IP NAT Port Forwarding: Understanding the Basics

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a commonly used technology for Internet connectivity that enables a single device, such as a router, to act as an agent between the Internet (public network) and a local network (private network), allowing all the devices on the private network to share a single public IP address. NAT operates on IP packets, converting the private source IP addresses of the devices on the local network into a public IP address as they traverse the router.

One of the features of NAT is Port Forwarding, which enables incoming Internet traffic with a specific port number to be redirected to a specific device on the local network. This can be useful for hosting online services such as web servers, game servers, or other applications that need to be accessible from the Internet.

Here’s how NAT Port Forwarding works:

1. Incoming traffic: When a device on the Internet tries to access a specific service on the local network, it sends a request to the public IP address of the router.
2. Port matching: The router checks the incoming request to see if it matches the port number specified for Port Forwarding in its configuration. If it does, the router will forward the request to the specified device on the local network.
3. Source IP conversion: The router will change the source IP address of the incoming request from the public IP address of the router to the private IP address of the specified device on the local network.
4. Service response: The specified device on the local network receives the request and processes it, responding back to the original source on the Internet.
5. Response routing: The router receives the response from the specified device on the local network and converts the source IP address back to the public IP address of the router before forwarding it back to the original source on the Internet.

In this way, NAT Port Forwarding enables incoming Internet traffic with a specific port number to be redirected to a specific device on the local network, allowing it to be accessible from the Internet.

In conclusion, NAT Port Forwarding is a useful feature of NAT that enables incoming Internet traffic with a specific port number to be redirected to a specific device on the local network, allowing it to be accessible from the Internet. Understanding the basic concepts and mechanics of NAT Port Forwarding can help you to set up and manage your network more effectively.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save

Dave

Dave is a 20-year computer tech, systems administrator, and Geek.

We computer help and IT support for residential and business users. We offer on site services for the Greater Toronto Area and Remote Support for the rest of Canada. CLICK HERE for residential computer help and Business IT support pricing and information.

Does your business software do EVERYTHING?! Mine does, but then again – I use Zoho 😉