Which device gives endpoints without public IP addresses access to the Internet without exposing those resources to incoming Internet connections?

• A. NAT Gateways
• B. Internet Gateways
• C. Proxy Server
• D. WAF

Answer: (A)

This is about giving devices with private addresses access to the Internet while keeping them hidden from direct inbound connections. A NAT gateway sits at the network edge and translates each private IP address to a shared public IP for outbound traffic. External systems see only the NAT gateway’s public IP, not the internal addresses, so the private endpoints aren’t directly reachable from the Internet. Replies come back through the NAT, preserving the security boundary while enabling Internet access for the internal hosts.

Other options don’t achieve both goals in the same automatic way. An Internet gateway provides a path to the Internet but doesn’t perform address translation to hide private addresses. A proxy server can route traffic on behalf of clients but requires client configuration and doesn’t inherently protect all internal hosts from inbound Internet connections. A Web Application Firewall protects applications but doesn’t enable general Internet access for devices with private IPs.