What is NAT Traversal? Benefits & How It Works | NinjaOne (2024)

The surge in internet usage in the present age has necessitated the implementation of NAT traversal by applications and services to tackle the challenge of addressing devices across a network. This piece aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the concept of NAT traversal, its workings, types, and benefits.

What is NAT traversal?

Network Address Translation, or NAT, is a transport protocol that undertakes the task of converting traffic from a device located on a private network to the internet, and vice versa. NAT traversal, also known as NAT punch-through, refers to the method of establishing direct communication between two network endpoints over a network utilizing NAT. This way, devices located behind a router can communicate directly with each other without the need for port forwarding or any other manual configurations.

How does NAT traversal work?

NAT traversal employs NAT to set up communication between two endpoints. The process involves the use of techniques that allow the endpoints to communicate directly. It is particularly useful for peer-to-peer applications, which require direct connections for optimal performance.

NAT traversal techniques to bypass the restrictions imposed by a NAT device include:

1. Port Mapping: NAT devices keep track of the ports used by each device on a private network. With port mapping, an application or service can request that the NAT device open a specific port to allow incoming traffic for communication with another host.
2. Keep-Alive Messages: The use of keep-alive messages allows the NAT device to keep a connection open for a longer duration, providing more time for successful traversal.
3. UDP Hole Punching: This technique exploits the fact that most NAT devices allow outbound connections by keeping track of the source IP and destination port. It involves sending UDP packets from each endpoint to the other, essentially “punching a hole” and tricking the NAT device into establishing a connection between them.
4. STUN (Session Traversal Utilities for NAT): It involves the use of a third-party server to determine the type of NAT device being used and obtain the public IP address for establishing communication.

Types of NAT

There are primarily two types of NAT – Static and Dynamic. Static NAT maintains a one-to-one relationship between private and public addresses. It is often used when a device needs to be accessible from outside the network. On the other hand, Dynamic NAT uses a pool of public addresses and assigns them on a first-come, first-served basis. It is used when the number of private IP addresses exceeds the available public IP addresses.

Benefits of NAT Traversal

NAT traversal offers several advantages. Firstly, it enables direct communication between devices on a network, enhancing the efficiency of data transfer. Secondly, it enhances security by masking private IP addresses. Lastly, it allows more devices to connect to the internet using fewer public IP addresses, conserving the limited IPv4 address space.

NAT Traversal and IPsec

NAT can complicate the use of IPsec, a suite of protocols for securing internet protocol communications. NAT modifies packet headers, which can disrupt IPsec’s authentication checks. To overcome this, NAT traversal techniques are used in conjunction with IPsec to maintain secure communication.

Secure digital communication with NAT traversal

The importance and significance of NAT traversal cannot be overstated. It plays a critical role in enabling efficient and secure internet communication. As the demand for internet connectivity continues to rise, understanding and effectively implementing NAT traversal will only become more crucial.