Which type of NAT (Network Address Translation) allows

Solution

Port Address Translation (PAT), often called "NAT overload," allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address. PAT works by using different port numbers for each session initiated by devices on the internal network, ensuring that all connections are distinguished based on their unique port number. This is widely used in home networks where multiple devices need internet access but only one public IP address is available. Option A (Static NAT) is incorrect because Static NAT maps one private IP address to one public IP address, not multiple addresses. Option B (Dynamic NAT) is incorrect because it assigns a public IP from a pool to a private IP on a first-come, first-served basis, but it does not allow multiple private IPs to share a single public IP. Option D (One-to-One NAT) is incorrect because it also involves mapping one private IP to one public IP. Option E (VPN NAT) is incorrect because VPN NAT refers to translating addresses over a VPN connection, which is unrelated to sharing public IP addresses across multiple private IPs.