Linux Firewalls, Third Edition

Basic iptables Syntax

Firewalls built with Netfilter are built through the iptables firewall administration command. The iptables command implements the firewall policies that you create and manages the behavior of the firewall. Netfilter firewalls have three individual tables: filter, NAT, and mangle. Within these tables, firewalls are built through chains, with each individual link in the chain being an individual iptables command.

Within the default filter table there is a chain for input or data coming into the firewall, a chain for output or data leaving the firewall, a chain for forwarding or data being sent through the firewall, and other chains including chains named and configured by the user, commonly (and appropriately) called user-defined ...