摘要 |
The invention relates to a method for operating a symmetric network address translation NAT ( 100 ) setting up sessions between a user terminal ( 110 - 1, 110 - 2 ) and a server ( 120 - 1, 120 - 2 ). If a new session is initiated by said user terminal an external IP-address (C) and port (D) representing the desired destination server as well as a public NAT-IP address (X) are determined. Further, a public NAT-IP port is selected. Finally, the NAT sets up the new session based on an appropriate entry representing said new session in a NAT table. In order to save available public NAT-IP ports a new session according to the invention not necessarily represented by a new public NAT-IP port, but by a tuple comprising the public NAT-IP address, the selected public NAT-IP port (Y), the external IP address (C) and the port (D). A new session is set up only if there is an entry of the whole tuple identifying said new session in said NAT-table.
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