Chapter 6 Network Address Translation (Nat); Introduction; Nat Definitions; What Nat Does - ZyXEL Communications ZyXEL ZYWALL10 User Manual

Network Address Translation (NAT)
6.1

Introduction

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

6.1.1 NAT Definitions

Inside/outside denotes where a host is located relative to the ZyWALL, e.g., the workstations 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, e.g., 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 travelling 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.
TERM
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.
The IP address (either local or global) of an outside host is never changed.

6.1.2 What NAT Does

In the simplest form, NAT changes the source IP address in a packet received from a subscriber (the inside
local address) to another (the inside global address) before forwarding the packet to the WAN side. When
the response comes back, NAT translates the destination address (the inside global address) back the inside
local address before forwarding it to the original inside host. Note that the IP address (either local or global)
of an outside host is never changed.
NAT
This chapter discusses how to configure NAT on the ZyWALL.

Table 6-1 NAT Definitions

DEFINITION
ZyWALL 10 Internet Security Gateway
Chapter 6
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