Network
Address Translators (NATs)
Private addresses cannot receive traffic from Internet locations.
Therefore, to enable a network, which uses private addresses
internally, to communicate with Internet locations, you must use a
network address translator (NAT).
The NAT is a device, or service, that translates private IP
addresses to public IP addresses. Network address translation is an
Internet standard that enables a public intranet to use a set of
private IP addresses for internal traffic and to connect to a
computer that uses a public IP address for external traffic.
How
Does a NAT Work?
The
NAT is a router that is placed between a public intranet, which uses
private IP addresses, and the Internet, which uses public IP
addresses. The NAT translates the private IP addresses of outgoing
packets into public IP addresses. It also translates the public IP
addresses of incoming packets from the Internet into private IP
addresses. NATs serve two main purposes:
-
Increase security by hiding internal IP addresses
-
Enable an organization to require fewer public IP addresses
Windows
2003 NAT Services
Microsoft Windows 2003 includes NAT services that enable you to
configure your home network or small office network to share a
single connection to the Internet.
