As discussed in our article "Why Build a Linux Firewall", there are many advantages to having a custom-built firewall appliance in your home. While these Linux distributions are easy to set up and have nice User Interfaces, they still have some problems. Not every feature of Linux is exposed in the GUI, so while these firewalls are very capable they don't allow for simple customization.

In this article we show you your options on making your network more secure, and how to preserve your online reputation with a little customization of your Linux firewall. While we use IPcop, many of these tips work on just about any firewall that uses IPtables.