What is NAT? NAT is NOT a firewall.

NAT hides and translates your internal IP addresses to one or more WAN IP addresses on your router. It's not a firewall and the only security that it really provides is hiding your internal IP addresses. Firewalls pay attentions to states, rules, and patterns that actually block traffic.
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[@waynenocton]

Ah man that’s bringing back memories, WinGate was amazing to we fledgling computer nerds even making us actually use Windows instead of OS2 at times. Thanks for the flashback.

[@WillieHowe]

@@waynenocton Multitech Modem -- remember those?

[@waynenocton]

@@WillieHowe yes, started with 1200, quickly went to 2400, I missed the very earliest modems, ran a multiline BBS, eventually running Wildcat, on OS2, used my business phone lines at night, was a Fidonet hub too, great old memories.

[@brentwalser131]

Thank you for this video. Please expand further on this topic. Again thanks for your IT segments. 😊

[@neuroticepisode5208]

So if you have an ISP that is not willing to provide you with PPPOE credentials or even PLOAM passwords, blocking you to replace the provided ONT from the ISP, why when you add something like PFsense OPNsense or even a ubiquiti firewall could or will create you a double or even triple NAT scenario in some cases, what does that mean, how does that impact your networking and if possible how can you work around it, sorry Im new to networking and Im learning a lot from you and other youtubers that actually educate un experienced people like me, that been said, thank you so much for your work and all the information you provide to the masses, it actually impacts peoples lives like me

[@rcbilly2009]

Very clear explanation thank you

[@JasonsLabVideos]

Understood, and good explanation!

[@JOSERAFAEL403]

Thanks for the video

[@druxpack8531]

can we follow up with a video about how a static IP isn't routing?

[@boudewijndejong9134]

You made a video about Unifi WAN-NAT-isch possibilities on the UDM-Pro. Would it be possible to make an update of that, to see where we stand with the possibilities.

[@WillieHowe]

@@boudewijndejong9134 not sure what you mean

[@boudewijndejong9134]

@@WillieHowe3 years ago you made the video UDM WAN Ip Clarification and new options - source NAT-ish. I was wondering whether that would work now, to guide source IPs to certain local IPs with port selection options. I’m not an expert enough to get that working.

[@stevekemble8911]

For a home user, or work from home user, i have been relying in the firewall built into EdgeRouter. Does a home user need a dedicated firewall appliance?

[@WillieHowe]

@@stevekemble8911 Depends on your preference but I'd say the vast majority of homes do not.

[@sysadmin-info]

​​@@WillieHoweI agree. The only reason when at home you need a firewall is a homelab. If you just want to expose some service, you just forward traffic using a forward rule on your router. Basically routers have default firewall rules that allows standard services. But if you prefer a paranoid level of security or just want to control, the best option is to setup a firewall on a router and adjust it according to your needs. But not every router allows to set up a firewall this way and that is why I decided to choose Mikrotik long time ago.

[@stevekemble8911]

@@WillieHowe What I really wanted to see was a July release of the new EdgeRouter firmware. I will keep watching for the drop.

[@DarkNightSonata]

so basically NAT = NAF ? cool :3

[@WillieHowe]

@@DarkNightSonata what?

[@haroldpepete]

but Nat is a crucial part of security, it's a best option than connect a device to the internet directly, and you can do NAt with port overload to only redirect one port or whatever you want, it's not a firewall but both are related

[@WillieHowe]

@@haroldpepete you don't need NAT if you own enough public IPs.

[@wiziek]

firewall is part of security, nat is part of not having enough public ipv4 adresses.

[@haroldpepete]

@@wiziekwith nat you can block the direct access to your device

[@haroldpepete]

@@WillieHowe a sentence take it from fortinet article "NAT is a networking feature that can help reduce organizational security risk by hiding internal networks from public networks." and they know what security is about