iptables Syntax

As presented earlier, iptables uses the concept of separate rule tables for different packet processing functionality. Nondefault tables are specified by a command-line option. Three tables are available:

  • filter— The filter table is the default table. It contains the actual firewall filtering rules. The built-in chains include these:

    • INPUT

    • OUTPUT

    • FORWARD

  • nat— The nat table contains the rules for Source and Destination Address and Port Translation. These rules are functionally distinct from the firewall filter rules. The built-in chains include these:

    • PREROUTING (DNAT/REDIRECT)

    • OUTPUT (DNAT/REDIRECT)

    • POSTROUTING (SNAT/MASQUERADE)

  • mangle— The mangle table contains rules for setting specialized packet-routing flags. These flags are then ...

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