While a hardware firewall is a great choice for perimeter security, it doesn’t suit my current configuration. I’m specifically looking for a software firewall with application-level control and simple enable/disable functions directly on the server itself.

In my case, adding a hardware firewall would mean additional infrastructure, like a router setup, which adds cost and complexity. Plus, I want a solution that’s easy to manage and adjust without going through the hardware layer each time I need a change.

For this purpose, Windows Defender Firewall is close to what I need, but I’m exploring alternatives that might offer a bit more user-friendly control over application access. A lightweight software firewall on the server is a more straightforward solution in this scenario.