Introduction

Over the past few years , the Internet has become increasingly popular in both business and home environments. As a result, there is now a shortage of IP addresses. Network Address Translation (NAT) eliminates the need for all computers on the network to have a public IP address. Instead, it allows multiple computers to access the Internet by sharing a single public IP address.

Two technologies included with Windows 2000, Internet Connection Sharing and Network Address Translation , provide small businesses and home offices with a cost-effective , relatively simple way of connecting to the Internet. Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) allows a single Internet connection to be shared among multiple computers. Network Address Translation (NAT) offers a similar solution to ICS, but includes additional features that may make it a more suitable choice than ICS in certain environments. This chapter looks at the services provided by ICS and NAT, as well as the distinct differences between the two technologies. You will also look at how to install and configure both ICS and NAT.