Budget analytics teams debug client source IPs and see node addresses instead of Pod IPs for egress to external systems. What mechanism commonly explains this?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Pods often leave the building wearing the node’s jacket—SNAT/masquerade. External systems see the node IP, not the Pod’s private number.
Full Explanation
Many clusters masquerade Pod egress via node IPs so return traffic can route correctly. Observers outside therefore see node addresses. This is separate from kubelet log rewriting myths, NetworkPolicy privacy rewrites to localhost, or Gateway status publishing client IPs into etcd.