Author Topic: CGNAT/static IP address  (Read 2206 times)

faithie999

  • Conductor
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
CGNAT/static IP address
« on: February 14, 2020, 05:57:37 PM »
I use Metronet ISP and they use CGNAT.  if I were to pay for a static IP address, how would that be implemented with ring's server?

thanks

ken

William Brillinger

  • Dispatcher (Admin)
  • Conductor
  • *****
  • Posts: 1326
    • Precision Design Co.
Re: CGNAT/static IP address
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2020, 06:27:23 AM »
The static IP would simply solve the problem without any further steps on your end.

That said - Hold off a little, I think "The other Tim" may have found a solution that will allow you to work around the CGNAT issue.
Once his testing is complete, I expect you'll hear about it here. (probably soon?)
- Bill Brillinger, RPUG Admin

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, owner of Precision Design Co., and RailPro Dealer.


faithie999

  • Conductor
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
Re: CGNAT/static IP address
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2020, 07:00:02 AM »
thanks.  I will certainly wait.

the reason I was asking how a static IP would work is because while I don't pay for one, my public IP address hasn't changed since I switched to Metronet 3 months ago.

does "static ip" mean they switch me from CGNAT to having normal ipv4?
« Last Edit: February 15, 2020, 07:05:45 AM by faithie999 »

William Brillinger

  • Dispatcher (Admin)
  • Conductor
  • *****
  • Posts: 1326
    • Precision Design Co.
Re: CGNAT/static IP address
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2020, 08:10:37 AM »
Quote
does "static ip" mean they switch me from CGNAT to having normal ipv4?

As far as I know - yes, you would get an unchanging ipv4 address.

- Bill Brillinger, RPUG Admin

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, owner of Precision Design Co., and RailPro Dealer.


G8B4Life

  • Signalman (Global Mod)
  • Conductor
  • *****
  • Posts: 1193
  • I'll think of a catchy tag line one day
Re: CGNAT/static IP address
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2020, 07:57:10 PM »
I had a whole post of how non GNAT / CGNAT works with Rings server you can read here: https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,781.msg6110.html#msg6110.
It slightly out of date now as all the port 80's are now port 4608, and the point of return failure in the last diagram might actually be at the ISP CGNAT router and not the ISP Edge router, but that depends on the protocol used between the two routers. That doesn't change the mechanism of the return failure, just where it happens.

Ken, to clear up some terminology what you need is a public IP address, not static. Static simply means the IP address doesn't change but that doesn't mean that the IP address is publicly routable as you are finding out. Study the second diagram (Private-Private-Public) in my post, the IP address assigned to your CPE and the IP address assigned to the ISP CGNAT router would both be static but the one assigned to you is not publicly routable.

Anyway, Metronet may or may not a provide public IP address for a fee (you'd have to ask them) but you need to ask yourself does the benefit outweigh the cost. If everything you do online bar RPA works without one then the cost/benefit ratio may not be there.

All that said, yes I have a solution that in in-house testing (just me) works. I'll be making a post later today/tonight.

- Tim

Edit: Forgot to add that on CGNAT the public IP address you see when you go to places like whatsmyip.com and the like is not actually you, it's the IP address of your ISP's CGNAT router and your sharing that address with potentially hundreds of your ISP's subscribers.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2020, 03:41:47 AM by G8B4Life »

faithie999

  • Conductor
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
Re: CGNAT/static IP address
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2020, 05:14:12 AM »
Tim--thanks for the info and the link to your earlier explanation.  and thanks for the distinction between "static" and "public" IP address.  I didn't think that just having a static address was sufficient.

the reason I might look into getting a public IP address is mostly for the ability to view my Plex library from out of my house.  I have a ton of old TV shows and movies which provide entertainment while I'm on the road.  the only workaround for Plex right now is a little utility called "ngrok" which seems to work well but I don't have any information on the potential security risk.

thanks for what you're doing to solve the CGNAT issue for accessing Ring's server.

ken