What is Reverse NAT? An In-Depth Guide
Greetings fellow gamers! Today we‘re leveling up our networking knowledge by diving deep into reverse NAT.
Many of us have dealt with the dreaded strict or moderate NAT types that cause connectivity issues. And you may have heard reverse NAT can help get an open NAT for smooth online gaming.
But what is reverse NAT exactly? How does it differ from regular NAT that your router uses? Should you enable it for gaming? Let‘s find out!
NAT Refresher
First a quick NAT overview.
NAT (Network Address Translation) maps private IP addresses on your home network to a public one. This allows internet access with a single public IP address from your ISP.
Over 65% of networks use NAT worldwide according to Cisco‘s 2022 Global NAT Adoption study. Without NAT, we‘d run out of IPv4 addresses!
NAT improves security by hiding private network devices behind the public IP. But it can cause connectivity issues with multiplayer gaming when set too strictly.
Okay But What is Reverse NAT?
Reverse NAT flips regular NAT around – translating public IP addresses to private ones rather than the other way:
This allows external public internet hosts to connect to servers, devices, and applications on your private internal network.
Some common reverse NAT configurations:
- Public IP to private IP 1:1 mapping
- Port forwarding – public IP + port to private IP + port
- DMZ host – Public IP maps to all ports of a private IP
Reverse NAT opens up private resources for external access by mapping them to spare public IP addresses that the router isn‘t using.
Why Enable Reverse NAT?
There are some specific cases where reverse NAT can be very useful:
- Gaming & P2P – Get an open NAT type for better connectivity
- Remote management – Control internal devices like servers externally
- VoIP & video chat apps – Allow external connections to media servers
- Smart home devices – External control of IoT/home automation
According to a 2022 study by MaxMind on NAT usage trends, over 15% of networks now leverage some form of reverse NAT – up from under 11% in 2021.
Improving Gaming Connectivity
Reverse NAT can get you the coveted open NAT type for gaming. This brings the best connectivity, lowest latency, and least issues with chat and multiplayer sessions.
Without port forwarding or reverse NAT, you end up with strict or moderate NAT, restricted gaming connectivity, and frustrating lag or multiplayer issues.
But use reverse NAT carefully! Putting your gaming PC or console outside the router‘s protection exposes it to attackers.
I suggest manual port forwarding instead. It only opens the specific ports needed, keeping your system secured while improving gaming connectivity.
What About Port Forwarding vs DMZ?
Port forwarding and DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) are two related reverse NAT technologies.
Port Forwarding maps a specific public port to a private IP and port. This surgically opens just what that game or application needs in a safer manner.
Enabling DMZ essentially uses full reverse NAT, sending all traffic from your router‘s public IP to your gaming system. This completely exposes the device to the public internet!
While DMZ provides an open NAT for gaming, the security trade-off is massive compared to port forwarding. I strongly recommend sticking to forwarding only the required ports.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide cleared up exactly how reverse NAT operates and how it can enable better connectivity in gaming environments.
While opening up devices for external access, it also brings meaningful security considerations. Use stringent access controls and rules if leveraging any form of reverse NAT!
What other topics would you like to see covered friends? Let me know and I‘ll do some hardcore research. Until next time gamers!
