v 4 , ▁ip 6 tables ▁to ▁IP v 6 , ▁ar pt ables ▁to ▁AR P , ▁and ▁e bt ables ▁to ▁E ther net ▁frames . ▁ ▁i pt ables ▁requires ▁elev ated ▁privileges ▁to ▁operate ▁and ▁must ▁be ▁executed ▁by ▁user ▁root , ▁otherwise ▁it ▁fails ▁to ▁function . ▁ ▁On ▁most ▁Linux ▁systems , ▁i pt ables ▁is ▁installed ▁as ▁/ usr / s bin / ipt ables ▁and ▁documented ▁in ▁its ▁man ▁pages , ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁opened ▁using ▁man ▁i pt ables ▁when ▁installed . ▁It ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁/ s bin / ipt ables , ▁but ▁since ▁i pt ables ▁is ▁more ▁like ▁a ▁service ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁" ess ential ▁binary ", ▁the ▁preferred ▁location ▁remains ▁/ usr / s bin . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁i pt ables ▁is ▁also ▁commonly ▁used ▁to ▁inclus ively ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁kernel - level ▁components . ▁x _ tables ▁is ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁kernel ▁module ▁carrying ▁the ▁shared ▁code ▁portion ▁used ▁by ▁all ▁four ▁modules ▁that ▁also ▁provides ▁the ▁API ▁used ▁for ▁extensions ; ▁subsequently , ▁X tables ▁is ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁firewall ▁( v 4 , ▁v 6 , ▁ar p , ▁and ▁eb ) ▁architecture . ▁ ▁i pt ables ▁su pers eded ▁ip ch ains ; ▁and ▁the ▁successor ▁of ▁i pt ables ▁is ▁n ft ables , ▁which ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁and ▁was ▁merged ▁into ▁the