Watchguard Network Security Practice Test

Which type of NAT changes and routes all packets from one range of addresses to a different range of addresses?

1. 1-to1 NAT

2. Dynamic NAT

3. NAT Loopback

4. Static NAT

The correct answer is: Dynamic NAT

Dynamic NAT is designed to change and route all packets from a specified range of addresses to a different range. This process involves using a pool of public IP addresses that the router uses to translate the private IP addresses within a local network. When a device on the internal network attempts to communicate with external networks, Dynamic NAT will assign one of the available public IP addresses from the pool to that internal address, effectively changing the source address for the duration of the communication. This capability allows for greater flexibility and efficient use of IP addresses, as multiple internal addresses can share public addresses as needed, depending on the traffic. When a device stops communicating, its translated address can be returned to the pool for use by another device, which ensures that available translations are efficiently managed. The other types of NAT mentioned do not perform the same function. 1-to-1 NAT refers specifically to a permanent mapping between a single internal address and a single external address, which doesn’t adapt dynamically. NAT Loopback is used to allow devices on a private network to access services hosted on the same network using external addresses, and Static NAT creates a fixed mapping for specific address pairs without dynamic allocation.