NAT - Translation Table

The Network Address Translation (NAT) translation table on a Cisco router is a key component of the NAT process. This table, often referred to as the xlate table, is primarily used to map private IP addresses to a public IP address or vice versa, allowing multiple devices on a private network to access external networks (like the internet) using a single IP address.

  1. Purpose: The NAT XLATE table is used to keep track of all NAT translations that are created by the router. This table is essential for the router to understand which internal IP addresses correspond to which external IP addresses.

  2. Types of NAT Entries:

    • Static NAT: This involves a one-to-one mapping and is typically configured manually. Each internal IP address is mapped to a specific external IP address.
    • Dynamic NAT: This assigns an external IP address from a pool of available addresses. It doesn't guarantee the same external IP for a given internal IP across different sessions.
    • PAT (Port Address Translation): Also known as "NAT overload," this allows multiple devices on a local network to be mapped to a single public IP address but with different port numbers. This is the most common type used in home and small business networks.

  3. Table Entries: Each entry in the XLATE table includes:

    • The internal IP address and port number (if applicable).
    • The external IP address and port number (if applicable).
    • Additional details like protocol type (TCP, UDP, etc.), and timestamps for the creation and last use of the translation.

  4. Management and Troubleshooting:

    • Administrators can view the NAT table on a Cisco router using commands like show ip nat translations or show xlate.
    • This table is crucial for troubleshooting NAT-related issues, as it shows the mappings and can help identify problems like IP address conflicts or incorrect mappings.

  5. Timeouts and Limits: NAT translations in the XLATE table have timeouts after which they expire if not used. This mechanism prevents the table from being overwhelmed with stale entries. Also, there's a limit to the number of translations that can be held in the table, which depends on the router model and its configuration.

  6. Security Considerations: NAT provides a level of security by hiding internal IP addresses from the external network. However, it should not be solely relied upon for security, and should be used in conjunction with other security measures like firewalls.

Note that translations will appear in the xlate table only if traffic has been sent that matches the NAT rules and has been successfully translated. If no translations take place, the xlate table will not be populated.

Links:

https://forum.networklessons.com/t/asa5525-nat/42327/2?u=lagapidis

https://networklessons.com/cisco/asa-firewall/cisco-asa-static-nat-configuration