Free Edition: Policy Based White Listing vs Exempted VLANs & Networks

[mlenje]

Hi,

I was just wondering the loginc behind allowing Policy based white listing but not allowing Exempted VLANs & Networks in the Free Edition.  I would prefer to use the Exempted Network feature, if possible.

Thanks!

[sy]

Hi,

Thank you for choosing Zenarmor and reaching out to the community! We completely understand your perspective; it is highly practical to prefer using the "Exempted Networks" feature for flexibility in network management.

The logic behind why these two features are separated into different tiers comes down to how they function technically:

Policy-Based Whitelisting (Free Edition): With this method, traffic is still processed and analyzed by the Zenarmor engine. It simply allows specific items (like websites or IPs) based on your custom rules. Since the traffic remains within the filtering mechanism, it is available in the Free edition.

Exempted VLANs & Networks (Premium): This feature completely bypasses the Zenarmor engine. Traffic coming from the VLANs or networks you select goes straight through without being analyzed or processed by Zenarmor at all.

Because this advanced bypass control and total traffic exemption go beyond the standard filtering capabilities of the Free edition, it is included in our premium features. To unlock and use this feature, a minimum of a Zenarmor Home Edition license is required. The Home license is specifically designed to be a budget-friendly option for home users who need these advanced networking capabilities.

Best regards