What FirewallDNS offers
FirewallDNS is a network-level DNS firewall. You register your network's public IP address in the dashboard and point your router, firewall or DHCP server at the FirewallDNS resolver. Every device on that network is then filtered according to your settings. The protections described on our feature pages are malware protection, phishing protection, newly registered domain blocking, content categories (adult content, gambling and social media), custom allowlists and blocklists, and near real-time query logs. Pricing is $2.90 per device per month, with Starter, Business and MSP plans.
Overview of Cisco Umbrella
[VERIFY: Cisco Umbrella history and positioning, including its relationship to Cisco Secure Access / SSE.] [VERIFY: Umbrella package names and what each includes (DNS security, secure web gateway, CASB, firewall).] [VERIFY: typical customer size.]
Deployment
FirewallDNS is deployed by registering a public IP and changing the DNS server on your router, firewall, DHCP server or Active Directory forwarders. Our guides cover Cisco IOS, Cisco ASA/Firepower and Cisco Meraki, among others.
[VERIFY: Umbrella deployment options — network registration, virtual appliances, roaming client, integrations with Cisco hardware.]
Security filtering
FirewallDNS blocks malware, phishing and newly registered domains and lets you override decisions with allowlists and blocklists.
[VERIFY: Cisco Umbrella threat intelligence source and security categories, including newly seen domains.]
Reporting and logs
FirewallDNS provides near real-time query logs per registered network with the reason for each block.
[VERIFY: Umbrella reporting features, log retention and log export options.]
Pricing and MSP use
FirewallDNS costs $2.90 per device per month with an MSP plan for multi-customer management and invoicing.
[VERIFY: Cisco Umbrella pricing model (published or quote-based), minimums and MSP console/programme.]
Switching from Cisco Umbrella to FirewallDNS
If you currently use Cisco Umbrella and want to try FirewallDNS, you do not need to switch everything at once. Create a FirewallDNS account, register the public IP address of one network or site, and change the DNS servers on that network's router, firewall or DHCP server. Keep your existing service running elsewhere while you compare. [VERIFY: any Cisco Umbrella agents, apps or profiles that should be removed from devices to avoid conflicts]
Export or note your existing allowlist and blocklist entries before you start, and add them to FirewallDNS so users are not surprised by different decisions. After a week, compare the query logs from both services and decide based on what you see on your own network.
Questions to ask before choosing
Whichever service you choose, ask the same questions of each provider and check the answers in writing.
- Which threats are blocked, and how often are threat lists updated?
- Is newly registered domain blocking available, and is the threshold configurable?
- What is logged, where is it stored, for how long, and who can see it?
- How are devices or users counted for billing?
- Is there a data processing agreement and a published list of sub-processors?
- How does Cisco Umbrella handle these points? [VERIFY: answers from Cisco Umbrella documentation]
Who each option may suit
FirewallDNS may suit smaller organisations and MSPs that want transparent per-device pricing and simple network-level setup. It is priced per device, deployed at the network edge and managed from one dashboard, with each customer seeing only their own settings, logs and cost.
[VERIFY: the types of customers Cisco Umbrella targets, based on its own website and documentation.] Because the two services may be built for different audiences, the right choice depends less on a feature checklist and more on how you run your network, who manages it and how you want to pay. Shortlist both, test both on a real network for at least a week, and involve the people who will handle support tickets in the decision.
How to choose
Rather than relying on any comparison page, including this one, test both services against your own requirements. Write down what matters most: the threats you want to block, the devices you need to cover, whether devices leave the network, who needs access to logs, which regions your data may be stored in, and your budget per device. Then trial each option on a small part of your network and compare the query logs side by side.
Look at how each service handles false positives, how quickly you can allow a blocked domain, and how clearly the dashboard explains why a request was blocked. These day-to-day details often matter more than feature lists. Finally, check each provider's privacy policy and data processing terms yourself, since logging and retention practices vary between services. For Cisco Umbrella, rely on its official documentation and current price list.