NAT Gateway
#14 · Level 1 · Core services · Networking basicsConcept
Section titled “Concept”A NAT Gateway lets servers in a private subnet go out to the internet, but doesn’t let anyone from outside come in. NAT means Network Address Translation — it replaces the inside server’s private IP with its own IP when talking to the outside. To reach the internet, a NAT Gateway is usually placed in a public subnet, and goes out through the Internet Gateway. The private subnet’s Route Table needs a route to the NAT Gateway. It is an AWS managed service, so AWS takes care of its maintenance.
Simple example
Section titled “Simple example”An office errand runner. When staff inside want something brought from outside, they send the errand runner. But nobody outside can get into the office through the errand runner.
Why it’s needed
Section titled “Why it’s needed”Databases and backend servers need to stay private. But sometimes they also need the internet, for example to download software updates.
Where it’s used
Section titled “Where it’s used”It is placed in a public subnet, and a private subnet’s Route Table points the way to it.
Azure equivalent
Section titled “Azure equivalent”Azure NAT Gateway
Related
Section titled “Related”Learn more
Section titled “Learn more”For details and the latest information, see the official documentation: