What are the differences between NAT and PAT, and how are they configured?

Question

Accepted Answer

NAT and PAT are both techniques used in networking to translate IP addresses. NAT translates one IP address to another, while PAT translates multiple IP addresses to a single IP address.

NAT stands for Network Address Translation and is used to translate private IP addresses to public IP addresses.
PAT stands for Port Address Translation and is a type of NAT that translates multiple private IP addresses to a single public IP address using different port numbers.
NAT is typically used in small networks, while PAT is commonly used in larger networks with limited public IP addresses.
NAT can be configured using static or dynamic mappings, where specific IP addresses are mapped to specific public IP addresses.
PAT uses a pool of public IP addresses and assigns different port numbers to each private IP address to establish unique connections.
Example: NAT translates a private IP address like 192.168.1.10 to a public IP address like 203.0.113.10, while PAT translates multiple private IP addresses like 192.168.1.10, 192.168.1.20, and 192.168.1.30 to a single public IP address like 203.0.113.10:1000, 203.0.113.10:2000, and 203.0.113.10:3000 respectively.

Accepted Answer

Static NAT allows an unregistered address to map to multiple registered addresses. Dynamic NAT allows hosts to receive the same global address each time external access is required. PAT uses unique source port numbers to distinguish between translations.

What are the differences between NAT and PAT, and how are they configured?

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