Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

When configuring NAT, which command assigns the specific NAT pool of IP addresses?

1. ip nat inside source list

2. ip nat pool mypool

3. ip nat outside source list

4. ip nat inside

The correct answer is: ip nat pool mypool

The command that assigns a specific NAT pool of IP addresses is appropriately identified. When configuring Network Address Translation (NAT) on a router, it's essential to define a NAT pool to specify the range of public IP addresses that will be used for translation. The command "ip nat pool mypool" creates and defines a NAT pool called "mypool," to which you can later apply the NAT rules. This pool serves the purpose of mapping internal private IP addresses to external public IP addresses, which is particularly useful when devices within a private network need to access the internet. By establishing this pool, the router knows from which addresses to draw when translating the internal IP addresses, facilitating proper communication with the external networks. This configuration is crucial in scenarios where multiple devices need to share a single public IP address through NAT.