Appendix C - Understanding Netopia Nat Behavior; Network Configuration; Background - Netopia R7200 User Reference Manual

Understanding Netopia NAT Behavior C-1
The Netopia R7200 implements a powerful feature called Network Address Translation (NAT) as specified in
RFC 1631. NAT is used for IP address conservation and for security purposes since there will only be a single IP
"presence" on the WAN. This appendix describes the NAT functionality within the Netopia R7200 and provides
examples for setup and use.
Network configuration
Below is a diagram of the network referenced in this appendix.

Background

NAT is a mechanism employed within the Netopia R7200 to acquire a statically or dynamically assigned IP
address on its WAN interface and proxy against locally assigned IP addresses on its LAN interface. The Netopia
R7200 uses a one-to-many IP address mapping scheme; that is against a single IP address the Netopia R7200
acquires on its WAN interface, the Netopia R7200 can proxy 14, 30, or an unlimited number of IP hosts on the
LAN interface.
In order to fully understand how NAT works, you must understand how a PPP connection is established and IP
addresses are negotiated.