Issue
Can an I/NET system communicate across ethernet routers which use Network Address Translation (NATing)?
Environment
I/NET Site
Cause
Can an I/NET system communicate across ethernet routers which use Network Address Translation (NATing)?
Resolution
In general, I/NET works best if we are able to pass an unadulterated packet of information from one host/NPR on the ethernet to another...and back again. Network Address Translation in a commercial router does just that; translates the address of a packet coming into the router to one of several devices that reside on the other side of it. I/NET workstations can successfully deal with NATing or spoofing because they utilize commercially available network drivers which do the communication for us. Under most circumstances, the NPRs can NOT because they have a limited set of network drivers which does not accommodate NAT....or DHCP for that matter. There are generally four different implementations of NAT. Static, Dynamic, Overloaded and Overlapped. The NPR will only stand a chance at working in a Static NAT implementation, but we do not recommend it. If you must install NPRs on such a network, call Product Support for assistance.
