Which statement is true about NAT in IPv4 networks?

Which statement is true about NAT in IPv4 networks?

• A. NAT translates private IP addresses to public addresses to conserve IPv4 space
• B. NAT increases public IP address availability
• C. NAT assigns IP addresses via DHCP
• D. NAT duplicates private addresses

Answer: (A)

NAT is about translating addresses at the boundary between a private network and the internet to conserve IPv4 space. Inside a local network, devices use private addresses that aren’t routable on the public internet. When those devices access the internet, the gateway translates each private address to a public address (often using a single public IP with port numbers to keep sessions separate). This lets many devices share a single or small set of public addresses, which is essential because IPv4 addresses are scarce. It’s not about assigning addresses with DHCP, and it doesn’t duplicate private addresses; it converts them so external networks see the public address and proper port information to route responses back to the correct internal device.

NAT is about translating addresses at the boundary between a private network and the internet to conserve IPv4 space. Inside a local network, devices use private addresses that aren’t routable on the public internet. When those devices access the internet, the gateway translates each private address to a public address (often using a single public IP with port numbers to keep sessions separate). This lets many devices share a single or small set of public addresses, which is essential because IPv4 addresses are scarce. It’s not about assigning addresses with DHCP, and it doesn’t duplicate private addresses; it converts them so external networks see the public address and proper port information to route responses back to the correct internal device.