NAT hides your entire home network behind a single IP address. It was supposed to be temporary. Three decades later, we've built the whole Internet around the workaround.
Your router blocks all uninvited traffic by default. Port forwarding punches specific holes through that protection—useful for game servers, remote access, and self-hosted services, but every hole is a door that doesn't check IDs.
Two routers, each doing their job correctly, creating chaos precisely because they're both doing it. Here's how to make one of them step aside.
CGNAT places your entire home network behind your ISP's NAT, not just your own router's. Your router thinks it has a public IP. It doesn't—and that breaks everything that depends on inbound connections.
Learn how STUN, TURN, and ICE enable peer-to-peer connections through NAT devices for video calls, gaming, and real-time communication.
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