arptables

Additional Notes

arptables manages filtering rules for ARP packets. It is a specialized legacy tool, similar in style to iptables, but focused on ARP traffic.

It is mostly used in bridge, virtualization, anti-spoofing, or older network security setups. Modern systems may use nftables or bridge filtering instead.

Syntax

arptables [options] -A chain rule
arptables [options] -L [chain]

Parameters

• chain: ARP filtering chain such as INPUT, OUTPUT, or FORWARD.
• rule: Match and target expression.
• options: List, append, delete, flush, and policy controls.

Common Options

• -L: List rules.
• -n: Numeric output.
• -v: Verbose output.
• -A CHAIN: Append a rule.
• -D CHAIN NUM: Delete a rule by number.
• -F: Flush rules.
• -P CHAIN TARGET: Set default policy.

Examples

sudo arptables -L -n -v

List ARP filtering rules.

sudo arptables -F

Flush ARP rules. Use carefully.

sudo arptables -A INPUT --source-ip 192.168.1.10 -j DROP

Drop ARP packets matching a source IP.

Practical Notes

• This is a specialized firewall tool; most users do not need it.
• Rule mistakes can break local network communication.
• Check whether your distribution expects nftables instead.