A Hong Kong VPS with pure CN2 GIA lines gives you lightning-fast access to mainland China and Southeast Asia, but its native Hong Kong IP also attracts constant port scans and brute-force attempts from the region. One of the first and most important security steps after deployment is configuring a proper firewall. Firewalld — the default firewall management tool on CentOS, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and Fedora — is lightweight, powerful, and perfect for Hong Kong VPS users who want fine-grained control without complexity.
Why Firewalld Is Perfect for Your Hong Kong VPS
- Dynamic rules (add/remove ports without restarting the firewall)
- Built-in zones for different trust levels (public, trusted, home, etc.)
- Easy integration with Baota Panel and Docker
- Zero performance impact even on low-end HK-1H2G ($4/month) plans
- Native support on Server.HK’s CentOS 8/9, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux images
Step-by-Step: Secure Your Hong Kong VPS with Firewalld (Takes 3 Minutes)
Connect to your server ssh root@your-vps-ip (Server.HK gives you instant root access right after ordering)
Install and enable Firewalld (usually pre-installed on CentOS/Rocky) systemctl start firewalld systemctl enable firewalld
Check current status firewall-cmd –state firewall-cmd –list-all
Set the default zone to “public” (recommended) firewall-cmd –set-default-zone=public
Allow only the ports you actually need Common rules for web + management:
firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=ssh # port 22 firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=http # port 80 firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=https # port 443 firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=8888/tcp # Baota Panel (if used) firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=888/tcp # alternative panel ports firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=27015-27030/udp # game servers (example)
Reload to apply rules firewall-cmd –reload
Verify open ports firewall-cmd –list-all
(Optional) Change SSH port for extra protection sed -i ‘s/#Port 22/Port 2222/’ /etc/ssh/sshd_config firewall-cmd –permanent –remove-service=ssh firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=2222/tcp firewall-cmd –reload systemctl restart sshd
Ready-Made Configurations for Popular Use Cases
WordPress / LEMP Site firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=ssh firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=http firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=https firewall-cmd –reload
Baota Panel + WordPress firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=ssh firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=http firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=https firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=8888/tcp firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=888/tcp firewall-cmd –reload
Game Server (Minecraft, ARK, CS2) firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=ssh firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=25565/tcp # Minecraft firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=27015-27030/udp # Source games firewall-cmd –reload
Node.js / WebSocket / API firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=ssh firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=https firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=3000/tcp firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=8080/tcp firewall-cmd –reload
Advanced Tips for Maximum Security
- Block everything except your own IP (remote management only) firewall-cmd –permanent –add-rich-rule=’rule family=”ipv4″ source address=”YOUR_HOME_IP/32″ accept’ Then remove default ssh/http services.
- Enable automatic panic mode (blocks all traffic on attack) firewall-cmd –add-panic-on
- Log dropped packets for monitoring firewall-cmd –permanent –add-log-denied=all
Combine Firewalld with Fail2Ban for Bulletproof Protection
After setting up Firewalld, install Fail2Ban — it reads your logs and automatically bans IPs that show malicious behavior. Works perfectly together on any Hong Kong VPS.
Your Hong Kong VPS Deserves Real Protection from Day One
Server.HK delivers clean, high-speed Hong Kong VPS instances with CN2 GIA + BGP lines (test IP: 156.224.19.1), full root access, and instant deployment. Every plan supports CentOS, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and one-click Baota Panel — all ready for Firewalld hardening in minutes.
Secure your ultra-low-latency server today: https://server.hk/cloud.php
Plans start at just $4/month with unmetered CN2 GIA bandwidth, native Hong Kong IPs, and a 3-day money-back guarantee. Deploy now, run the commands above, and sleep easy knowing your Asia-facing server is locked down tight!
