Watchguard Network Security Practice Test

What type of NAT should be used to forward inbound traffic to internal hosts based on destination port?

1. Static NAT

2. 1-to-1 NAT

3. Dynamic NAT

4. Overlapping NAT

The correct answer is: Static NAT

The correct type of NAT (Network Address Translation) to use for forwarding inbound traffic to internal hosts based on the destination port is Static NAT. This method allows for a permanent mapping between an external IP address and an internal IP address, enabling specific traffic destined for a certain public IP address on a specific port to be directed to a designated internal server that is also configured to listen on that port. Static NAT is particularly beneficial when you need to expose services hosted on internal servers to the external network (like a web server or email server) because it provides a consistent way for external devices to reach those internal services. The translation does not change; hence the external service always knows where to send incoming requests. This method works well when the external IP address is fixed and needs specific port assignments to various internal resources, which is essential for services that work on specific ports such as HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443). The other options do not support this method of port-based forwarding. 1-to-1 NAT refers to a strict mapping of one external address to one internal address, lacking the flexibility of directing traffic based on port. Dynamic NAT deals with a pool of public IP addresses but does not offer the consistent routing needed for specific inbound requests