Firestarter

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Firestarter is a personal firewall configuration utility that can be used instead of Guarddog, which is the default firewall utility provided by MEPIS. Firestarter provides a GUI to configure rules and settings in iptables, the firewall that comes with Linux kernel. It monitors all network traffic for the system in real time, and provides port forwarding, internet connection sharing and DHCP service.

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Comparison with Guarddog

Like Guarddog, installed by default with MEPIS, Firestarter makes it easier for the user to configure the firewall.
Advantages compared to Guarddog:

  • Easier configuration.
  • Displays realtime the network connection.
  • Blacklisting and whitelisting of incoming and outgoing connections.

Disadvantages compared to Guarddog:

  • Can only be configured for one interface at a time, making it difficult if you switch regularly between wired and wireless.
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Installation

Firestarter can be installed through Synaptic, or by opening up a terminal and typing as root: 

apt-get install firestarter
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Configuration

To get started, see this tutorial. A manual can be downloaded here.

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When to run Firestarter

You don't need to open Firestarter (i.e. the GUI program) unless you want to monitor connections and events or make changes...the firewall runs in the background. To check it is running: open up a terminal and type as root the following command: 

/etc/init.d/firestarter status

The output should be: 

 * Firestarter is running...
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Using both Guarddog and Firestarter

Both Guarddog and Firestarter are GUI programs which manipulate the iptables. You can have both installed and can use either one at any time, but do not use them both at the SAME time to avoid possibly corrupting the iptables.

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