
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at how to configure a Cisco router for use with a DMZ. By placing these servers in a DMZ, you can protect your internal network from attacks that target these servers. A DMZ (short for demilitarized zone) is typically used to host public-facing servers that are accessible from the Internet. In this article, we’ll show you how to configure a DMZ on a Cisco router step-by-step.īefore we get started, let’s quickly review what a DMZ is and why you might want to use one. By doing so, you can create a separate zone for public-facing services that is isolated from your internal network. If you’re looking to add an extra layer of security to your network, consider configuring a DMZ on your Cisco router. Be sure to permit only those protocols that should be allowed into the DMZĪpply the access list to the outside interface inbound trafficĬonfigure NAT (if needed) so that devices on the DMZ can communicate with devices on other networks (such as the Internet).This will ensure that traffic destined for the DMZ network will be routed through the routerĬreate an access list to allow traffic from the outside interface to reach the DMZ interface.This is the IP address that will be used by hosts on the DMZĬonfigure a static route to the DMZ network.Finally, configure each of these ACLs on their respective subinterface and apply them in an appropriate security policy.Ĭonfigure the public IP address on the outside interface of the router Next, create a second ACL that will be used for traffic from the internal network to the DMZ this ACL should permit all desired traffic from the internal network while denying all other traffic. This ACL should permit all desired traffic from the DMZ (e.g., HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, etc.) while denying all other traffic. The first step is to create a new ACL that will be used for traffic from the DMZ to the internal network. A DMZ allows one or more hosts to be exposed to the Internet while protecting the rest of the internal network.Ĭonfiguring a DMZ on a Cisco router involves creating two subinterfaces on the external interface and then configuring access control lists (ACLs) to allow traffic to flow between the DMZ and the internal network. A demilitarized zone (DMZ) on a computer network is a physical or logical sub-network that contains and exposes an organization’s external-facing services to an untrusted, usually public, network such as the Internet.
