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This question was marked on hold.

According to the guidelines "servers operating as a router/switch/firewall;" is explicitly on topic here. Just because this question contains the words "VM" and config does not mean that the question is not about how to turn my server into a router.

Are we saying certain words are off limits?

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  • Does you "router" meet the caveat of the manufacturer offering optional, paid support? Also, I see no mention of routing software (OSPF, BGP, etc.). Did you look at this meta post?
    – Ron Maupin Mod
    Jul 24, 2018 at 14:37
  • Understand that your question is probably going to just languish here with no response, but if you ask it on the proper SE site, with the proper experts, you should get a response.
    – Ron Maupin Mod
    Jul 24, 2018 at 14:38
  • That is okay. I am just trying to figure out what is and is not on topic. From my understanding, this channel arose out of server fault in order to tackle questions specific to network engineering. My question is about how to route packets through my server. I am unsure if I need "routing software" (perhaps thats my answer), but if a router is simply a network device that forwards traffic from one network to another, then my computer acting as the network device is of no concern.
    – cg14
    Jul 24, 2018 at 14:52
  • I do, however, understand home networking questions, which words like my indicate, are off topic, but my question is in actuality about development for an enterprise system being tested on my local machine. Just because the development is occurring on my computer, does not mean the question is not about routing tunneled packets through a computer, which can be extensible for any system, including enterprise systems. Is it certain words that make a question off topic, or is the actual question off topic?
    – cg14
    Jul 24, 2018 at 14:55
  • This site arose from Server Fault to answer questions about professionally managed networks in a business environment, using professional network equipment. As the linked meta post indicates, we do not deal with routing/bridging to/from VMs inside a host, and there is the caveat about the manufacturer offering optional paid support. Be sure to read the answer that explains the on- and off-topic aspects of VMs.
    – Ron Maupin Mod
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:00
  • I did read the link you posted, and it was informative. But the fact that I am using a VM is irrelevant. The question is about trying to forward packets using iptables and network interfaces of a server, that is to run in a business environment on "professional network equipment".
    – cg14
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:03
  • If that is off topic, then the on topic guidelines need to remove: "servers operating as a router/switch/firewall" from the list of on topic.
    – cg14
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:06
  • Unfortunately, iptables is not on-topic here any more than Windows firewall configurations would be. It is a Linux command, and I don't see how the manufacturer offers optional, paid support for that. SE offers multiple sites (Unix & Linux, Server Fault, Super User, etc.) where iptables configurations would be on-topic. The fact is that you are unlikely to get and answer on Network Engineering. I want you to get an answer, but history has proved you are on the wrong site.
    – Ron Maupin Mod
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:07
  • Questions about "servers operating as a router/switch/firewall" are often on-topic here. For example, pfSense. You can run the manufacturer-supported software on a server. I believe Juniper, Cisco, etc. also offer supported software for a server, as well as the GNS3 option mentioned in the meta post that can be used to model networks.
    – Ron Maupin Mod
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:09
  • So becuase iptables is a built in firewall utility of the device, it makes it off topic for network engineering? You keep using the phrase "manufacturer offers optional, paid support for that", which I assume is a community consensus. Perhaps that phrase should go onto the on-topic guidelines page. But I agree, "as history has proved" I am ironically on the wrong site for network engineering questions.
    – cg14
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:17
  • "Perhaps that phrase should go onto the on-topic guidelines page." It is one of the two caveats on the page. The fact is that the host/server OS, and its utilities, are off-topic here. Manufacturer supported router/bridge/firewall software on your server is what is on-topic, and there are multiple options for that.
    – Ron Maupin Mod
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:21
  • Ah I see those two bullet points are logically "and" together, instead of "or".
    – cg14
    Jul 24, 2018 at 15:25

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