A show ip nat translations command displays this entry:
Inside global 203.0.113.10:30001 Inside local 192.168.10.25:51514 Outside local 198.51.100.20:443 Outside global 198.51.100.20:443
Which statement is correct?
Answer choices
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
192.168.10.25 is the inside local address of the host
Correct. 192.168.10.25 is the real private address of the inside host.
203.0.113.10 is the inside local address of the host
203.0.113.10 is the inside global, not the inside local, address.
198.51.100.20 is the translated private address of the internal client
198.51.100.20 is the outside server address, not the internal client.
The entry proves static NAT is being used without port translation
The translated source port shows PAT, not plain static NAT without overloading.
Common exam trap
A frequent exam trap is mistaking the inside global address for the inside local address or assuming that the presence of port numbers means static NAT without port translation. Candidates often overlook that inside local addresses are the private IPs assigned to internal hosts, while inside global addresses are the translated public IPs used externally. Additionally, seeing port numbers in the translation entry indicates PAT (Port Address Translation) is active, not simple static NAT. Misinterpreting these details can lead to incorrect answers about NAT types and address roles, especially under exam time pressure.
Technical deep dive
Network Address Translation (NAT) is a fundamental IP service that modifies IP address information in packet headers while in transit across a routing device. The primary goal of NAT is to map private, inside local addresses to globally routable, inside global addresses, enabling internal hosts to communicate with external networks securely and efficiently. In this context, the inside local address is the original private IP assigned to a host within the internal network, while the inside global address is the public IP address assigned by the NAT device for external communication. Port Address Translation (PAT), a form of NAT overload, extends this by translating multiple private IP addresses to a single public IP address using different port numbers, allowing many hosts to share one public IP. The show ip nat translations command output provides critical insight into how NAT is functioning on a Cisco device. The inside local address (192.168.10.25) represents the real private IP of the internal host, while the inside global address (203.0.113.10) is the public IP assigned by NAT. The presence of port numbers (e.g., 30001 and 51514) indicates that PAT is in use, translating both IP addresses and port numbers to allow multiple sessions to share a single public IP. The outside local and outside global addresses (both 198.51.100.20:443) represent the external server's IP address before and after translation, which in this case are the same because the outside network is public and not subject to translation. A common exam trap is confusing inside local and inside global addresses or misinterpreting the presence of port numbers as static NAT without port translation. Static NAT maps one-to-one IP addresses without changing ports, while PAT changes port numbers to multiplex multiple sessions. Misreading the NAT translation table can lead to incorrect assumptions about the type of NAT in use. Practically, understanding these distinctions is crucial for troubleshooting NAT issues and designing scalable network address translation schemes in Cisco environments.
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise IPv4 subnetting, CIDR, masks, host ranges and subnet selection.
Practise OSPF neighbours, router IDs, metrics, areas and routing-table interpretation.
Practise VLANs, access ports, trunks, allowed VLANs and switching scenarios.
Practise spanning tree, root bridge election, port roles and STP troubleshooting.
Practise LACP, PAgP, port-channel behaviour and bundle requirements.
Practise standard and extended ACLs, permit/deny logic and traffic filtering.
Practise static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT and inside/outside address translation.
Practise DHCP scopes, relay, leases and troubleshooting.
Practise routing-table output, longest-prefix match, AD and route selection.
Practise trunk verification and VLAN forwarding across switches.
Practise WLAN security, authentication and wireless architecture concepts.
Practise IPv6 addressing, routes, neighbour discovery and common IPv6 exam traps.
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
The inside local address represents the private IP assigned to an internal host before NAT translation occurs.
The correct answer is: 192.168.10.25 is the inside local address of the host — Inside local is the actual address assigned to the inside host before translation. The inside global address is the public representation used after NAT, and the port values show PAT is in use.
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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