If you struggle to forward ports, your ISP performs CGNAT to preserve the IPv4 pool. You can’t open ports or add port forwarding rules because ISPs reject all requests via CGNAT.
We will discuss later in the article how you can bypass CGNAT. However, the first step is to check whether or not your ISP performs CGNAT.
CGNAT (Carrier-Grade Network Address Translation) is an address translation mechanism performed to conserve the IPv4 pool. Most ISPs perform CGNAT to continue using the IPv4 infrastructure while transitioning towards IPv6 publicly.
Acquiring more IP addresses can be expensive since the IPv4 pool is depleting, so performing CGNAT allows ISPs to assign a single public IP to multiple customers. Even if you try to open ports on a router that’s sitting behind CGNAT, ISPs can reject your port forwarding requests. Plus, you can get your IP blacklisted if you try to port forward behind CGNAT.
Several consumers rely on the same IP address on a private network, making Port forwarding a router difficult. On a shared public IP address, if you try to forward a port, the data will also be sent to all the other customers. And, even if your router is configured for port forwarding, opening ports and bypassing CGNAT can get every IP blacklisted on a private network.
Here are a few ways to verify if your ISP is performing CGNAT:
The first method deals with the WAN IP address. All you need to do is access your router’s settings and check the said IP address. If it lies in a specific range, it implies that your ISP is using CGNAT. The detailed instructions are as follows:
The second method also employs the WAN IP to determine if you are behind CGNAT. But instead of using a range, we check whether the WAN IP matches our public IP address. If so, your ISP is not using CGNAT to conserve the IPv4 pool. The specific steps are given below:
You have to use the command prompt to check whether or not the ISP is performing CGNAT. You need to run a single command and analyze the results. Follow these instructions to understand the procedure:
There is a possibility that you could opt out of the CGNAT plan, but there is a catch. Your ISP may ask you to upgrade to a premium plan, which is not what we need. Lucky for you, there is a more accessible and much safer way to forward ports behind CGNAT.
Just use a reliable VPN service, such as PureVPN, to open ports and bypass CGNAT with a few clicks. Not only is this solution efficient, but it is relatively safe as it removes the general security risks attached to port forwarding.
Can’t open ports because of CGNAT or double NAT? You have come to the right place. Consider using PureVPN’s port forwarding add-on for all your port forwarding needs on multiple routers.
Our port forwarding add-on can help you simplify the port forwarding process but also allows you to bypass CGNAT with ease. Follow the instructions below to enable this effective add-on:
With our Port Forwarding add-on, opening ports is as simple as 1, 2, and 3!
A Dedicated IP allows you to create servers and external IP addresses to connect to your server without any IP mapping issues. You need a dedicated IP with a Port Forwarding add-on if you wish to host a game server, get your IP whitelisted, or want your friends to connect to your at-home devices.
Contact our friendly reps via the Live Chat option if you need help in forwarding ports on a router (Starlink, Xfinity, or Spectrum).