Nat, mangle and Filter tables

What is the major difference, as regards to their functionality,
between filter table and nat table and Mangle table? If I configure
filter table leaving the NAT table (probably to the default that came
with a kernel 2.6) can my LAN systems receive the packets that
originated from them? Or preferably, what is the importance of NAT
table and Mangle table?

In article <(E-Mail Removed) .com>,
(E-Mail Removed) <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
:What is the major difference, as regards to their functionality,
:between filter table and nat table and Mangle table? If I configure
:filter table leaving the NAT table (probably to the default that came
:with a kernel 2.6) can my LAN systems receive the packets that
riginated from them? Or preferably, what is the importance of NAT
:table and Mangle table?

You badly need to read Oskar Andreasson's excellent IPtables Tutorial
available in several formats from

http://iptables-tutorial.frozentux.net/

--
Bob Nichols AT comcast.net I am "rnichols42"