Patent ID: 7299353

Claim:
A firewall system for interconnecting a first IP network to a second IP network, wherein a data packet transmitted or received by the first IP network is filtered by using a first firewall function and a data packet transmitted or received by the second IP network is filtered by using a second firewall function, the firewall system comprising: a console port for enabling an administrator to administer each lP network and to enter filtering rules for updating the associated firewall function; control means for interconnecting to the console port; a firewall device in communication with the console port, and comprising a filtering means for performing both the first firewall function and the second firewall function, and for transmitting filtering rules so that each administrator of the first IP network and the second IP network independently manages their respective networks from the console port; wherein the filtering means further comprises a first filtering unit for performing the first filtering function and a second filtering unit for performing the second firewall function; and a second network address translation unit interconnected between the second IP network and the second filtering unit for changing a destination IP address of a packet transmitted to the second IP network and for changing the source IP address of a packet received from the second IP network.