Firewalls are often used in a variety of ways. It's worth learning more about them. Firewalls are used by many corporations to manage their Internet connections. Companies can control who is allowed to use their network, and what information is sent through Web servers.

Firewalls may use many different methods to control traffic entering or leaving the network. One way firewalls achieve this is through packet filtering. The firewall compares small packets of information to predetermined filters. All data is transmitted via small packets of information through filters. Unsafe information is deleted, but safe information is sent.

Proxy service is another way firewalls reduce traffic. This is when the firewall retrieves information from the Internet and sends it back the requester. Stateful inspection is another method firewalls use to manage traffic. This allows the firewall compare data packets with information from trusted sources. Monitors are used for monitoring the Internet traffic to determine if the packet contains key characteristics that indicate the information is safe or not. Information marked safe allows information to be transmitted freely, while other information is restricted.

Many factors can influence the choice of a company's method, including personal preferences. The firewall can be configured by a company administrator to filter data according to pre-established criteria.