
 = Iptables Information

 INTRODUCTORY BLURB AND WAFFLE

   This file is intended to contain information about the 'iptables'
   program. This is a program which in some way interacts with the 
   Linux Operation System Kernel in order to do various things to
   tcp/ip packets which arrive at a particular computer. The basic
   purpose of this program is to attempt to prevent various forms
   of anti-social Internet behaviour such as hacking, port sniffing and 
   denial of service attacks amongst other things. 

   This file will probably mainly be references to URLs which contain
   reasonable information about 'iptables'

 URL LINKS

  http://iptables-tutorial.frozentux.net/
    A tutorial in many formats. It appears reasonably 'advanced' and doesn't 
    have any hand-holding explanations. The quality of the english is not
    good.

  http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/security/library/s-netip/?t=gr,lnxw914=netIpt
    A reasonably looking article. Tells how to install iptables. Some good 
    examples of iptables command lines.

  http://testweb.oofle.com/iptables/index.htm
    Some basic but short information about iptables

  http://www.spotswood-computer.net/present/iptables2.html
    A lengthy, chatty style article. The usual aggressive, apocalyptic attitude
    but seems to contain valuable info and script snippets. Really not a bad
    article to start with. Includes some links to other resources.

  http://www.netfilter.org/
    Perhaps the home page for iptables

  http://www.netfilter.org/documentation/HOWTO//packet-filtering-HOWTO.html
    A 'howto' about packet filtering

  http://www.wallfire.org
    who knows what this is.



 SOME NOTES

    iptables does not really seem that hard, although a more detailed
    knowledge of tcp/ip is possibly required to understand its subtleties.

    On the Ella Associates American RedHat Linux Server there is some 
    program which is dynamically creating iptable rules in 'real-time'.
    In other words, if somebody sends unfriendly packets to  the Server
    new iptable rules get added to block that source address. I do not
    know what program is doing this.
    
