Knowledgebase

The firewall lets you add a protection layer on your server's network. It filters incoming connections using simple rules based on IP address, port, and protocol, and you manage all of it from this panel. Any rule you add or delete takes effect immediately.

Opening Firewall Management

There are two ways in, depending on which IP you want to manage.

For the primary IP

1. Log in to the Client Area, open Services, and select your server.
2. Expand the Network & Security section and click Firewall Management.

For any IP (primary or additional)

1. Open your server as above, expand Network & Security, and click IP Management.
2. In the IP table, click the shield icon (Firewall Management) in the actions column of the target IP.

Creating the firewall

The first time you open the page, no firewall exists yet. Click Create Firewall, confirm, and wait for the status to change to Active. You can disable or re-enable it at any time from the same page.

How a rule is built

Each rule in the firewall table has these fields:

• Priority: a number from 0 to 19 that sets the order. Rules are read from the lowest number up, and the first match wins.
• Action: Permit allows the connection, Deny blocks it.
• Protocol: TCP (most services), UDP, ICMP (ping), or IPv4 for all protocols.
• Source Address: the IP or CIDR range the rule applies to. Leave it empty to match any source (0.0.0.0/0). A single IP is stored as /32 (only that host); use a range like 192.168.1.0/24 for a whole subnet.
• Source Port: optional; leave empty in almost all cases.
• Destination Port: the port on your server, e.g. 22 for SSH or 80 for HTTP.

The Add Rule dialog also has advanced options (TCP Option and Fragments); leave them at their defaults unless you have a specific reason to change them.

Example: allow SSH (port 22) from your IP only

SSH (port 22) is how you reach your server from the command line, and leaving it open to everyone invites brute-force attempts. Two rules are enough: one that permits your own IP, and one that denies everyone else. Click Add Rule for each.

Rule 1: allow your IP

• Priority: 0 (choose the lowest available slot)
• Action: Permit
• Protocol: TCP
• Source Address: 192.0.2.10 (replace with your own IP address)
• Destination Port: 22

Rule 2: block everyone else

• Priority: 19 (choose the highest available slot)
• Action: Deny
• Protocol: TCP
• Source Address: leave it empty (applies to everyone)
• Destination Port: 22

Because Priority 0 is read before Priority 19, a connection from your IP matches the Permit rule and is allowed, while every other source reaches the Deny rule and is blocked. To allow more people later, add each Permit below the Deny rule (a lower Priority number).

Enabling and disabling

From the top of the page you can switch the firewall on or off: click Disable to suspend all rules temporarily, or Enable to apply them again. While disabled your server is unprotected, so avoid leaving it off on a production server.

Deleting a rule

Click the delete icon next to a rule and confirm. The rule is removed and the list updates on its own. If you delete a rule by mistake, just add it again.

Good to know

• The most effective step against brute-force attacks is to keep SSH (port 22, or your custom port if you changed it) open to your own IP only and denied for everyone else, exactly as in the example above.
• To allow a single machine, enter its IP (saved as /32). To allow several addresses in the same network, use a CIDR range such as 192.168.1.0/24 instead of adding each IP separately.
• Close the ports you do not use, especially management and database ports. For stronger protection, deny all incoming connections and permit only the ports you genuinely need (such as SSH from your IP, and 80 and 443 for a website).
• Give Permit rules a lower Priority number than your Deny rules, so the allow is read first.

Need a hand? Contact our support team.