iptables allow creation of rules to define packet filtering behavior. The most reliable way to provide an iptables ruleset in a question is with the output of (as root): iptables-save -c
According to Wikipedia:
iptables is a user space application program that allows a system administrator to configure the tables provided by the Linux kernel firewall (implemented as different Netfilter modules) and the chains and rules it stores. Different kernel modules and programs are currently used for different protocols; iptables applies to IPv4, ip6tables to IPv6, arptables to ARP, and ebtables for Ethernet frames.
Iptables requires elevated privileges to operate and must be executed by user root, otherwise it fails to function. On most Linux systems, iptables is installed as /usr/sbin/iptables and documented in its man page [2], which can be opened using man iptables when installed. It may also be found in /sbin/iptables, but since iptables is not an "essential binary", but more like a service, the preferred location remains /usr/sbin.
iptables is also commonly used to inclusively refer to the kernel-level components. x_tables is the name of the kernel module carrying the shared code portion used by all four modules that also provides the API used for extensions; subsequently, Xtables is more or less used to refer to the entire firewall (v4,v6,arp,eb) architecture.
