Protocol - Rule Classification

Introduction

Each stream has an associated protocol that determines the method used to transmit the traffic. Protocols define strict conventions for how the data is packaged and the systems used to ensure faultless delivery.

Rules allow you to specify which protocol is to be processed. They also provide criteria related to the protocol such as source and destination address, ports and acknowledgement prioritization as used with TCP.

Usage

The protocol can be set by selecting the appropriate entry from the rule classification window. All traffic streams that use the selected protocol at layer 3 will be filtered by the rule.

A setting of 'Any' enables filtering for all traffic types, regardless of protocol. 'Other' is used for traffic that does not fall under any of the pre-defined protocols such as IGMP and RSVP.

When the field is set to IP it filters all traffic that is based on that protocol such as TCP, UDP. Port criteria cannot be set for rules that use IP because they relate specifically to either TCP or UDP. To set port information the protocol must be set to TCP or UDP.

Extra protocol-specific criteria are available when using IP, TCP or UDP:

• Local Address - Specifies the IP address used by the protocol for computers on the local network. This option is available in the Local Endpoint window for IP, TCP and UDP.
• Local Port - Specifies the port used by local computers in the Local Endpoint window for TCP and UDP.
• Remote Address - Specifies the IP address used by the protocol for websites and other remote hosts. Available in the Remote Endpoint window for IP, TCP and UDP.
• Remote Port - Specifies the TCP port used by remote computers, often used as the server port for the connection. This option is available in the Remote Endpoint window for TCP and UDP.
• TCP Acknowledgement Prioritization - Enables faster processing for TCP control data. Available in the Advanced Processing tab for the rule for TCP.

User Interface

The protocol field is accessible through the properties window for the rule under the Classify tab:

Specifications