Network Address Translation (NAT)

The internet is expanding faster than anyone ever imagined.  A computer with communicate with other computers and web servers on the internet; it must have an IP address. An IP address is unique 32 bit number that identifies the location of your computer on a network. 

The total number of IP addresses 4,294,967,296 unique addresses (2³²). The actual number of addresses is smaller. These addresses are separated into classes, and because some addresses are set aside for multicasting, testing or research purpose. With the explosion of the Internet and the increase in home networks and business networks, the number of available IP addresses is simply not enough.

As the amount of information and resources increases, it is becoming a requirement for even the smallest businesses and homes to connect to the Internet. The obvious solution is to redesign the address format to allow for more possible addresses. This is being developed (called IPv6), but will take several years to implement because it requires modification of the entire infrastructure of the Internet. This is where NAT comes to the rescue part. Network Address Translation (NAT) is a method of connecting multiple computers to the Internet using one IP address.