NAT & PAT - How routers solve address shortages
This video is about Network Address Translation (NAT) and Port Address Translation (PAT) and how they can help us reach many users with a single public IP address for the WAN.
First, I'll explain the basics of NAT and PAT and how they work. With NAT, we can translate private IP addresses into public IP addresses that are routable on the internet. This allows us to connect multiple devices with private IP addresses using a single public IP address. PAT is a special form of NAT that also changes the device's port to connect multiple devices to the same public IP address.
I'll then discuss the different types of NAT and PAT that exist. Static NAT (S-NAT) is a method that uses a fixed translation table to translate private IP addresses into public IP addresses. Dynamic NAT is a method in which the translation table is dynamically created to meet the demand for public IP addresses. PAT is a method in which the port numbers of devices are changed to connect multiple devices to the same public IP address.
Finally, I will explain the advantages of NAT and PAT. By using private IP addresses, we can reduce the number of public IP addresses needed to connect devices to the internet. This can at least limit the address shortage of IPv4 addresses. Furthermore, using NAT and PAT allows devices with private IP addresses to connect to the internet securely, as the private IP addresses are hidden from the internet.