Table of Contents
Stateless and Stateful Firewalls are 2 commonly referred to as Firewall types.
Stateless vs Stateful Firewall
In Stateful vs Stateless Firewall, Stateless Firewall works by treating each packet as an isolated unit, Stateful firewalls work by maintaining context about active sessions and use “state information” to speed packet processing.
Related – WAF vs Network Firewall
In fact, Stateful Firewalls use the concept of a state table where it Stores the state of legitimate connections. Stateless Firewall filters based on header information in a packet like Source IP, Destination IP, port number etc.
On the contrary, Stateful Firewalls filter packets by matching to valid states in the state table.
Some of the benefits that can be reaped from Stateless Firewalls include faster performance and low memory utilization.
Stateful Firewalls benefits include higher security and performing application layer filtering to a certain level.
Comparison Table
| PARAMETER | STATELESS FIREWALL | STATEFUL FIREWALL |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | Treats each packet in isolation and does not relates to connection state | Stateful firewalls maintain context about active sessions and use “state information” to speed packet processing |
| Filtering decision | Based on information in packet headers | Based on flows |
| Memory and CPU intensive | Low | High |
| Security | Low | High |
| Connection Status | Unknown | Known |
| Performance | Fast | Slower |
| Related terms | Header info, IP address, port no etc. | State information, pattern matching etc. |
Download the difference table here.
Related Topics
Hope through the above comparison table you would have understood the difference between stateless and stateful firewall. Read these differences as well –
– Network-Based Firewall vs Host-Based Firewall
– Web Application Firewall vs Network Firewall
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am here to share my knowledge and experience in the field of networking with the goal being – “The more you share, the more you learn.”
I am a biotechnologist by qualification and a Network Enthusiast by interest. I developed interest in networking being in the company of a passionate Network Professional, my husband.
I am a strong believer of the fact that “learning is a constant process of discovering yourself.”
– Rashmi Bhardwaj (Author/Editor)
