Network address translation with in-band return path resolution

A network address translation (NAT) enabled router comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory in communication with at least one processor of the one or more processors, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• receive a return packet to be communicated to a destination, wherein the destination is associated with a first source address in the context of a forward packet;
• and
• determine a return path to transmit the return packet to the destination based on security association data, wherein the security association data is pre-recorded in a routing table of the NAT enabled router when a forward packet is received, prior to receiving the return packet, over a forward path established between the NAT enabled router and an enterprise node, and wherein the security association data uniquely identifies the forward path as the return path.

A network address translation (NAT) enabled router comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory in communication with at least one processor of the one or more processors, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• receive a return packet to be communicated to a destination, wherein the destination is associated with a first source address in the context of a forward packet;
• and
• determine a return path to transmit the return packet to the destination based on one or more identifiers, wherein the one or more identifiers are pre-recorded in a routing table of the NAT enabled router when a forward packet is received prior to receiving the return packet, and wherein the one or more identifiers are determined from the forward packet.