[zrail]

wan = outside firewall

lan = inside firewall

You don't want to bridge them because then it just bypasses the firewall.

[cassianoleal]

That's not true.

LAN traffic is still going through the router, where the firewall supposedly runs.

Regardless of other devices having a public IP, if the router blocks forwarding packets (which is one of the main functionalities of a firewall), then the device(s) behind it are just as protected as if they had private IPs.

It's just a bit easier to setup forwarding as it doesn't require NAT, and it's also easier to open up by accident but having a public IP does not bypass the firewall.

[jankeymeulen]

Depends, a typical use case of this device would be a router, or a firewall, so the point GP makes is very much valid.

[somepig]

the entire reason the devices get public a public IP is because the firewall effectively isn't there. from the time u-boot inits the topaz chip, until linux controls the chip, it behaves like a dumb ethernet switch.