need help on port forwarding

Heya @driftinglightcyanurchin,

You can use something like the following to achieve what you want

1. Enable IP forwarding:

echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

To make the change permanent, you can edit the file `/etc/sysctl.conf` and add or un-comment the following line:

net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1

2. Use iptables to forward the specific ports:

   For instance, if you want to forward ports 3000, 3001, and 3002 from your first server (IP: 1.1.1.1) to the second server (IP: 2.2.2.2), you would use these commands:

iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp --dport 3000 -j DNAT --to-destination 2.2.2.2:3000
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp --dport 3001 -j DNAT --to-destination 2.2.2.2:3001
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp --dport 3002 -j DNAT --to-destination 2.2.2.2:3002
iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -j MASQUERADE

3. Save the iptables rules:

   For Ubuntu/Debian:

iptables-save > /etc/iptables/rules.v4

For CentOS/RedHat:

service iptables save

Please replace 1.1.1.1 and 2.2.2.2 with the actual IP addresses of your first and second servers, and 3000, 3001, and 3002 with the ports you actually want to forward.

Note: This will not affect other ports, so it should not interfere with your existing socat configuration. If the socat forwarding stops working after running these commands, it’s likely due to a conflict on the specific ports you’re trying to forward. Make sure the ports forwarded by iptables and socat are not overlapping.

Remember, any time you manipulate iptables or networking configurations, there is a risk of disrupting network connections. It is highly recommended that you understand the impact of these commands and have a plan to reverse changes if necessary.