NAT Translation Diagram (Private ↔ Public)

Here are diagrams and example commands for configuring NAT on MikroTik and Cisco routers. These resources show how the NAT process works in real practice. Understanding NAT Translation processing is crucial for effective network management.

1. NAT Translation Diagram (Private ↔ Public)

Here’s a simplified diagram of the NAT process, illustrating the steps involved in translating network addresses. It is essential to grasp how NAT Translation processing fits into this picture.

+------------------+                +------------------------+
|  PC (Client)     |                |   Public Web Server    |
|  192.168.1.100   |                |   93.184.216.34        |
+--------+---------+                +-----------+------------+
         |                                      ^
         | Private IP Packet                    |
         | SRC: 192.168.1.100:45000             |
         | DST: 93.184.216.34:80                |
         v                                      |
+--------+---------+      NAT Translation       |
| MikroTik / Cisco |----------------------------+
| Public IP: 203.0.113.5                        |
+------------------+                            |
         | NATed Packet                          |
         | SRC: 203.0.113.5:62001                |
         | DST: 93.184.216.34:80                 |
         v                                      |
   ↔ Internet (WAN) ↔                            |
                                                |
         Response Packet                         |
         SRC: 93.184.216.34:80                   |
         DST: 203.0.113.5:62001                  |
         v                                      |
+------------------+  NAT Table Lookup          |
| MikroTik / Cisco |----------------------------+
+--------+---------+                            |
         | Rewritten Packet                     |
         | SRC: 93.184.216.34:80                |
         | DST: 192.168.1.100:45000             |
         v                                      v
+------------------+                +------------------------+
|  PC (Client)     |                |   Public Web Server    |
+------------------+                +------------------------+

2. MikroTik Example Command

This is how to configure NAT (masquerade) on MikroTik, showcasing NAT translation techniques in action. These techniques are part of the NAT Translation processing that occurs internally:

/ip firewall nat
add chain=srcnat out-interface=ether1 action=masquerade

Explanation:

• chain=srcnat: Tells MikroTik this is a source NAT rule.
• out-interface=ether1: The WAN interface (your internet-facing port).
• action=masquerade: Enables dynamic NAT, using the router’s public IP.

3. Cisco Router Example Configuration (PAT)

Here’s how you configure NAT with Port Address Translation (PAT) on a Cisco router, effectively using NAT translation in networking. The NAT Translation processing on Cisco is integral for handling multiple devices:

Step-by-Step CLI:

! Define inside and outside interfaces
interface FastEthernet0/0
 ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
 ip nat inside
!
interface FastEthernet0/1
 ip address 203.0.113.5 255.255.255.0
 ip nat outside
!
! Create access list to match internal hosts
access-list 1 permit 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255
!
! Apply NAT rule (PAT)
ip nat inside source list 1 interface FastEthernet0/1 overload

Explanation:

• ip nat inside/outside: Defines direction for NAT.
• access-list 1: Matches internal IP range.
• overload: Enables PAT (many-to-one mapping using ports).

Both MikroTik and Cisco use NAT to allow private devices to share a public IP for internet access. MikroTik uses masquerade, while Cisco commonly uses PAT, which includes crucial NAT Translation processing steps. This process relies on successful NAT translation for matching internal IPs to external IPs and ports. It involves maintaining a translation table. It also ensures traffic flows correctly in both directions.

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