It is bigger and it is cleverer -- Firewalla Gold Plus [Review]

Two years ago when we reviewed the Firewalla Blue we remarked on how tiny it was relative to the level of protection it offers.

The recently launched Gold Plus version is a much bigger and more serious piece of kit aimed at small businesses and professional home users. It offers the same simple, plug-in protection as the Blue but can be used in a number of other ways too.

The Gold Plus has more computing power than the smaller units, with a quad-core Intel CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD. There are four 2.5 gigabit Ethernet ports which means it can act as a router in its own right or as bridge between a modem and a router or access point. It'll work with Mesh networks too. Few home networks are faster than 1GB at the moment, but the Firewalla's speed along with its five gigabits of inspection capability mean it's future proof enough to cope with faster internet speeds in the years ahead and is compatible with the latest Wi-Fi 6E routers.

So, what's in the box? You get the Gold Plus itself which has a weighty aluminum case topped with fins to dissipate heat. On one side is a row of Ethernet ports, on the other a power button, two USB sockets, one with a security dongle inserted, and an HDMI port which is not currently enabled. You also get a mains power adapter and a metal plate to allow the unit to be mounted on a wall if you wish. There are no printed instructions, just a card pointing you to a website.

As with the earlier devices it's managed via an app on your phone -- both iOS and Android versions are available. Scan the QR code on the bottom of the unit and it takes you through a simple setup process. You can choose to take more control if you wish and there's the option to migrate settings across from an earlier unit if you're upgrading.

One of the attractions of these Firewalla devices is that you can plug one in and get instant protection straight from the box, but if you want to dig deeper into the settings and configure your own rules all of the tools are there for you via the app. There are the options we've come to know and love from earlier units including monitoring your bandwidth usage, guarding against cyberattacks, content control and ad blocking, plus the ability to act as a VPN server if you need to access your network from outside.

At $579 this isn't a cheap unit but it does offer an impressive range of capabilities and is sufficiently future proof that you won't be needing to think about replacing it for a few years. The purchase price is also a one off, there are no monthly subscription charges. Pre-orders for the Gold Plus are open now and units are expected to start shipping to customers from December 12. You can find out more on the Firewalla site.