In this chapter, we covered NAT, the reasons it was implemented, and the issues that it raises. We also covered both Static NAT, or 1:1 NAT, and Dynamic NAT, which covers both Outbound NAT and Port Forwarding. Although understanding all of these types of NAT are key to a thorough understanding of the technology, we also acknowledged that Port Forwarding is most commonly equated with NAT, and is probably the most likely form of NAT you will utilize. We also covered NPt, which is a rarely used method of mapping IPv6 public addresses to IPv6 private addresses, but does have its applications, particularly with multihoming.

Understanding this chapter is important, as we will return to NAT in subsequent chapters. For example, in Chapter 7, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), we will use Outbound NAT to redirect traffic when setting up VPN tunnels. At the very least, you will want to try to configure a few applications to work with Port Forwarding.

Thus far, we have focused mainly on getting our networks to work, but in the next chapter, we will focus on getting our networks to work well. We will cover how to use pfSense to allocate bandwidth to different networks, prioritize certain types of traffic, and relegate other traffic to lower priority levels. Different queuing disciplines will be discussed, as well as what to do when the pfSense traffic shaper does not provide the functionality we need. If you aim to optimize the speed of your network, you'll look forward to the next chapter.