D-Link DFL-260E User Manual for DFL-260E - Page 140

Editing IP rule set Entries, Bi-directional Connections, Using

Page 140 highlights

3.6.4. Editing IP rule set Entries Chapter 3. Fundamentals Reject version of Reject in that no reply is sent back to the sender. It is often preferable since it gives a potential attacker no clues about what happened to their packets. This acts like Drop but will return a TCP RST or ICMP Unreachable message, informing the sending computer that the packet was dropped. This is a "polite" version of the Drop IP rule action. Reject is useful where applications that send traffic wait for a timeout to occur before realizing that the traffic was dropped. If an explicit reply is sent indicating that the traffic was dropped, the application need not wait for the timeout. Note: Some actions alter TCP sequence numbers In some situations with certain types of network equipment, the TCP sequence number needs to remain the same as data traffic traverses the firewall. It is therefore important to know that only the FwdFast action guarantees that the TCP sequence number is unaltered. Other IP rule actions, such as Allow and NAT change the TCP sequence number as traffic flows through NetDefendOS. Bi-directional Connections A common mistake when setting up IP Rules is to define two rules, one rule for traffic in one direction and another rule for traffic coming back in the other direction. In fact nearly all IP Rules types allow bi-directional traffic flow once the initial connection is set up. The Source Network and Source Interface in the rule means the source of the initial connection request. If a connection is permitted and then becomes established, traffic can flow in either direction over it. The exception to this bi-directional flow is FwdFast rules. If the FwdFast action is used, the rule will not allow traffic to flow from the destination back to the source. If bi-directional flow is required then two FwdFast rules are needed, one for either direction. This is also the case if a FwdFast rule is used with a SAT rule. Using Reject In certain situations the Reject action is recommended instead of the Drop action because a "polite" reply is required from NetDefendOS. An example of such a situation is when responding to the IDENT user identification protocol. Some applications will pause for a timeout if Drop is used and Reject can avoid such processing delays. 3.6.4. Editing IP rule set Entries After adding various rules to the rule set editing any rule can be achieved in the Web Interface by right clicking on that line. A context menu will appear with the following options: Edit Delete Disable/Enable Move options This allows the contents of the rule to be changed. This will remove the rule permanently from the rule set. This allows the rule to be disabled but left in the rule set. While disabled the rule set line will not affect traffic flow and will appear grayed out in the user interface. It can be re-enabled at any time. The last section of the context menu allows the rule to be moved to a different position in the rule set and therefore have a different precedence 140

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version of
Reject
in that no reply is sent back to the sender. It is often preferable since
it gives a potential attacker no clues about what happened to their packets.
Reject
This acts like
Drop
but will return a
TCP RST
or
ICMP Unreachable
message,
informing the sending computer that the packet was dropped. This is a "polite" version
of the
Drop
IP rule action.
Reject
is useful where applications that send traffic wait for a timeout to occur before
realizing that the traffic was dropped. If an explicit reply is sent indicating that the
traffic was dropped, the application need not wait for the timeout.
Note: Some actions alter TCP sequence numbers
In some situations with certain types of network equipment, the TCP sequence number
needs to remain the same as data traffic traverses the firewall.
It is therefore important to know that only the
FwdFast
action guarantees that the
TCP sequence number is unaltered. Other IP rule actions, such as
Allow
and
NAT
change the TCP sequence number as traffic flows through NetDefendOS.
Bi-directional Connections
A common mistake when setting up IP Rules is to define two rules, one rule for traffic in one
direction and another rule for traffic coming back in the other direction. In fact nearly all IP Rules
types allow
bi-directional
traffic flow once the initial connection is set up. The
Source Network
and
Source Interface
in the rule means the source of the initial connection request. If a connection
is permitted and then becomes established, traffic can flow in either direction over it.
The exception to this bi-directional flow is
FwdFast
rules. If the
FwdFast
action is used, the rule
will not allow traffic to flow from the destination back to the source. If bi-directional flow is
required then two
FwdFast
rules are needed, one for either direction. This is also the case if a
FwdFast
rule is used with a
SAT
rule.
Using
Reject
In certain situations the
Reject
action is recommended instead of the
Drop
action because a "polite"
reply is required from NetDefendOS. An example of such a situation is when responding to the
IDENT user identification protocol. Some applications will pause for a timeout if
Drop
is used and
Reject
can avoid such processing delays.
3.6.4. Editing IP rule set Entries
After adding various rules to the rule set editing any rule can be achieved in the Web Interface by
right clicking on that line.
A context menu will appear with the following options:
Edit
This allows the contents of the rule to be changed.
Delete
This will remove the rule permanently from the rule set.
Disable/Enable
This allows the rule to be disabled but left in the rule set. While disabled the
rule set line will not affect traffic flow and will appear grayed out in the user
interface. It can be re-enabled at any time.
Move options
The last section of the context menu allows the rule to be moved to a
different position in the rule set and therefore have a different precedence
3.6.4. Editing IP rule set Entries
Chapter 3. Fundamentals
140