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CCNA Practice Question: A small office network uses a single public IP…

This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of 200-301 exam topics. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A small office network uses a single public IP address on its router's WAN interface. The network administrator needs to allow all internal hosts to access the internet, but must also ensure that an internal web server with a private IP address is reachable from the internet. Which NAT configuration should the administrator implement to meet both requirements?

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Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

Configure PAT (overload) for internal hosts and static NAT for the web server.

The correct answer is to configure PAT (overload) for internal hosts and static NAT for the web server. PAT allows multiple internal hosts to share the single public IP for outbound access, while static NAT provides a fixed one-to-one mapping for inbound access to the web server. Dynamic NAT would require multiple public IPs, which is not available. Using only PAT would not allow inbound access to the web server. Using only static NAT would not support multiple internal hosts sharing the single IP.

Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • Configure dynamic NAT with a pool of public IPs and static NAT for the web server.

    Why it's wrong here

    Dynamic NAT requires a pool of public IPs, but the office has only one public IP, so this is not feasible.

  • Configure PAT (overload) for internal hosts and static NAT for the web server.

    Why this is correct

    PAT allows multiple internal hosts to share the single public IP for outbound traffic, while static NAT provides a permanent mapping for inbound traffic to the web server.

    Related concept

    Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

  • Configure only PAT (overload) for all internal hosts including the web server.

    Why it's wrong here

    PAT alone does not allow inbound connections from the internet to reach an internal server because the translation is dynamic and initiated from inside.

  • Configure static NAT for the web server and use only the public IP for internal hosts.

    Why it's wrong here

    Without PAT, internal hosts cannot share the single public IP; they would need their own public IPs or a different method.

Option-by-option analysis

Why each answer is right or wrong

Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 200-301 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.

Configure PAT (overload) for internal hosts and static NAT for the web server.Correct answer

Why this is correct

PAT allows multiple internal hosts to share the single public IP for outbound traffic, while static NAT provides a permanent mapping for inbound traffic to the web server.

Configure dynamic NAT with a pool of public IPs and static NAT for the web server.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

Only one public IP is available, so a pool cannot be created.

Configure only PAT (overload) for all internal hosts including the web server.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

Inbound access to the web server would not be possible without a static mapping.

Configure static NAT for the web server and use only the public IP for internal hosts.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

Internal hosts would not be able to access the internet because they lack public IP assignments.

Analysis generated from the official 200-301blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic

NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
  • PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
  • Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
  • NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.

TExam Day Tips

  • Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
  • Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
  • Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.

Key takeaway

NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 200-301 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.

Related practice questions

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 200-301 question test?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Configure PAT (overload) for internal hosts and static NAT for the web server. — The correct answer is to configure PAT (overload) for internal hosts and static NAT for the web server. PAT allows multiple internal hosts to share the single public IP for outbound access, while static NAT provides a fixed one-to-one mapping for inbound access to the web server. Dynamic NAT would require multiple public IPs, which is not available. Using only PAT would not allow inbound access to the web server. Using only static NAT would not support multiple internal hosts sharing the single IP.

What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?

Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 200-301 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

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This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.