Create a Network Bridge Configuration

To use a network bridge, you must create a bridge configuration and assign one or more network interfaces to the bridge.

To use a network bridge on a FireboxV or XTMv virtual machine on ESXi, you must enable promiscuous mode on the attached virtual switch (vSwitch) in VMware. You cannot use a network bridge on a FireboxV or an XTMv virtual machine on Hyper-V, because Hyper-V virtual switches do not support promiscuous mode.

The procedure to configure a network bridge is different in Fireware Web UI than it is in Policy Manager.

Configure a Network Bridge From Policy Manager

To change the interface used to manage the Firebox to a bridge, we recommend that you use Policy Manager. If you use Policy Manager, you can complete all interface configuration settings before you save the updated configuration to the Firebox.

Configure a Network Bridge From Fireware Web UI

Before you change the interface that you use to manage the Firebox to a bridge, make sure the device has at least one other interface that you can use to connect to with the Web UI for management. If you want to use the Web UI to change an interface to a bridge interface, you must connect to a different interface to make this change.

Do not change the interface that you currently use to connect to the Web UI to a bridge interface. This causes you to immediately lose the management connection to the Firebox.

To change the trusted or optional interface you use for management to a bridge interface, from Fireware Web UI:

  1. Configure another trusted or optional interface to use as a temporary management interface.
  2. Connect the management computer to the new interface, and log in to the Web UI.
  3. Change the original management interface to a bridge interface, and configure a LAN bridge that includes this interface.
  4. Connect the management computer to the original management interface.
  5. Disable the temporary management interface.

Before you can configure a bridge in the Web UI, you must set one or more physical or wireless interfaces to type Bridge.

After you configure at least one bridge interface, you can create the bridge.

You cannot delete a bridge configuration if wireless interfaces are currently assigned to the bridge. To delete the bridge, you must first remove the wireless interfaces assigned to the bridge.

See Also

About LAN Bridges

Assign a Network Interface to a Bridge

Apply Polices to Intra-Bridge Traffic