A gateway forwards packets by performing the following steps:
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Receiving Packets: The gateway receives incoming packets from a network interface.
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Routing Decision: It examines the destination IP address of the packet to determine the next hop. This is done using a routing table that contains information about various networks and their corresponding next hops.
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Packet Modification (if necessary): The gateway may modify the packet headers, such as changing the source or destination IP address, especially if it is performing Network Address Translation (NAT).
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Forwarding: The gateway sends the packet out through the appropriate network interface towards the next hop or the final destination.
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Handling Responses: If the packet is part of a request/response cycle, the gateway will also handle incoming responses and route them back to the original sender.
This process allows the gateway to connect different networks and facilitate communication between devices on those networks.
