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    [SOLVED] Curious Floating Rules Behavior

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Firewalling
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    • DerelictD
      Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
      last edited by

      When testing the OUT direction on the floating rule, packets originating from the OPT to the LAN station DROP - because they are OUT[side] relative the the LAN.

      When testing the ANY direction on the floating rule, packets originating from the OPT to the LAN station DROP - because they include packets that are OUT[side] relative the the LAN.

      When testing the IN direction on the floating rule, packets originating from the OPT to the LAN station PASS - because they are not OUT[side] relative the the LAN (i.e. the rule simply doesn't apply).

      You are simply not getting it. The reason the packets are dropped in the first two examples is because your floating rule catches the traffic (actually the state creation) as it leaves the LAN interface OUTBOUND.

      The reason the packets are not dropped in the third case is because the state creation is inbound on OPT1 (passed by the any/any rule there) and outbound on LAN. Your floating rule here is for LAN inbound. That would catch states created BY LAN hosts (LAN in), not TO LAN hosts (LAN out).

      Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
      A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
      DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
      Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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      • K
        Kryptos1
        last edited by

        @Derelict:

        The reason the packets are dropped in the first two examples is because your floating rule catches the traffic (actually the state creation) as it leaves the LAN interface OUTBOUND.

        Cannot possibly be correct because the packet didnt "leave" the LAN at all - that was the whole point of the test. They "left" the OPT1 and matched the floating rule because it was OUTside relative to the interface.

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        • DerelictD
          Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
          last edited by

          Of course they didn't leave LAN. They were blocked by the firewall so the state was never created.

          Let's get some terminology clear:

          inside/outside

          LAN/Trusted –- inside --- FIREWALL --- outside --- Internet/Untrusted

          inbound (ingress) / outbound (egress)

          inbound  --->|
                      | Interface
          outbound <--

          Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
          A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
          DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
          Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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          • K
            Kryptos1
            last edited by

            @Derelict:

            Of course they didn't leave LAN. They were blocked by the firewall so the state was never created.

            Let's get some terminology clear:

            inside/outside

            LAN/Trusted –- inside --- FIREWALL --- outside --- Internet/Untrusted

            inbound (ingress) / outbound (egress)

            inbound  --->|
                        | Interface
            outbound <--

            The drawing posted by johnpoz is spot on. However, it seems you guys both believe that "OUT" means "OUTbound" (or egress). "OUT" is the direction of packets relative to the interface, its is not "egress" at all.. So in my case, packets sent from the raspberry pi were OUTside relative to the LAN.

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            • DerelictD
              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
              last edited by

              OUTSIDE is a location
              OUTBOUND is a direction

              Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
              A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
              DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
              Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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              • K
                Kryptos1
                last edited by

                @Derelict:

                OUTSIDE is a location
                OUTBOUND is a direction

                Whatever the case, "OUT" is neither egress traffic nor is it "OUTbound" traffic. It is traffic that is relative to the interface thats been selected.  I agree with johnpoz's drawing 100%.

                Home_Lab2.jpg
                Home_Lab2.jpg_thumb

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                • DerelictD
                  Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                  last edited by

                  Exactly. You seem to confuse ingress/egress with inside/outside. That is only true when you are talking about the WAN interfaces.

                  Traffic from LAN hosts INGRESSES the firewall on its way INBOUND into the LAN interface. Reply traffic for those connections EGRESSES the LAN interface on its way back OUTBOUND to the LAN hosts - relative to the LAN interface.

                  The only problem here is your failure to properly comprehend these terms in English as they relate to common usage when describing firewall behavior.

                  There is nothing at all curious about the floating rule behavior you have described.

                  Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                  A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                  DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                  Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                  • K
                    Kryptos1
                    last edited by

                    @Derelict:

                    Exactly. You seem to confuse ingress/egress with inside/outside. That is only true when you are talking about the WAN interfaces.

                    The drawings and tests I performed are 100% on. The confusion regarding IN,OUT,ANY direction is because of people citing it OUT as OUTbound/egress traffic when it is not.

                    @Derelict:

                    Traffic from LAN hosts INGRESSES the firewall on its way INBOUND into the LAN interface.

                    Agree 100%

                    @Derelict:

                    Reply traffic for those connections EGRESSES the LAN interface on its way back OUTBOUND to the LAN hosts - relative to the LAN interface.

                    Test # 2 was the complete opposite and while I agree with your use of terms, the 'EGRESS" traffic you're referring to has nothing to do with the OUT direction.

                    @Derelict:

                    The only problem here is your failure to properly comprehend these terms in English as they relate to common usage when describing firewall behavior.

                    This is as backwards as the terms being discussed.  EGRESS has nothing to do with OUT under floating rules.

                    @Derelict:

                    There is nothing at all curious about the floating rule behavior you have described.

                    I didn't…

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                    • DerelictD
                      Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                      last edited by

                      The drawings and tests I performed are 100% on. The confusion regarding IN,OUT,ANY direction is because of people citing it OUT as OUTbound/egress traffic when it is not.

                      Yes it is, relative to the interface. That is why you select an INTERFACE and a DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THAT INTERFACE.

                      Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                      A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                      DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                      Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                      • K
                        Kryptos1
                        last edited by

                        @Derelict:

                        The drawings and tests I performed are 100% on. The confusion regarding IN,OUT,ANY direction is because of people citing it OUT as OUTbound/egress traffic when it is not.

                        Yes it is, relative to the interface. That is why you select an INTERFACE and a DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THAT INTERFACE.

                        OUT is not "egress/outbound" traffic. Think about what you're saying above. If you agree with me that that OUT,IN,ANY are DIRECTION(s) RELATIVE TO an INTERFACE selected, then you cannot possibly say that "OUT" is egress or outbound without contradicting yourself. "OUT" is not outbound traffic

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                        • DerelictD
                          Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                          last edited by

                          I am done. Someone else's turn.

                          Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                          A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                          DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                          Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                          • K
                            Kryptos1
                            last edited by

                            @Derelict:

                            I am done. Someone else's turn.

                            I think you have finally seen the difference and might be too proud to admit it. Don't beat yourself up because I confused "OUT" as being associated with OUTbound/egress for years until I finally sat down and went through those tests I posted. I see you and johnpoz have many postings in these forums and its great to have people actively helping one another. Don't get flustered. And dont be too proud to admit you might have learned something new in this discussion.

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                            • DerelictD
                              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                              last edited by

                              Sigh.

                              Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                              A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                              DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                              Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                              • K
                                Kryptos1
                                last edited by

                                @Derelict:

                                Sigh.

                                ditto

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                                • K
                                  Kryptos1
                                  last edited by

                                  @Derelict:

                                  Sigh.

                                  Lots of people have holes in their firewall configs for the very reasons being discussed here."OUT" is the direction of packets relative to the interface.

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                                  • DerelictD
                                    Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                                    last edited by

                                    Now you seem to be equating "egress" with "traveling from the inside to the outside. From the trusted to the untrusted. From the LAN to the WAN/Internet."

                                    That is not it at all. "ingress" is "INto an interface." WAN or LAN, inside or outside, doesn't matter. It is traffic received by an interface coming into (aka ingressing) the firewall.

                                    "egress" is "OUT of an interface." WAN or LAN, inside or outside, doesn't matter. It is traffic transmitted by an interface going out of (aka eggressing) the firewall.

                                    Look at this again - Really, honestly look at it:

                                    inside/outside

                                    LAN/Trusted –- inside --- FIREWALL --- outside --- Internet/Untrusted

                                    inbound (ingress) / outbound (egress)

                                    inbound  --->|
                                                | Interface
                                    outbound <--

                                    You insist on using nonstandard terms. I have been trying to get on the same terminology for several posts.

                                    No, I don't need your money. I know I am correct. Use it to buy a dictionary.

                                    Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                                    A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                                    DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                                    Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                                    • K
                                      Kryptos1
                                      last edited by

                                      @Derelict:

                                      "egress" is "OUT of an interface." WAN or LAN, inside or outside, doesn't matter. It is traffic transmitted by an interface going out of (aka eggressing) the firewall.

                                      So long as you don't associate the above as having anything to do with the "OUT" direction under floating rules, then I agree. If you're saying that it does and that "OUT" is OUTbound/egress traffic then it's simply not correct. And this confusion keeps perpetuating on these forums because people are posting stuff they dont really understand.

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                                      • DerelictD
                                        Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                                        last edited by

                                        That is exactly what it means in floating rules. That is exactly what your tests showed.

                                        Maybe I will take that $500. Let's make that 0.0625 bitcoin before you try to pay in zim dollars or something.

                                        Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                                        A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                                        DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                                        Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                                        • K
                                          Kryptos1
                                          last edited by

                                          @Derelict:

                                          That is exactly what it means in floating rules. That is exactly what your tests showed.

                                          Maybe I will take that $500.

                                          So just to be absolutely clear, if you're saying then that "OUT" in floating rules applies to egress/outbound traffic, then I'm all for doing a conference with you. My test #2 showed that OUT is NOT egress outbound traffic - it is the direction of traffic relative to the interface. So if you'r still up fo it citing "Maybe I will take that $500." lets arrange for a time this weekend or next.

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                                          • DerelictD
                                            Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
                                            last edited by

                                            See there you go again. Can you not read? We are both saying that OUT is RELATIVE TO THE INTERFACE. You keep bandying about this nonsense about "egress outbound traffic."

                                            Please define "egress outbound traffic" so everyone knows wtf you are talking about.

                                            There is a diagram in my signature. Use that as a reference when you describe it.

                                            It is per interface, nobody has ever said any different.

                                            Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                                            A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                                            DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                                            Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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