Mastering Linux Security and Hardening

nftables tables and chains

If you're used to iptables, you might recognize some of the nftables terminology. The only problem is, some of the terms are used in different ways, with different meanings. Here's some of what I'm talking about:

• Tables: Tables in nftables refer to a particular protocol family. The table types are ip, ip6, inet, arp, bridge, and netdev.
• Chains: Chains in nftables roughly equate to tables in iptables. For example, in nftables you could have filter, route, or NAT chains.