User`s guide

Chapter 15 Firewalls
P-2602HWUDL-D User’s Guide
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• Allow certain types of traffic, such as Lotus Notes database synchronization, from specific
hosts on the Internet to specific hosts on the LAN.
• Allow everyone except your competitors to access a web server.
• Restrict use of certain protocols, such as Telnet, to authorized users on the LAN.
These custom rules work by comparing the source IP address, destination IP address and IP
protocol type of network traffic to rules set by the administrator. Your customized rules take
precedence and override the ZyXEL Device’s default rules.
15.3 Security Considerations
" Incorrectly configuring the firewall may block valid access or introduce security
risks to the ZyXEL Device and your protected network. Use caution when
creating or deleting firewall rules and test your rules after you configure them.
Consider these security ramifications before creating a rule:
1 Does this rule stop LAN users from accessing critical resources on the Internet? For
example, if IRC is blocked, are there users that require this service?
2 Is it possible to modify the rule to be more specific? For example, if IRC is blocked for
all users, will a rule that blocks just certain users be more effective?
3 Does a rule that allows Internet users access to resources on the LAN create a security
vulnerability? For example, if FTP ports (TCP 20, 21) are allowed from the Internet to
the LAN, Internet users may be able to connect to computers with running FTP servers.
4 Does this rule conflict with any existing rules?
Once these questions have been answered, adding rules is simply a matter of entering the
information into the correct fields in the web configurator screens..
15.4 Triangle Route
When the firewall is on, your ZyXEL Device acts as a secure gateway between your LAN and
the Internet. In an ideal network topology, all incoming and outgoing network traffic passes
through the ZyXEL Device to protect your LAN against attacks.
Figure 173 Ideal Firewall Setup
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WAN
LAN
Internet