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Date:      Fri, 17 Sep 2004 11:44:27 -0400
From:      Bill Moran <wmoran@potentialtech.com>
To:        Rob <spamrefuse@yahoo.com>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Too many dynamic rules, sorry
Message-ID:  <20040917114427.24aac112.wmoran@potentialtech.com>
In-Reply-To: <414AFA74.4070001@yahoo.com>
References:  <414A6E9C.4060708@etherealconsulting.com> <020b01c49c76$e3d1ada0$0201a8c0@dredster> <414AF79C.4030809@etherealconsulting.com> <414AFA74.4070001@yahoo.com>

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Rob <spamrefuse@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Norm Vilmer wrote:
> > Here are the rules that I have that keep-state on the outside interface:
> > 
> > #For DNS
> > add 01300 pass udp from ${oip} to any 53 keep-state
> > # For NTP
> > add 01400 pass udp from ${oip} to any 123 keep-state
> > # For VPN
> > add 01500 pass gre from any to any keep-state
> > # For ICMP
> > add 01600 pass icmp from any to any via ${oip} keep-state
> > 
> > Do you think these are causing the problem?
> 
> Aren't udp and icmp state-less protocols?
> In that case, keep-state would not make much sense.
> 
> I use 'keep-state' only for tcp rules.
> 
> I may be wrong, moreover, I haven't followed the full thread :).

You'll generally need to keep state on UDP when you play online games.

If you're smart, you don't allow arbitrary UDP packets from the outside
world into your network, but if you're playing Unreal or something, then
all communication is via UDP, and you won't be able to play.

The best solution is to allow all UDP traffic to _leave_, while keeping
state.  the keep-state remembers the ip/port information on the outgoing
packets, and thus allows return packets to get back in (by matching the
ip/port pair).

Now, when you know the port, it doesn't really make sense to use
keep-state, and all you're really doing is spamming your state tables.

If you look in the /etc/rc.firewall that ships with FreeBSD, you'll see
these rules (designed to handle running a DNS server):
        # Allow access to our DNS
        ${fwcmd} add pass tcp from any to ${oip} 53 setup
        ${fwcmd} add pass udp from any to ${oip} 53
        ${fwcmd} add pass udp from ${oip} 53 to any

Granted, it's three rules instead of 1, but it does not use your state
tables unnecessarily (sp?)

HTH.

-- 
Bill Moran
Potential Technologies
http://www.potentialtech.com



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