mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped

A small office has multiple devices that need internet access but the ISP provides only a single public IPv4 address. Which network address translation (NAT) technique is most appropriate to allow all internal hosts to share that one public address?

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A small office has multiple devices that need internet access but the ISP provides only a single public IPv4 address. Which network address translation (NAT) technique is most appropriate to allow all internal hosts to share that one public address?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Distractor review

Static NAT

Static NAT maps a single private IP address to a single public IP address on a one-to-one basis, which does not allow sharing of one public address among many hosts.

B

Distractor review

Dynamic NAT

Dynamic NAT uses a pool of public IP addresses, mapping private addresses on a first-come, first-served basis. It still requires multiple public addresses to serve multiple hosts.

C

Best answer

PAT (Port Address Translation)

PAT uses ports to differentiate between sessions from different hosts, allowing a single public IP address to serve many internal devices simultaneously.

D

Distractor review

IP masquerading

While 'IP masquerading' is often used synonymously with PAT in Linux, it is not the formal industry term; PAT is the correct technical designation. But more importantly, the question is asking for the technique, and PAT is the standard answer in CompTIA objectives.

Common exam trap

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.

Technical deep dive

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.

Related practice questions

Related N10-009 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

Question 1

A network engineer needs to connect two switches located 400 meters apart. The cable run includes high electromagnetic interference from nearby machinery. The engineer decides to use fiber optic cabling. Which transceiver type and fiber combination should be used to ensure the link reaches 400 meters while remaining cost-effective?

Question 2

A network engineer is designing a new switched network and needs to ensure that broadcast traffic from one department does not reach another department's workstations. The engineer plans to use VLANs. Which of the following must be configured on the switches to isolate broadcast domains as intended?

Question 3

A security engineer is configuring a site-to-site VPN between two branch offices. The requirement is to encrypt all traffic between the two networks using IPsec. Which IPsec mode should be used to encrypt the entire IP packet including the original header?

Question 4

A network administrator is connecting two switches to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy. Which technology should be used to combine multiple physical links into a single logical link?

Question 5

A network administrator is experiencing issues where unauthorized devices are offering IP addresses to clients, causing connectivity problems. Which security feature should be enabled on switches to prevent this?

Question 6

A network administrator is troubleshooting a connectivity issue and suspects the problem is related to the physical cabling. At which layer of the OSI model should the administrator begin their investigation?

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this N10-009 question test?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: PAT (Port Address Translation) — Port Address Translation (PAT), also known as NAT overload, allows many internal hosts to share a single public IP address by mapping each session to a unique port number. This is the most common technique used in home and small office routers.

What should I do if I get this N10-009 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

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