Automatic configuration of network address translation for devices having an incompatible network address

A method, comprising:

• monitoring network communications on a first physical port of the networking hardware device to identify a first network address of a first device attached to the first physical port;
• determining that the first network address is incompatible with communication on an external network;
• and
• automatically configuring, in response to determining that the first network address is incompatible with communication on an external network, independent network address translation for the first physical port to translate the incompatible first network address to a compatible network address for all egress traffic from the first device and to translate the compatible network address to the incompatible first network address for all ingress traffic to the first device, wherein the operation of automatically configuring independent network address translation for the first port includes:
• selecting a network address that is routable on the external network and is not in use by any other device attached to the networking hardware device to be the compatible network address;
• assigning the selected compatible network address to be used for translating the source address of an egress network packet received on the first physical port from the first device;
• and
• storing a first record in a network address translation table, wherein the first record includes an identifier for the first physical port, the incompatible first network address of the first device, and the assigned compatible network address.

A computer program product comprising a non-volatile computer readable medium and non-transitory program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being configured to be executable by a processor of a networking hardware device to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• monitoring network communications on a plurality of physical ports of the networking hardware device;
• identifying, for each of the physical ports, a network address of a device attached to the physical port;
• identifying one or more of the physical ports where the network address of the attached device is incompatible with communication on an external network;
• and
• automatically configuring, for each of the identified one or more physical ports where the network address of the attached device is incompatible with communication on the external network, independent network address translation for the physical port to translate the incompatible network address to a compatible network address for all egress traffic from the attached device and to translate the compatible network address to the incompatible first network address for all ingress traffic to the attached device, wherein the operation of automatically configuring independent network address translation for the each physical port includes:
• selecting a network address that is routable on the external network and is not in use by any other device attached to the networking hardware device to be the compatible network address;
• assigning the selected compatible network address to be used for translating the source address of an egress network packet received on the physical port from the attached device;
• and
• storing a record in a network address translation table, wherein the record includes an identifier for the physical port, the incompatible network address of the attached device, and the compatible network address assigned to the attached device.