How can I create a new sys-net and sys-firewall to enable internet communication?

Hello everyone.

I’m trying to create a separate sys-net and sys-firewall to create a separate internet route for each Qube. For example, QubeA has dedicated internet routes sys-netA and sys-firewall A. I want to set QubeB to sys-net B, sys-firewall B, and so on.
Therefore, I tried to create a new sys-net and sys-firewall and connect to the Internet through them, but I couldn’t. I thought I had created a new sys-net and sys-firewall with reference to the default sys-net and sys-firewall, but it is written in the item on the upper right that there is no Internet communication, and you cannot choose WI-Fi in the first place. Also, the setting screen in sys-firewall says that NetQube cannot be used in firewall settings.

By the way, just like sys-net and sys-firewall, DVM also uses the default one as a reference and operates the newly created one in the same way. Also, I was told on this forum that there is only one Internet route that can be connected at the same time, so I haven’t started the default sys-net or sys-firewall.
In addition, while the default sys-net PHV mode is HVM, the newly created PHV mode is PVH. When I go to HVM, an error will appear, and a red screen will appear on the next Qubes startup asking me to log in. I don’t remember setting a password, so I can’t do anything more.

I would appreciate any advice on how to connect the Internet with the new sys-net and sys-firewall.

You can make any number of sys-firewall and connect it to sys-net but… sys-net grabs network devices for itself so if you don’t have more than 1 network device then you can’t have more than 1 sys-net.

2 Likes

I see, I understand. Thank you very much.

I had heard that sys-net is like a virtual NIC, so I mistakenly assumed that I could create multiple sys-nets. I think sys-net didn’t work because I only had one physical network device.

You can create multiple system firewalls, but will creating a new system firewall improve security in an environment where you cannot create a new system net?

The purpose of sys-net is solely to move the handling of your networking card out of dom0. Thus, having multiple sys-nets does not make a lot of sense, if they are abou the same card.
However, there are some cases where more than one sys-net can result in an improved security: if you have, say, a “secure” local network where you are plugged in via ethernet, you could connect associated qubes to sys-ethernet (a second sys-net), while using something like sys-wifi for general browsing. In this case, you would effectively need multiple sys-firewall.

However, if you are using sys-whonix, or torifying your internet with another mean, then I think you should use multiple sys-firewalls in front of sys-whonix, otherwise, sys-whonix might not use a different tor circuit for each qube, and that could severely reduce your anonymity (please note that I’m not an expert on this topic, and maybe this is not true anymore).

2 Likes

Thank you, it was very helpful.

In my case, there is only one Wi-Fi connection method, so I don’t think I need to create multiple sys-nets.

If I were to create a FedoraQube that doesn’t require whonix, I’d connect the existing sys-net with the new sys-firewall.
If I were to create a new whonixQube, I would like to connect the existing sys-net, the new sys-whonix, the new sys-firewall, and so on.