Which mechanism modifies IP information to enable private-to-public access?

Which mechanism modifies IP information to enable private-to-public access?

• A. NAT
• B. Gateway
• C. Masquerade
• D. Connection Tracking

Answer: (A)

Network Address Translation rewrites IP header information so devices on a private network can reach the public Internet. When a private host sends a packet outward, the NAT device swaps the source IP (and often the source port) for its own public IP and records a mapping so the return traffic can be routed back to the correct internal host. This lets many private addresses share a single public address and enables private-to-public access. A gateway simply routes traffic and doesn’t inherently modify IP addresses. Connection tracking is about maintaining per-flow state for security rules, not translating addresses. Masquerade is a specific form of NAT used when the gateway’s public IP can change; NAT as a whole is the broad mechanism that enables this access.

Network Address Translation rewrites IP header information so devices on a private network can reach the public Internet. When a private host sends a packet outward, the NAT device swaps the source IP (and often the source port) for its own public IP and records a mapping so the return traffic can be routed back to the correct internal host. This lets many private addresses share a single public address and enables private-to-public access. A gateway simply routes traffic and doesn’t inherently modify IP addresses. Connection tracking is about maintaining per-flow state for security rules, not translating addresses. Masquerade is a specific form of NAT used when the gateway’s public IP can change; NAT as a whole is the broad mechanism that enables this access.