ip-ntable
Manage IP network address translation (NAT) tables
SYNOPSIS
ip ntable { COMMAND | help }
PARAMETERS
help
Display help text.
add
Add a new NAT rule.
delete
Delete an existing NAT rule.
replace
Replace an existing NAT rule with a new one.
flush
Delete all NAT rules in a table.
list
List the NAT rules in a table.
zero
Zero the packet and byte counters for all rules.
counters
Display rule counters.
DESCRIPTION
The `ip-ntable` command is a Linux utility used to manage and interact with the Netfilter network address translation (NAT) tables. It's a part of the `iproute2` suite and provides a command-line interface to configure NAT rules, which are essential for allowing private networks to communicate with the outside world via a single public IP address.
NAT tables are used to translate IP addresses and port numbers of network packets. It allows you to modify the source or destination IP address and port numbers, essentially rewriting the packets' headers as they traverse the network.
While the older `iptables` utility also handled NAT, `ip-ntable` integrates more seamlessly with modern networking configurations and provides a more streamlined syntax for many NAT operations. It allows viewing, adding, deleting, and modifying NAT rules within the kernel's Netfilter framework. This is particularly useful in environments where you need to configure complex network setups, such as firewalls, VPNs, and load balancers.
CAVEATS
The exact syntax and options available with `ip-ntable` can vary depending on the specific kernel version and the `iproute2` suite version installed on your system. It's also important to have sufficient privileges (usually root) to execute `ip-ntable` commands, as they modify system-level network configurations.
