P-662H/HW-D Series User’s Guide

CHAPTER 9

Network Address Translation

(NAT) Screens

This chapter discusses how to configure NAT on the ZyXEL Device.

9.1 NAT Overview

NAT (Network Address Translation - NAT, RFC 1631) is the translation of the IP address of a host in a packet, for example, the source address of an outgoing packet, used within one network to a different IP address known within another network.

9.1.1 NAT Definitions

Inside/outside denotes where a host is located relative to the ZyXEL Device, for example, the computers of your subscribers are the inside hosts, while the web servers on the Internet are the outside hosts.

Global/local denotes the IP address of a host in a packet as the packet traverses a router, for example, the local address refers to the IP address of a host when the packet is in the local network, while the global address refers to the IP address of the host when the same packet is traveling in the WAN side.

Note that inside/outside refers to the location of a host, while global/local refers to the IP address of a host used in a packet. Thus, an inside local address (ILA) is the IP address of an inside host in a packet when the packet is still in the local network, while an inside global address (IGA) is the IP address of the same inside host when the packet is on the WAN side. The following table summarizes this information.

Table 52

NAT Definitions

 

 

 

ITEM

 

DESCRIPTION

 

 

 

Inside

 

This refers to the host on the LAN.

 

 

 

Outside

 

This refers to the host on the WAN.

 

 

 

Local

 

This refers to the packet address (source or destination) as the packet travels on the

 

 

LAN.

Global

 

This refers to the packet address (source or destination) as the packet travels on the

 

 

WAN.

NAT never changes the IP address (either local or global) of an outside host.

Chapter 9 Network Address Translation (NAT) Screens

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