What is the primary purpose of a firewall’s NAT function?

The primary purpose of a firewall’s NAT (Network Address Translation) function is to hide the internal IP addresses of a network. NAT allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address when accessing the internet. This provides an additional layer of security, as external entities cannot see the specific internal IP addresses of the devices on the network. Instead, they only see the public IP address. This concealing of the internal network adds a protective measure against potential attacks and enhances privacy by not exposing the structure of the internal network.

While logging incoming traffic, increasing bandwidth, and connecting directly to the internet are activities associated with firewalls, they do not reflect the core role of NAT. NAT is specifically designed for address management and security, making it a critical component in safeguarding internal network configurations against unauthorized access while allowing for communication with external networks.