I'm a newbie and have a broadband connection and am paranoid about hackers. Can someone tell wether mandrake linux already has a firewall built in? Or how I can setup one?

Thanks to all who answer.

iptables is the firewall built-in subsystem of kernel 2.4 (Linux).

Which version of Mandrake are you using ?
Mandrake 9.1 has two tools which can help you quickly secure your system (DrakSec and DrakFirewall)
http://doc.mandrakelinux.com/Mandrak...-security.html


If you want to setup iptables manually, take a look at the documentation and tutorials on
Netfilter / iptables
http://www.netfilter.org/

However, if you want a GUI tool (which interacts with iptables), try one of the following:
http://firestarter.sourceforge.net/
http://www.shorewall.net/
http://www.ipcop.org/
http://www.fwbuilder.org/

I believe shorwall is installed by default with mandrake 9.1, either that or it installs with webmin, but that is the default GUI I was supplied with when I installed 9.1

I recommend Shorewall. Hands down..

This is a great firewall. Very scalable, from the simplest of networks with only 2 or 3 pc's behind the Internet connection, to large production environments. Very flexible in how you can configure rule sets. Statefull inspection of packets. Great Web site thats continually updated with the newest up-to-date info. Tons of FAQ's and other info. Everything you need is on that site pertaining to almost any question that you would have.Easy to setup, especially in your situation with the network setup that appear to you have.
Awesome mailing list with very good response times.

If your interested in installing this let me know and I will help get you up and running with everything being denied in and everything allowed out.
You can tighten security down as you see fit after that.

Can't go wrong with this firewall.

Go ahead and take a gander at http://www.shorewall.net.

This is iptables made easy, no doubt.

I'd also like to make a pitch for Guarddog (http://www.simonzone.com/software/guarddog/) which I actually discovered from a different thread on this forum.

Read this thread http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=87273 and then take 5 minutes to read Guarddog's online manual.

Love it!

http://www.hideaway.net/iptables/

iptables generator... not so bad at all, I still suggest you take 1-2 day to read everything about firewalls with IPTABLES on google You'll gather a lot of tricks here and there...

important things to do first anyways is to block EVERYTHING IN ex:
DROP all INPUT on ETH0 (it's not a command line, eth0 being your internet NIC)

Then you open ports you want ppl to reach ex: you have a web server, open 80... you use a DHCP, ports UDP 67-68, so on.

Just installed Firestarter.Much better than Guarddog in Kde Mandrake 9.1.

Only question again .)

How do i set Firestarter to run on boot time?
Without Root permission.

Thanks for helpful reply.

Sorry Wannalearnlinux,

But I'm not familar with that firewall what so ever. I would join there mailing list if they have one. That is the best thing to do once you install any utilities like this. Getting help from this list for Firestarter issues I would think would be slow going. It's definitely in your best interests to join up to the Firestarter users mailing list. I would think that they would have one.

Good luck buddy.

I wish I could've been more help.

hi there,

I think i like Firestar because it only one i isntalled and works

Anyway I've heard a lot about Shorewall.Does it work under Gui either?Because I'm newbie as you know and it is much easier for me than Iptables.

i mean for now.Some day I'll learn IPtables.

See you around,

WannaLearnLinux

No,
Shorewall isn't gui.

You have to modify shell scripts.

this is problem for me.Not Gui things.I'm newbie as s*it .)

I'll stay with Firestar for now and later I'll try probably better firewalls then the one I;m using for now.

Cool,

Good luck..