Explain the concept of network address translation.

Explain the concept of network address translation.

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a technique used in computer networking to allow multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address. It works by translating the private IP addresses of devices on the local network into a single public IP address when communicating with devices on the internet. This allows for the conservation of public IP addresses, as well as providing an additional layer of security by hiding the internal network structure from external sources. NAT plays a crucial role in enabling the connectivity of multiple devices within a network while using limited public IP addresses.