Network Address Translation (NAT) is a technique used to map private IP addresses to public IP addresses. It is often used by routers to allow multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address.
NAT typically works by intercepting outgoing traffic from a device on a local network and replacing the private IP address with the public IP address of the router. When incoming traffic is received by the router with the public IP address, it is forwarded to the corresponding private IP address of the device that originally sent the outgoing traffic.
NAT also creates a translation table or connection table that keeps track of the mapping between the public IP and the private IP addresses. This allows the router to route incoming traffic to the correct device on the local network.
NAT can also be used in conjunction with port forwarding, where incoming traffic to a specific port is forwarded to a specific device on the local network. This is often used for services such as remote desktop or gaming applications where incoming traffic needs to be directed to a specific device on the local network.
Overall, NAT is an essential technology that allows devices on a local network to communicate with devices on the internet using a single public IP address.
