What NAT technique translates multiple private IP addresses to a single public IP address for outbound traffic?

• A. NAT with DNAT
• B. NAT with SNAT
• C. NAT with PAT
• D. NAT with NAPT

Answer: (C)

Port Address Translation (PAT) is the NAT technique that lets many private IP addresses share one public IP for outbound traffic. It achieves this by multiplexing connections through different source port numbers on the same public IP. The NAT device tracks each internal (IP, port) to (public IP, port) mapping, so return traffic can be correctly routed back to the originating internal host. This is what enables multiple devices to reach the Internet simultaneously behind a single public address. DNAT handles inbound mappings to internal hosts, SNAT changes the source address (often not using port multiplexing), and NAPT is another term for the same PAT concept.