Network address translation and port mapping

A method of processing a client packet from a client in a NAT (Network Address Translation & Port Mapping) system including a NAT machine and a plurality of servers. The method includes preparing a response packet responsive to the client packet, performing, by one of the servers, a translation operation on the response packet to produce a translated response packet, and transmitting the translated response packet from the server to the client, thereby bypassing the NAT machine. All subsequent response packets in the current connection can be translated and transmitted from the server directly to the client.