CGNAT, or Carrier-Grade NAT, is a type of network address translation (NAT) technology used by internet service providers (ISPs) to extend the lifespan of IPv4 addresses. It is commonly used to allow multiple customers to share a single IPv4 address.
Actually, most people are using NAT daily with the NAT translation is at our router level. e.g. it acquires a public IP from the ISP and issues multiple 192.168.x.y to our devices internally.
Effectively, CGNAT shares a public IP with more customers.
If you are considering switching to an ISP that uses CGNAT, here are some factors to keep in mind:
Impact on services: CGNAT can have an impact on certain services that require direct access to your device, such as online gaming, peer-to-peer file sharing, and hosting servers. Some services may not work correctly or may be blocked entirely by CGNAT.
Public IP address: CGNAT can make it more challenging to access your device remotely, as you will be sharing a public IP address with other customers. If you need to access your device from outside your network, you may need to use port forwarding or a virtual private network (VPN).
Security: CGNAT can provide some level of security by hiding your device’s IP address behind a public IP address. However, it also means that your device is sharing an IP address with other customers, which could potentially allow unwanted access to your network.
Technical support: If you encounter any technical issues with your service, it can be more challenging to diagnose and troubleshoot with CGNAT in place. This is because the ISP may be using multiple layers of NAT, making it harder to determine where the problem lies.
IPv6 support: As IPv4 addresses become increasingly scarce, more ISPs are moving towards IPv6. If your ISP uses CGNAT, they may not support IPv6, which could limit your ability to access certain services that require it.
There should not be a big difference in internet speed between CGNAT and non-CGNAT networks. However, CGNAT can sometimes make the internet slower because multiple people share the same public IP address. This means that the internet can get busy, and some things may take a bit longer to load. Non-CGNAT networks, on the other hand, can be faster for services like online gaming and peer-to-peer file sharing because they use a public IP address that is just for you. In general, CGNAT should not make a big difference in internet speed.
In summary, while CGNAT can help extend the lifespan of IPv4 addresses, it can also have an impact on certain services and make it more challenging to access your device remotely. Consider these factors before switching to an ISP that uses CGNAT.