Two private clients share a translated address while the router assigns distinguishable source ports.

NAT shares an address by keeping distinct connection mappings

Network Address Translation changes addressing information as packets cross a boundary. The familiar many-clients-to-one-address arrangement uses network address and port translation: the router keeps mappings that distinguish simultaneous flows. A remote TCP server may see one source IP while seeing different source ports. That shared address identifies a translation boundary, not necessarily one computer, account, or person. ...

November 18, 2026 · 6 min · XB Field Notes