User guide

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A filtering rule
The criteria are based on information contained in the packets. A filter is simply a rule that
prescribes certain actions based on certain conditions. For example, the following rule
qualifies as a filter:
“Block all Telnet attempts that originate from the remote host 199.211.211.17.”
This rule applies to Telnet packets that come from a host with the IP address
199.211.211.17. If a match occurs, the packet is blocked.
Here is what this rule looks like
when implemented as a filter in
Netopia Firmware Version 7.6.1:
To understand this particular fil-
ter, look at the parts of a filter.
Parts of a filter
A filter consists of criteria based
on packet attributes. A typical fil-
ter can match a packet on any
one of the following attributes:
The source IP address and sub-
net mask (where the packet was
sent from)
The destination IP address and
subnet mask (where the packet
is going)
The TOS bit setting of the
packet. Certain types of IP pack-
ets, such as voice or multimedia
packets, are sensitive to delays
introduced by the network. A delay-sensitive packet is identified by a special low-latency
setting called the TOS bit. It is important for such packets to be received rapidly or the
quality of service degrades.
The type of higher-layer Internet protocol the packet is carrying, such as TCP or UDP