In what scenario does a wireless router perform Network Address Translation (NAT)?

A wireless router performs Network Address Translation (NAT) primarily when devices on a private network need to communicate with external networks, such as the internet. This process allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address, with the router translating the private IP addresses of each device into a public IP address for outgoing traffic.

In this scenario where a host is sending packets to a remote site to request a device manual, the wireless router will use NAT to change the source address of the packets from the private (local) IP address of the host to its own public IP address. This enables the remote server to send the response back to the correct device within the private network, as the router keeps track of the translation and ensures that the returning data gets routed back to the originating device.

In contrast, communication that occurs within a local network, such as sending packets to a printer or another device in the same subnet, does not require NAT because both devices are operating under the same private IP addressing scheme and can communicate directly without the need for address translation.