Add layer 3 physical interfaces for NGFW Engines in the Firewall/VPN role

A layer 3 physical interface represents an actual network port on the engine.

Layer 3 physical interfaces correspond to network ports on the NGFW Engine. The number of defined layer 3 physical interfaces can be lower than the number of network ports on the hardware.

By default, the numbering of the layer 3 physical interfaces in the Management Client corresponds to the operating system interface numbering on the engine. For example, Interface ID 0 is mapped to eth0 and ID 1 to eth1. However, the mapping is not fixed and you can change it through the engine command line. See the relevant Hardware Guide for details about which Interface IDs to map with which network ports. On Firewall Clusters, this mapping can be done differently from node to node. You must take care that the interface that represents the same network interface on each node is correctly cabled to the same network.

An interface of the type None represents a single network port on the engine. An Aggregated Link represents two or more network ports on the engine. An Aggregated Link in high-availability mode provides protection against hardware failure. You can also use an Aggregated Link in load-balancing mode to increase throughput. You can combine two network ports in an Aggregated Link in high-availability mode. You can combine up to eight network ports in an Aggregated Link in load-balancing mode.

Note: We recommend that you do not use the IP address of an Aggregated Link interface as the primary or secondary control IP address of the NGFW Engine.

For more details about the product and how to configure features, click Help or press F1.

Steps

Right-click a Single Firewall or Firewall Cluster and select Edit <element type>.
In the navigation pane on the left, select Interfaces.
Right-click the empty space and select New > Layer 3 Physical Interface.
Define the interface properties.
Click OK.
Continue the configuration in one of the following ways:
- If you want to use VLANs, add the VLANs before adding IP addresses.
- Otherwise, add IP addresses directly to the layer 3 physical interfaces.

Layer 3 Physical Interface Properties dialog box (Firewall)

Use this dialog box to define the Layer 3 Physical Interface properties for a Single Firewall or Firewall Cluster.

Note: The available options can vary depending on the type of Firewall.

Option	Definition
General tab
Interface ID	The Interface ID automatically maps to a physical network port of the same number during the initial configuration of the NGFW Engine. The mapping can be changed as necessary through command-line tools. Note: For Master NGFW Engines, changes to the interface mapping do not affect the Interface IDs that are defined for Virtual NGFW Engines in Virtual Resource elements.
Type	None — Corresponds to a single network interface on the NGFW Engine. Aggregated Link in High Availability Mode — Represents two interfaces on the NGFW Engine. Only the first interface in the aggregated link is actively used. The second interface becomes active only if the first interface fails. Connect the first interface to one external switch and the second interface to another external switch. Note: When you select a Virtual Resource for an interface in the Master NGFW Engine, two Physical Interfaces are created in the Virtual Firewall properties. Each interface in the aggregated link interface pair is represented by a separate Physical Interface in the Virtual Firewall properties. Aggregated Link in Load Balancing Mode — Represents up to eight interfaces on the NGFW Engine. The interfaces in the aggregated link are actively used and connections are automatically balanced between the interfaces. This mode is implemented based on the IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation standard. Connect the interfaces to a single external switch. Make sure that the external switch supports the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) and that LACP is configured on the switch. Note: We recommend that you do not use the IP address of an Aggregated Link interface as the primary or secondary control IP address of the NGFW Engine.
Second Interface ID	(When Type is Aggregated Link in High Availability Mode) The second interface in the aggregated link for high availability Mode.
Additional Interface(s)	(When Type is Aggregated Link in Load Balancing Mode) Lists interfaces that you have added for an aggregated link. Click Add to add a row to the table, or Remove to remove the selected row.
MTU (Optional)	The maximum transmission unit (MTU) size on the connected link. Either enter a value between 400–65535 or select a common MTU value from the list. If the interface is a Physical Interface, the same MTU is automatically applied to any VLANs created under it. The default value (also the maximum standard MTU in Ethernet) is 1500. Do not set a value larger than the standard MTU, unless you know that all devices along the communication path support it. To set the MTU for a Virtual NGFW Engine, you must configure the MTU for the interface on the Master NGFW Engine that hosts the Virtual NGFW Engine, then refresh the policy on the Master NGFW Engine and the Virtual NGFW Engine.
LLDP Mode	Specifies how LLDP is used on the interface. Disabled — LLDP is not used. Receive Only — The interface only receives LLDP announcements from other directly connected devices in the network. Send and Receive — The interface sends LLDP announcements from the NGFW Engine and receives LLDP announcements from other directly connected devices in the network. Send Only — The interface only sends LLDP announcements from the NGFW Engine.
Comment (Optional)	A comment for your own reference.

Option	Definition
Clustering section (Optional) (Firewall Clusters only)
CVI Mode (Optional)	None — No CVI mode is used. Unicast MAC — Enter a unicast MAC address (even number as the first octet). Multicast MAC — Enter a multicast MAC address (odd number as the first octet). Multicast with IGMP — Enter a multicast address, that is, an IP address from the range 224.0.0.0-239.255.255.255. The address is used for automatically calculating a MAC address. Packet Dispatch — Enter a unicast MAC address (even number as the first octet). Note: Unless you have a specific reason to use some other setting, use the default Packet Dispatch setting. The Packet Dispatch mode is the best choice in most environments.
MAC Address	Enter a MAC address for the Cluster Virtual IP Address. Do not use the MAC address of any actual network card on any of the nodes.
Multicast Address	(When CVI Mode is Multicast with IGMP) Enter a multicast address.

Option	Definition
QoS Mode (Optional)	Defines how QoS is applied to the link on this interface. If Full QoS or DSCP Handling and Throttling is selected, a QoS policy must also be selected. If Full QoS is selected, the throughput must also be defined. If the interface is a Physical Interface, the same QoS mode is automatically applied to any VLANs created under it.
QoS Policy	(When QoS Mode is Full QoS or DSCP Handling and Throttling) The QoS policy for the link on this interface. If the interface is a Physical Interface, the same QoS policy is automatically selected for any VLANs created under it. Note: If a Virtual Resource has a throughput limit defined, the interfaces on the Virtual NGFW Engine that use a QoS policy all use the same policy. The policy used in the first interface is used for all the interfaces.
Interface Throughput Limit	(When QoS Mode is Full QoS) Enter the throughput for the link on this interface as megabits per second. If the interface is a Physical Interface, the same throughput is automatically applied to any VLANs created under it. The throughput is for uplink speed (outgoing traffic) and typically must correspond to the speed of an Internet link (such as an ADSL line), or the combined speeds of several such links when connected to a single interface. CAUTION: Make sure that you set the interface speed correctly. When the bandwidth is set, the NGFW Engine always scales the total amount of traffic on this interface to the bandwidth you defined. This scaling happens even if there are no bandwidth limits or guarantees defined for any traffic. CAUTION: The throughput for a Physical Interface for a Virtual NGFW Engine must not be higher than the throughput for the Master NGFW Engine interface that hosts the Virtual NGFW Engine. Contact the administrator of the Master NGFW Engine before changing this setting.

Option

Definition

QoS Mode

(Optional)

Defines how QoS is applied to the link on this interface.

If Full QoS or DSCP Handling and Throttling is selected, a QoS policy must also be selected. If Full QoS is selected, the throughput must also be defined.

If the interface is a Physical Interface, the same QoS mode is automatically applied to any VLANs created under it.

QoS Policy

(When QoS Mode is Full QoS or DSCP Handling and Throttling)

The QoS policy for the link on this interface.

If the interface is a Physical Interface, the same QoS policy is automatically selected for any VLANs created under it.

Note: If a Virtual Resource has a throughput limit defined, the interfaces on the Virtual NGFW Engine that use a QoS policy all use the same policy. The policy used in the first interface is used for all the interfaces.

Interface Throughput Limit

(When QoS Mode is Full QoS)

Enter the throughput for the link on this interface as megabits per second.

If the interface is a Physical Interface, the same throughput is automatically applied to any VLANs created under it.

The throughput is for uplink speed (outgoing traffic) and typically must correspond to the speed of an Internet link (such as an ADSL line), or the combined speeds of several such links when connected to a single interface.

CAUTION:

Make sure that you set the interface speed correctly. When the bandwidth is set, the NGFW Engine always scales the total amount of traffic on this interface to the bandwidth you defined. This scaling happens even if there are no bandwidth limits or guarantees defined for any traffic.

CAUTION:

The throughput for a Physical Interface for a Virtual NGFW Engine must not be higher than the throughput for the Master NGFW Engine interface that hosts the Virtual NGFW Engine. Contact the administrator of the Master NGFW Engine before changing this setting.

Option	Definition
DHCPv4 or DHCPv6 tab
DHCP Mode	Select the DHCP mode: Disabled — DHCP relay is disabled. DHCP Relay — Enables DHCP relay on the interface. DHCP Server (DHCPv4 only) — Activates the integrated DHCP server on the interface.

Option	Definition
DHCPv4 or DHCPv6 tab, DHCPv4 Relay or DHCPv6 Relay settings (When DHCP Mode is DHCPv4 Relay or DHCPv6 Relay)
Resources section. Add elements from this list to the list in the Content section. Click Add to add an element to the list, or Remove to remove the selected element. You can also drag and drop elements.
Filter	Allows you to filter the elements shown.
Up	Navigates up one level in the navigation hierarchy. Not available at the top level of the navigation hierarchy.
Tools	A menu that contains various options, such as for creating new elements or showing elements that have been moved to the Trash.
Max Packet Size	Set the maximum allowed packet size.
DHCP Relay	Select the CVI or IP address you want to use for DHCP relay.
Trusted Circuit	When selected, DHCP relay agents that terminate switched or permanent circuits and can identify the remote host end of the circuit are allowed to add the Remote-ID option to the DHCP messages before relaying them.

Option	Definition
DHCPv4 tab, DHCPv4 Server settings (When DHCP Mode is DHCPv4 Server)
DHCP Address range	Defines the DHCP address range that the Firewall assigns to clients in one of the following ways: Select — Allows you to select an address range element. Address — Allows you to enter a single IP address or an IP address range. On Firewall Clusters, the DHCP address range is automatically divided between the nodes. Note: The DHCP address range must be in the same network space defined for the Physical Interface. The DHCP address range must not contain the Firewall's NDI or CVI addresses or broadcast IP addresses of networks behind the Firewall.
Primary DNS Server	Enter the primary DNS server IP address that clients use to resolve domain names. If there is a listening IP address for DNS Relay on the same interface, clients use the DNS services provided by the firewall by default. If you want clients to use a different external DNS server, enter the IP address of the external DNS server.
Secondary DNS Server	Enter the secondary DNS server IP address that clients use to resolve domain names.
Primary WINS Server	Enter the primary WINS server IP address that clients use to resolve NetBIOS computer names.
Secondary WINS Server	Enter the secondary WINS server IP address that clients use to resolve NetBIOS computer names.
Default Gateway	Enter the IP address through which traffic from clients is routed.
Default Lease Time	Enter the time after which IP addresses assigned to clients must be renewed.
Domain Name Search List (Optional)	Enter a comma-separated Domain Name Search List to configure DNS search suffixes.
Override DHCP Ranges per Node (Firewall Clusters only)	Enter the DHCP address range for each node. CAUTION: Enter unique ranges for each node. Overlapping ranges can cause IP address duplication.

Option	Definition
Advanced tab (All optional settings)
Override Engine's Default Settings	When selected, the default settings of the NGFW Engine are overridden.
SYN Rate Limits	Default — The interface uses the SYN rate limits defined for the NGFW Engine on the Advanced Settings branch of the Engine Editor. None — Disables SYN rate limits on the interface. Automatic — This is the recommended mode if you want to override the general SYN rate limits defined on the Advanced Settings branch of the Engine Editor. The NGFW Engine calculates the number of allowed SYN packets per second and the burst size (the number of allowed SYNs before the NGFW Engine starts limiting the SYN rate) based on the NGFW Engine’s capacity and memory size. Custom — Enter the values for Allowed SYNs per Second and Burst Size.
Allowed SYNs per Second	Defines the number of allowed SYN packets per second.
Burst Size	The number of allowed SYNs before the NGFW Engine starts limiting the SYN rate. We recommend that you set the burst size to be at least one tenth of the Allowed SYNs per Second value. If the burst size is too small, SYN rate limits do not work. For example, if the value for Allowed SYNs per Second is 10000, set the value for Burst Size to at least 1000.
Enable Log Compression	By default, each generated Antispoofing and Discard log entry is logged separately and displayed as a separate entry in the Logs view. Log Compression settings allow you to define the maximum number of separately logged entries. When the defined limit is reached, a single antispoofing log entry or Discard log entry is logged. The single entry contains information about the total number of the generated Antispoofing log entries or Discard log entries. After this log entry, the logging returns to normal and all generated entries are once more logged and displayed separately. Log Compression is useful when the routing configuration generates a large volume of antispoofing logs or the number of Discard logs becomes high. For each event type, Antispoofing or Discard, you can define: Log Rate (Entries/s) — The maximum number of entries per second. The default value for antispoofing entries is 100 entries/s. By default, Discard log entries are not compressed. Burst Size (Entries) — The maximum number of matching entries in a single burst. The default value for antispoofing entries is 1000 entries. By default, Discard log entries are not compressed.
Set to Default	Returns all changes to the log compression settings to the default settings.
Send IPv6 Router Advertisements	When selected, the firewall offers configuration information in Router Advertisement messages to devices that connect to the same network as the firewall. Managed address configuration — When selected, the router advertisement messages that the Firewall sends instruct the hosts to use the DHCPv6 protocol to acquire IP addresses and other configuration information. Other configuration — When selected, the router advertisement messages that the Firewall sends instruct the hosts to acquire the IPv6 prefix and the default route information from the router advertisement messages, and to use the DHCPv6 protocol to acquire other configuration information (such as DNS server addresses). This option is selected by default when there is an IPv6 address on the interface.
Include Prefix Information Option	When selected, router advertisement messages include the prefix option. Only available when Send IPv6 Router Advertisements is selected. This option is selected by default when there is an IPv6 address on the interface.
Set autonomous address-configuration Flag	When selected the prefix option is sent with the autonomous address-configuration flag set to 1. Only available when Include Prefix Information Option is selected. This option is selected by default when there is an IPv6 address on the interface.
Detect Duplicate IPv6 Addresses	When selected, the firewall uses neighbor solicitation messages to detect the use of duplicate IPv6 addresses in directly connected networks.