NAT (Network Address Translation)

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a technology used to improve security and manage IP addresses in networks. It allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address when accessing the internet. When a device requests information from the internet, NAT translates its private IP address to the public one. This way, external servers see only the public IP and not the individual device addresses, providing a layer of privacy and security. When responses are received, NAT translates them back to the correct device. This helps conserve limited IP addresses and protects internal network structure.