sentry Firewall Sentry Firewall Sentry Firewall is a free open-source network firewall Linux distribution that was first published in 2001 and has been the subject of multiple magazine reviews. The distribution is particularly notable because it consists solely of a bootable CD-ROM that is designed to be used in a computer with... |
Inactive | ? | Free | A firewall, server or intrusion detection system distribution. |
| SmartRouter SmartRouter SmartRouter is a small distribution of Linux, including the operating system and the necessary services for a firewall/router, intended for easy NAT sharing of an internet connection with a single IP address among many computers on a local network, using spare "commodity" hardware.- Minimum... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free | SmartRouter Project is a Router/firewall distribution based on BrazilFW. |
| SME Server SME Server SME Server is a Linux distribution based on CentOS offering an operating system for computers used as web, file, email and database servers... |
? | ? | ? | A Router/firewall & web-, file-, email- and database server distribution based on CentOS CentOS CentOS is a free operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux . It exists to provide a free enterprise class computing platform and strives to maintain 100% binary compatibility with its upstream distribution... . |
| Smoothwall SmoothWall Smoothwall is a Linux distribution designed to be used as an open source firewall. Designed for ease of use, Smoothwall is configured via a web-based GUI, and requires little or no knowledge of Linux to install or use.... |
Active | Linux Distribution | Free or Paid | Router / firewall distribution with a web interface and light terminal. |
| SonicWALL SonicWALL SonicWALL is a private company headquartered in San Jose, CA. It sells a range of internet appliances primarily directed at content control and network security. These include devices providing services for network firewalls, UTMs , VPNs , backup and recovery, and anti-spam for email... |
Active | ? | Paid | Router/Firewall & UTM. |
| Tomato Firmware Tomato Firmware Tomato Firmware is a partially free HyperWRT-based, Linux core firmware distribution for a range of Broadcom chipset based wireless routers, most notably the older-model Linksys WRT54G , Buffalo AirStation, Asus Routers and Netgear's WNR3500L... |
? | ? | Free | A free HyperWRT-based, Linux core firmware distribution for several wireless routers, most notably the Linksys WRT54G. |
| Trustix Trustix Trustix Secure Linux was a Linux distribution intended for use on servers and focused on security and stability. It was a hardened and secure OS, meaning that non-essential services and binaries are not installed, while UNIX staples like Sendmail are replaced by programs like Postfix.Trustix was... |
Defunct (Late 2007) | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free or Paid versions | Router/firewall distribution with SSH and GCC included if desired. |
| Untangle Untangle Untangle is a privately held company based in Sunnyvale, California. The company provides an open source network gateway for small businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations. Untangle provides multiple gateway applications installed at the edge of a network.-History:Untangle was founded in... |
Active | Debian Debian Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential... derivative |
Free + Paid addons | GPLv2 Firewall & Router that runs 12 open source applications including Spam Blocker, Virus Blocker, Web Filter, OpenVPN & More. |
| Vyatta Vyatta Vyatta manufactures an open source router/firewall/VPN product for Internet Protocol networks . A free download of Vyatta has been available since March 2006. The system is a specialized Debian-based Linux distribution with networking applications such as Quagga, OpenVPN, and many others... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free or Paid versions | Enterprise-class router, firewall, VPN, intrusion protection and more delivered as a complete network operating system that runs on x86 hardware or in XenServer, VMware or Hyper-V to provide vFirewall, vRouter network virtualization functionality. |
| Zeroshell Zeroshell Zeroshell is a small Linux distribution for servers and embedded systems which aims to provide network services. As its name implies, its administration relies on a web based graphical interface... |
Active | Linux distribution Linux distribution A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications... |
Free. Project contribution required for some graphing functions | Web-administrative router/firewall live CD with QoS features. It is also able to act as a Wi-Fi Access Point with advanced features such as the Multiple SSID and 802.1x RADIUS Authentication. Zeroshell supports VLAN trunking (802.1q), bridging, WAN load balancing, and fail-over features. |
| Zentyal (formely eBox Platform) | Active | Ubuntu Ubuntu (operating system) Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu... derivative |
Open-source. Free. Paid services available | Zentyal can act as a router/firewall and small office server. |