Firewall in Linux

[JCooL]

hi there...

I'm a beginer, i want to set a computer into a firewall, could someone tellme how do this or have any material that explain me step by step, using linux Red Hat,

Thanks!

 

[flawless69]

I would say just run linux on it but use packet filtering as your firewall. You can create rules using iptables to route packets to certain IP addresses. You need 2 NICs of course. One will be hooked to outside world the other to the inside world (your firewalled computer). Thus incoming packets with your firewalled computer IP can be routed to that computer. Just make sure traffic leaving goes out through one card (eth0) and the incoming traffic leaves through the other (eth1). As far as what rules to use, you will need to look in the iptables (or ipchains if that is the firewall you use) man pages.
You may consider checking out

http://www.linuxrouter.org/

as well. This is the homepage for the linux router project which is a stripped down version of linux akeen to networking. --Derek

"Fear not the storm for this is where we grow strong."

 

[venkman]

the pmfirewall program makes automates making all these rules. If you're just using this for home use and don't have any special requirements, I would recommend downloading that.

There's also software firewalls (if you only have one computer) which don't require two nics (they just block incoming traffic on certain ports). I believe Redhat comes pre-packaged with one of these.

-Venkman

 

[christheprogrammer]

Check out the "Firewall Howto" and the "IP Chains Howto" for a start. I did this with an old 486, and it took me quite awhile - just to warn you it is not trivial if you are just learning but it is well worth it in the end - you have complete control over what comes in/goes out of your LAN. You can find the howto's by doing an internet search on Google...

Cheers Chris says: "It's time for a beer."

 

[vickersdc]

Check out IPCop...

http://www.ipcop.org

Cheers,
Dave V.

 

[Maim]

If you just want to use your machine as a firewall with nothing else being done on it (an old 486 with a 150Mb HD) have a look at

http://www.smoothwall.org.

All the administration post-install can be done over any (java enabled for the SSH console) browser.

And updates are almost instantaneous. Apache (non)bug found a few weeks ago was fixed almost immediately and handled very well by the update installer.
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rich Cook

 

[mithrilhall]

If you wanted, you could always ditch Redhat and go with Mandrake Single Network Firewall 7.2