Demystifying Firepower Deployment Modes

[Meddane]

There are two mode of deployments:

1. Firewall Mode
2. IPS Mode

For each mode, we have others modes

1.Firewall Mode

• Router Mode
• Transparent Mode

2.IPS Mode

• Inline Mode
• Inline Tap Mode
• Passive Mode

The confusion is between Inline mode and Transparent Mode. Both work like bumps in the wire, which means they are invisible to the connected devices. However, they are two different techniques.

Inline mode can be used when we are using a Firepower as an IPS-only device in which most firewall services are not working.

Inline mode differs from transparent mode, in which multiple interfaces can be added in each bridge group and each bridge group behaves like an isolated switch.

Transparent mode is used as a mode when we use Firepower as a firewall service, which can also be used as an IPS device at the same time.

[Peter Koltl]

Inline interface pairs (Inline Set) should be mentioned which are often confused with Inline IPS mode.