Which type of network firewall provides client address translation by default?

The type of network firewall that provides client address translation by default is the application firewall. Application firewalls are designed to operate at the application layer of the OSI model, and they often include features such as deep packet inspection, and they can perform tasks like client address translation, which allows them to modify the way that traffic appears to external networks.

This address translation capability enables an application firewall to secure client data and limit exposure to internal network structures by hiding IP addresses, allowing for enhanced privacy and security. By doing this, the application firewall can enforce policies and control traffic at a more granular level compared to other types of firewalls.

In contrast, packet filtering firewalls primarily operate at the network layer, focusing on allowing or blocking traffic based on simple rules without the ability to perform detailed inspection or translation tasks. Stateful packet inspection firewalls track the state of connections but do not typically handle address translation by default. Next-generation firewalls, while they incorporate features from all previous generations, traditionally are not specified to perform client address translation as a default behavior either. They combine capabilities such as stateful inspection and application awareness, but the structural specifics can vary based on configuration and deployment practices.