Ace the 2026 Sophos Firewall Challenge – Unleash Your Cyber-Savvy Superpowers!

The Sophos Firewall operates in Layer 3 mode to filter traffic between multiple VLANs because this mode allows the firewall to act as a router, making routing decisions based on IP addresses. In Layer 3, the firewall can inspect and control traffic at the network layer, enabling it to efficiently manage and secure communication between different VLANs.

This functionality is essential for segmenting network traffic and enforcing security policies across various subnets. The Layer 3 mode empowers administrators to apply rules, manage bandwidth, and log traffic flows, contributing to enhanced overall network security.

While other modes like Transparent mode allow for filtering without routing capabilities, they primarily work within a single broadcast domain and do not specifically handle inter-VLAN communication in the same way Layer 3 does. Similarly, Application Control and Proxy modes focus less on routing VLAN traffic and more on managing or inspecting application-layer communications. Thus, Layer 3 mode is the most suitable and effective choice for filtering traffic between multiple VLANs.