If you’re on a managed plan, check with Host & Tech support before modifying firewall rules \u2014 some managed configurations apply rules at the network edge that interact with on-server firewalls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nHow iptables Works<\/h2>\n iptables is the low-level tool. It talks directly to the Linux kernel’s Netfilter framework and lets you write explicit rules about what to do with packets: accept them, drop them, reject them, log them, or forward them somewhere else.<\/p>\n
Rules are organised into tables<\/strong> (filter, nat, mangle) and chains<\/strong> (INPUT, OUTPUT, FORWARD). For most server hardening purposes, you’re working in the filter<\/code> table and the INPUT<\/code> chain \u2014 that’s the traffic coming into your server.<\/p>\nHere’s a basic iptables rule that allows SSH on port 22:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nThat’s fairly readable. But once you have 30 rules, the management gets messy fast. iptables rules are also not persistent by default<\/strong> \u2014 they vanish on reboot unless you save them explicitly. That’s a gotcha that trips up a lot of people the first time.<\/p>\nTo save your iptables rules on Ubuntu\/Debian:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo apt install iptables-persistent -y\nsudo netfilter-persistent save<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nOn AlmaLinux or CentOS Stream:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo service iptables save<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\ud83d\udcdd Note: On systems running firewalld<\/code> (default on AlmaLinux 8\/9 and CentOS Stream), raw iptables commands can conflict with firewalld’s rule management. Either disable firewalld first or use the firewall-cmd<\/code> interface instead.<\/p>\nHow UFW Works<\/h2>\n UFW is a frontend for iptables. It doesn’t replace iptables \u2014 it writes iptables rules for you, based on simpler commands. The trade-off is that you get less granular control, but the syntax is much more approachable.<\/p>\n
UFW comes pre-installed on Ubuntu. On Debian, install it with:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo apt install ufw -y<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\u26a0 Warning: UFW is disabled by default. Enabling it without first allowing SSH will lock you out of your server. Always allow SSH before enabling the firewall.<\/p>\n
Here’s the correct sequence to get UFW running safely:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw allow OpenSSH\nsudo ufw enable\nsudo ufw status verbose<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nUFW also supports application profiles \u2014 named rule sets for common services. You can see what’s available on your system:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw app list<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nCommon profiles include OpenSSH<\/code>, Nginx Full<\/code>, Apache Full<\/code>, and Postfix<\/code>. Using these instead of raw port numbers makes your ruleset easier to read and audit later.<\/p>\nTo allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic for a web server:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nOr if you’re using Apache:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\niptables vs UFW: Which One Should You Use?<\/h2>\n Here’s my honest take after managing hundreds of servers: use UFW if you’re on Ubuntu\/Debian and you don’t need complex routing rules<\/strong>. It’s maintainable, it persists across reboots automatically, and the syntax won’t cause mistakes at 2am when something is on fire.<\/p>\nUse raw iptables (or nftables, the modern successor) when you need:<\/p>\n
\nNAT rules or packet forwarding (e.g. a VPN gateway, a load balancer, or a server routing traffic between interfaces)<\/li>\n Fine-grained control over connection states, rate limiting, or specific TCP flags<\/li>\n Scripted rule management in complex automation environments<\/li>\n AlmaLinux\/CentOS environments where firewalld is more appropriate anyway<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nOne non-obvious thing worth knowing: UFW stores its rules in \/etc\/ufw\/<\/code> and generates actual iptables rules from them. If you mix direct iptables<\/code> commands with UFW on the same server, you’ll end up with a rule set that’s hard to reason about. Pick one approach and stick to it.<\/p>\nStep-by-Step: Basic Firewall Setup for a Web Server<\/h2>\n This covers a typical setup for a Linux VPS or dedicated server running a web application.<\/p>\n
\n\n Check whether UFW or iptables is already active<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw status\nsudo iptables -L -n -v<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nIf UFW shows Status: inactive<\/code>, it’s installed but not running. If iptables -L<\/code> shows only empty chains, nothing is filtering traffic yet.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n Allow SSH before enabling anything<\/strong><\/p>\nIf your SSH runs on the default port 22:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw allow OpenSSH<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nIf you’ve moved SSH to a custom port (e.g. 2222):<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw allow 2222\/tcp<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\u26a0 Warning: Skipping this step and running sudo ufw enable<\/code> will immediately block your SSH session. You’d need to use your hosting provider’s out-of-band console (Host & Tech provides this through the VPS control panel) to recover access.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n Allow web traffic<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw allow 80\/tcp\nsudo ufw allow 443\/tcp<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n Enable the firewall<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw enable<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n Verify the active rules<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw status numbered<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nThe numbered<\/code> flag shows each rule with an index, which makes it easier to delete specific rules later with sudo ufw delete [number]<\/code>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n Deny everything else (default policy)<\/strong><\/p>\nUFW’s default incoming policy is already deny, but it’s worth confirming and setting explicitly:<\/p>\n
<\/button>Copied to clipboard<\/span><\/p>\nsudo ufw default deny incoming\nsudo ufw default allow outgoing<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\ud83d\udcdd Note: Setting outgoing to deny<\/code> is possible but requires explicitly allowing DNS, NTP, apt\/yum, and other system services. That’s overkill for most setups and easy to misconfigure.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nCommon Issues & Troubleshooting<\/h2>\nUFW is active but traffic is still being blocked<\/h3>\n This usually happens when your hosting provider also has a network-level firewall in front of your server (a security group or edge firewall). UFW might be wide open, but the upstream rule is blocking the port. Check your Host & Tech control panel for any network firewall or security group settings. These operate independently from your on-server firewall.<\/p>\n
iptables rules disappear after reboot<\/h3>\n Raw iptables rules are stored in memory, not on disk. They don’t survive a reboot unless you’ve saved them. On Ubuntu\/Debian, install iptables-persistent<\/code> and run sudo netfilter-persistent save<\/code>. On AlmaLinux, run sudo service iptables save<\/code> which writes rules to \/etc\/sysconfig\/iptables<\/code>.<\/p>\nSSH connection drops immediately after enabling UFW<\/h3>\n You enabled UFW without adding an SSH rule first. Connect via your server’s VNC\/console (available in the Host & Tech VPS control panel), then run sudo ufw allow OpenSSH<\/code> followed by sudo ufw reload<\/code>. Your rules are still there \u2014 you just need to add the missing one.<\/p>\nPort is allowed in UFW but curl\/browser still can’t connect<\/h3>\n Check whether the application is actually listening on that port: sudo ss -tlnp | grep :80<\/code>. If nothing shows up, the service isn’t running \u2014 that’s not a firewall problem. Also check that you’re not accidentally running both UFW and firewalld simultaneously, which can produce conflicting rules.<\/p>\niptables -L shows rules but connections are still rejected<\/h3>\n Rule order matters in iptables. A DROP or REJECT rule earlier in the chain will win over an ACCEPT rule below it. Run sudo iptables -L INPUT -n -v --line-numbers<\/code> to see the exact order. If you need to insert a rule at a specific position rather than appending it, use -I<\/code> instead of -A<\/code>: sudo iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT<\/code>.<\/p>\nFAQ<\/h2>\n\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n
Does UFW replace iptables or run alongside it?<\/h3>\n\n
UFW runs on top of iptables \u2014 it generates iptables rules behind the scenes based on the commands you give it. You can see the actual iptables rules UFW creates by running sudo iptables -L -n -v<\/code>. This means iptables is always involved; UFW just makes managing it easier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Should I use UFW or firewalld on AlmaLinux?<\/h3>\n\n
On AlmaLinux 8 and 9, firewalld is the default and it’s what the system is designed around. I’d recommend sticking with firewalld on those distributions and using firewall-cmd<\/code> to manage rules. UFW can be installed on AlmaLinux but it’s not a natural fit there and can conflict with firewalld if both are active.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
How do I check if my firewall is blocking a specific port?<\/h3>\n\n
Run sudo ufw status verbose<\/code> if you’re using UFW, or sudo iptables -L INPUT -n -v<\/code> for raw iptables. From an external machine, you can also test with nc -zv your-server-ip 80<\/code> or an online port checker. Remember that a cloud firewall at the network edge is separate from the on-server firewall \u2014 both need to allow the port.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Will enabling UFW affect my existing web server or database connections?<\/h3>\n\n
Yes, it can \u2014 and that’s the most common way people accidentally take down their own server. Before enabling UFW, explicitly allow every port your services use: 80 and 443 for web, 3306 if MySQL is accessed remotely, your SSH port, and any other active services. Run sudo ufw status numbered<\/code> to review before and after enabling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Is a server firewall enough, or do I need something else?<\/h3>\n\n
A server firewall is a solid baseline but it’s not the whole picture. For production servers, you’ll also want to think about fail2ban to block brute-force attempts, keeping software updated, and disabling unused services. If you’re running a high-traffic site or handling sensitive data, a dedicated server with hardware-level firewall options gives you more control at the network layer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Not sure whether to use iptables or UFW on your Linux server? This guide breaks down how each firewall works, where they overlap, and which one makes sense for your setup \u2014 with real commands you can run right now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[74,75,176,21,20,76,177,19],"class_list":["post-139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-security","tag-firewall","tag-iptables","tag-iptables-vs-ufw","tag-linux-security","tag-server-hardening","tag-ufw","tag-understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw","tag-vps-security"],"yoast_head":"\n
Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the difference between iptables and UFW firewalls, when to use each, and how to configure them on your Linux VPS or dedicated server.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn the difference between iptables and UFW firewalls, when to use each, and how to configure them on your Linux VPS or dedicated server.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Host And Tech knowledge base\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/stshostandtech\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T06:01:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@stshostandtech\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@stshostandtech\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b6fa79c48ddaba71af32e395c5b017ee\"},\"headline\":\"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T06:01:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1513,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"firewall\",\"iptables\",\"iptables vs ufw\",\"Linux security\",\"server hardening\",\"ufw\",\"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW\",\"VPS security\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Server Security\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/\",\"name\":\"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T06:01:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn the difference between iptables and UFW firewalls, when to use each, and how to configure them on your Linux VPS or dedicated server.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/security\\\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/\",\"name\":\"Host And Tech knowledge base\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Host And Tech knowledge base\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/logo-dark.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/logo-dark.png\",\"width\":1134,\"height\":395,\"caption\":\"Host And Tech knowledge base\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/stshostandtech\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/stshostandtech\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b6fa79c48ddaba71af32e395c5b017ee\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/aa1edac8bbadb442e059a5b65ad45a3b2e3ce689202373b96e3e567517ae4b39?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/aa1edac8bbadb442e059a5b65ad45a3b2e3ce689202373b96e3e567517ae4b39?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/aa1edac8bbadb442e059a5b65ad45a3b2e3ce689202373b96e3e567517ae4b39?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hostandtech.com\\\/kb\\\/author\\\/admin_fjj7qydm\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW","description":"Learn the difference between iptables and UFW firewalls, when to use each, and how to configure them on your Linux VPS or dedicated server.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW","og_description":"Learn the difference between iptables and UFW firewalls, when to use each, and how to configure them on your Linux VPS or dedicated server.","og_url":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/","og_site_name":"Host And Tech knowledge base","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/stshostandtech","article_published_time":"2026-05-27T06:01:08+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@stshostandtech","twitter_site":"@stshostandtech","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/person\/b6fa79c48ddaba71af32e395c5b017ee"},"headline":"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW","datePublished":"2026-05-27T06:01:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/"},"wordCount":1513,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#organization"},"keywords":["firewall","iptables","iptables vs ufw","Linux security","server hardening","ufw","Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW","VPS security"],"articleSection":["Server Security"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/","url":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/","name":"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-05-27T06:01:08+00:00","description":"Learn the difference between iptables and UFW firewalls, when to use each, and how to configure them on your Linux VPS or dedicated server.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/security\/understanding-server-firewalls-iptables-vs-ufw\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Understanding Server Firewalls: iptables vs UFW"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#website","url":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/","name":"Host And Tech knowledge base","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#organization","name":"Host And Tech knowledge base","url":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-dark.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-dark.png","width":1134,"height":395,"caption":"Host And Tech knowledge base"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/stshostandtech","https:\/\/x.com\/stshostandtech"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/#\/schema\/person\/b6fa79c48ddaba71af32e395c5b017ee","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa1edac8bbadb442e059a5b65ad45a3b2e3ce689202373b96e3e567517ae4b39?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa1edac8bbadb442e059a5b65ad45a3b2e3ce689202373b96e3e567517ae4b39?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aa1edac8bbadb442e059a5b65ad45a3b2e3ce689202373b96e3e567517ae4b39?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb"],"url":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/author\/admin_fjj7qydm\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hostandtech.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}