How to Avoid Oi CGNAT in Brazil 

CGNAT (aka Carrier-Grade NAT) is a strategy used by ISPs like Oi to extend the limited supply of IPv4 addresses. This method assigns the same public IP to multiple subscribers, impacting your ability to host servers or access your home network from afar.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to get around these hurdles: using a VPN with port forwarding capabilities, such as PureVPN. Read on to find out how you can take advantage of it to sidestep CGNAT limitations in just a few clicks.

What Issues Does Oi CGNAT Cause?

Here are some challenges you might encounter due to Oi’s use of CGNAT:

Server Hosting Difficulties

Hosting a server from your home for tasks like media sharing or maintaining a personal website becomes challenging with Oi’s CGNAT. Since you share a public IP with other customers, it might hinder incoming connections to your server, thereby cutting it off from external access.

Online Gaming Hurdles

If you are into gaming, CGNAT can be particularly problematic. It can interfere with the peer-to-peer connections that are crucial for multiplayer gaming, potentially leading to increased lag, difficulty connecting to game servers, and frequent disconnections.

Remote Access Barriers

Accessing your home network remotely becomes more complicated under CGNAT. Whether it is to manage your smart home devices or retrieve files from your computer, the lack of a unique public IP can severely limit direct access capabilities.

Voice over IP Problems

VoIP requires certain ports to be open to maintain stable and clear voice communications. Under CGNAT, achieving this is challenging, which can cause call drops, poor call quality, and generally unreliable VoIP services.

How to Check if Oi Uses CGNAT

Here are two simple methods to check if your Oi connection is under CGNAT:

Method 1: Check the Router’s WAN IP Address

1. Open a web browser and enter your router’s IP address into the address bar.
2. Enter your username and password to access the dashboard.
3. Navigate to the status screen on the dashboard.
4. Find the section labeled as ‘WAN IP’ or a similar term, which might vary based on the router model.
5. Examine the IP address assigned to the router’s WAN interface.
6. If this IP address falls within the range of 100.64.0.1 to 100.127.255.254, your connection is likely behind CGNAT. This IP range is designated for CGNAT usage.

Method 2: Compare WAN IP and Public IP Address

1. Follow the steps from Method 1 to find and note down the WAN IP address from your router’s dashboard.
2. Open a new tab in your web browser
3. Search for “what is my IP address” and press Enter.
4. Remember the public IP address displayed by the search results.
5. If the WAN IP and the public IP address are different, it indicates that your ISP is using CGNAT.
6. If they match, your connection likely has a direct public IP address, meaning it is not behind CGNAT.

Related Read: How to Check if Your ISP Performs CGNAT

How to Avoid Oi CGNAT with PureVPN

By using PureVPN’s Port Forwarding add-on, you can overcome Oi’s CGNAT and establish direct connections from wherever you are. Here is a quick setup guide:

1. Get a PureVPN plan and add Port Forwarding during checkout.

2. Go to Subscriptions and click Configure.

3. Select Enable specific ports and enter the port number(s) you want to open.

4. Click Apply Settings and then log into the PureVPN app. 

5. Connect to a Port Forwarding-supported server and you are all set!

Host a Server Using Dedicated IP with Port Forwarding

PureVPN’s Dedicated IP and Port Forwarding add-on streamlines server hosting. This pairing provides a static IP and enables port forwarding, allowing specified external traffic to be routed directly to your server. It is perfect for hosting gaming servers or running personal websites, no matter what ISP you are using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Oi use CGNAT? 

Yes, Oi uses CGNAT to let multiple users share a single IP address, which can complicate server hosting or online gaming.

Can I use a port forwarding VPN to avoid Oi CGNAT?

Absolutely! A port forwarding VPN like PureVPN provides a direct route for incoming connections, making it easier to manage activities that CGNAT usually limits, such as remote desktop access.