Public address check
Port forwarding not working? Console showing a strict NAT type? Compare the address the internet sees with the one your router has, and you will know why.
1. The address the internet sees
Looking…
2. The address your router has
- 1Log in to your router. The address and password are usually on a sticker underneath it.
- 2Find the status page and look for WAN, Internet or Broadband IP address. Router apps show it too.
There are not enough of the older IPv4 addresses to go around, so some providers put many homes behind one shared public address. Everyday use works as normal. Anything that needs the outside world to reach in to your home does not.
Why this matters
Port forwarding, hosting a game for friends, an open NAT type on a console, and reaching your cameras or a home server from outside all depend on your home having a public address of its own.
Want to see why a shared address blocks connections in?Port forwarding and CGNAT, step by step.