[WBEL-users] iptables pre and post routing confusion

[fefe@fefe.2y.net]

Hey all,

I'm a bit confused, I understand what the prerouting rules and postrouting
rules are for but I dont understand when each part comes to play ie
prerouting to postrouting. When does prerouting happen, and what needs to 
happen
before it happends? when the does kernel come to play? Is there a good
book for this? or can someone explain in detail what happends to a packet
when going through different nat/routers and what rules can be thrown into
my linux firewall.

Also, maybe a myth but I've heard with the wrong nat router settings
someone can use your linux nat router as a gateway and masquerade as you.
Is this just sillyness? I think I need a book that explains this stuff
from the beginning of the formation of a packet all the way to reaching my
machine inside my network and then back the other direction.

Eric