What Types of NAT are Supported?

NNMi supports the following types of NAT protocols:

  • Static NAT—A type of NAT in which an internal IP address is mapped to an external IP address, and the external address is always the same IP address (in other words, each Node has a static internal/external address pair). This permits an internal host, such as a Web server, to have a private IP address and still be reachable over the Internet.
  • Dynamic NAT—A type of NAT in which mappings between external and internal addresses can change with each session. The internal IP address is dynamically mapped to a external IP address, drawing from a pool of available public IP addresses. Typically, the network’s NAT gateway router keeps a table of registered public IP addresses, and when an internal IP address requests access to the Internet, the router chooses an IP address that is not currently being used by another internal IP address.
  • Dynamic Port Address Translation (PAT), also referred to as Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) — A type of NAT that not only dynamically provides the external IP address but also dynamically provides the port number. Translating the address and the port number allows a single external address to be used for multiple simultaneous internal address conversations over the Internet.