Whats in the Box?
It ships with a USB key in-C power cable, power adapter, and a 1-meter Ethernet cable.
Meanwhile, the unit weighs just 101 grams (3.5oz).
All said, its a compact gear that effortlessly hooks up to your existing router.
Significantly, its also small enough to be placed out of sight.
Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a USB 2.0 port are also present, along with a microSD port.
There is also a USB jot down-C power connector.
The microSD slot seems to be mainly for flashing firmware updates to the Firewalla Purple SE.
However, the extensive support pages indicate it can also be used to extend onboard storage for the gadget.
Meanwhile, the USB port comes off as primarily for tethering a mobile unit.
Note that there is also a Firewalla Purple.
The model were reviewing is a budget SE version with slightly more modest specs and no Wi-Fi.
Unfortunately, this is also a key weakness.
The options are:
It needs to supplant a standard router to get the most out of the equipment.
Given that, Simple/DHCP mode is how the equipment was tested for this review.
Set up is via the mobile app; more on that below.
Does the Firewalla Purple SE Affect Internet Speed?
Im fortunate enough to enjoy an internet package with an average download speed of around 132Mbps.
Of course, many people dont have this option.
Testing my internet connection speed before and after connecting the Firewalla Purple SE, I found a small problem.
Internet speed dropped by about 5Mbps.
The reason is simple: data must be routed and examined through the Firewalla Purple SE.
Now, with a fast package, thats not a problem.
However, the slower your internet speed, the more significant the impact of that speed drop.
This is available for Android and iPhonewe reviewed the Firewalla Purple SE using the Android app.
For example, if I want to monitor gaming on a specific tablet, such activity can be recorded.
Further, gaming can be blocked entirely on that gear.
Thankfully, the app is easy to use, with various options.
How Does the Firewalla Purple SE Protect Your Internet Activity?
The Firewalla Purple SE offers several key features designed to protect domestic and small business users.
It offers deep packet inspection hardware for data scanning, intrusion detection, port scanning, and more.
There is also a site-to-site VPN feature.
That is an incredible level of protection that standard firewall applications cant hope to replicate.
With all of this controlled via a mobile app, it represents a powerful collection of connection-protecting features.
But do they all work?
Two features in particular caught my eye for further investigation: ad blocking, and the VPN modes.
Does Firewalla Purple SE Stop Ads?
To this effect, the little box features default and strict parameters.
In testing, the difference between the two modes doesnt convince me.
This has two aspects: as a VPN server, and as a VPN client.
This means all of your internet activity is encrypted.
you might then enjoy an encrypted internet connection via the box.
I set this up using the OpenVPN app on Android, which was pretty effortless.
Frustrating, but not a surprising limitation under the circumstances.
Firewalla Purple SEs VPN Client Mode
This has three options.
First, it lets you create a VPN site-to-site, that is, with another Firewalla box situated elsewhere.
This is the feature youre most likely to want to try.
I set the Firewalla Purple SE up with my NordVPN account using the Firewalla app.
If you have it set up in parallel, this feature cannot be used.
However, the equipment represents a clear opportunity to take control of your online privacy.
