100-150 Question 69
Single answerA small business network uses a single public IP address to provide internet access to multiple devices within their private network. The administrator has configured their router to enable communication between the private and public networks. Which type of NAT is being used in this scenario?
- A
Static NAT
- B
Dynamic NAT
- C
Port Address Translation (PAT)
- D
Classful NAT
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The scenario describes a private network with multiple devices sharing a single public IP address for internet access. Port Address Translation (PAT), a type of NAT, enables this functionality by mapping multiple private IP addresses to a single public IP using unique port numbers. This is the most common NAT implementation used in small networks and homes.
- A. Incorrect.
Static NAT maps one private IP address to one public IP address, which is not suitable for scenarios where multiple private devices share a single public IP address.
- B. Incorrect.
Dynamic NAT dynamically assigns a public IP from a pool of public IPs to private devices, but it still requires multiple public IPs, which is not the case here.
- C. Correct.
Port Address Translation (PAT), a type of NAT, allows multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP by using different port numbers. This is the technology being used in this scenario.
- D. Incorrect.
Classful NAT is not a valid NAT type. The term 'classful' refers to address classes used in older routing protocols, not NAT configurations.