iptables is built on top of netfilter, the packet alteration framework for Linux 2.4.x and 2.6.x. It is a major rewrite of its predecessor ipchains, and is used to control packet filtering, Network Address Translation (masquerading, portforwarding, transparent proxying), and special effects such as packet mangling.
f38274d992d16220373422c33ba39247b154cd1f4fe5245950596b1602185b6f