Frequently asked questions
What is CGNAT?
Carrier‑grade NAT means your ISP shares one public IPv4 address between many customers. Your router gets a private address from the 100.64.0.0/10 range, or similar, instead of a public one.
Which UK providers use CGNAT?
Many alternative fibre networks and most mobile and 4G/5G home broadband services use it. Several providers will give you a public IPv4 address on request, sometimes for a small fee.
Can I run a home server behind CGNAT?
Not with ordinary port forwarding over IPv4. Your options are to ask your ISP for a public IPv4 address, use IPv6 if your provider supports it, or use a tunnel such as Cloudflare Tunnel, Tailscale Funnel or a small VPS.
Is a double NAT the same thing?
Not quite. Double NAT means two routers at home, for example an ISP hub plus your own router. You can fix it yourself with modem mode or by forwarding ports on both. CGNAT happens at your ISP, outside your control.