If your Firebox has a single public IP address, which type of NAT should you use for forwarding inbound traffic based on destination port?

Static NAT is the preferred choice for forwarding inbound traffic based on destination port when you have a Firebox with a single public IP address. This method allows you to map a specific public IP address to a specific private IP address permanently. By using static NAT, you can ensure that all incoming traffic directed at a particular port on the public IP address is consistently forwarded to the designated internal server or device.

This is particularly useful for hosting services such as web servers, email servers, or game servers that require reliable access through the same public endpoint at all times. Since the NAT mappings do not change, it simplifies the configuration of port forwarding rules, making it easier to manage and troubleshoot.

In contrast, 1-to-1 NAT is generally used for situations where you require a one-to-one mapping between a public and private IP address, without necessarily directing traffic to specific ports. Dynamic NAT is used for allowing multiple devices on a private network to share a smaller amount of public IP addresses by dynamically assigning addresses as needed, but it doesn't facilitate consistent inbound traffic forwarding based on specific destination ports, making it unsuitable for this scenario.