PAT (Port Address Translation)

Overview

Port Address Translation (PAT) enables multiple devices on a local network (LAN) to share a single public IP address for internet access. Unlike basic port forwarding, PAT translates incoming packets addressed to a specific external port to a different or identical internal port on a designated LAN device.

Functionality

The PAT feature allows administrators to create and delete PAT entries to manage traffic flow between the LAN and external networks.

Configuration Parameters

PAT configuration parameters can be set within the interface shown below:

To add a new PAT entry, follow these steps:

Use Cases

A common scenario for PAT is enabling external users to access a web server hosted on a LAN from the public network.

Known Limitations

• Manual Updates Required for WAN IP Changes: If the WAN IP address changes, administrators need to manually update PAT rules.