More people are using the internet than ever before. Every day, millions of new devices—including laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, and Internet of Things devices—connect.
IPv4 address exhaustion is a significant problem brought on by this growth for telecom operators, ISPs, and providers of digital infrastructure.
In this article, we will clearly explain what is cgnat, why it matters, how it works, and how modern CGNAT solutions from NFware help service providers scale networks efficiently and securely.
Let’s begin!
Key Takeaways
CGNAT is an acronym that stands for carrier-grade network address translation. By using this networking technology, telecom operators and Internet service providers (ISPs) allow a large number of users to share a small number of public IPv4 addresses.
To understand what is cgnat, think of it as an advanced version of the NAT you already use at home, but built for large-scale telecom networks.
Interesting Facts
Estimated CGNAT deployments increased from 1,200 in 2014 to over 3,400 by 2016. As of 2026, it is considered an essential part of modern, rapidly expanding telecom infrastructure.
Traditional networks used to be the home for incoming viruses and malicious threats due to their constant loose ends in the encryption. But below we are going to understand why they are essential for modern networks.
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, which means there are about 4.3 billion unique IP addresses available. With billions of devices online today, this pool has already run out.
Even though IPv6 exists, full migration takes time. Many networks still rely heavily on IPv4.
Telecom operators must support mobile users, home broadband customers, enterprise clients, and IoT devices. CGNAT allows service providers to continue adding customers without needing new IPv4 addresses.
Buying IPv4 addresses on the secondary market is expensive. CGNAT reduces the need to purchase additional IPs, helping operators lower operational costs.
Now in this phase we are going to deeply look at the whole architecture of CGNAT and how it is different from the previous generations
NAT translates private IP addresses into a public IP address so devices can communicate over the internet.
In home networks, devices use private IPs such as 192.168.x.x, and the router uses one public IP.
How CGNAT Is Different
CGNAT operates at the service provider level rather than inside a home router.
Subscribers receive private IP addresses from the ISP. CGNAT then maps thousands of users to shared public IP addresses. Each user session is tracked using port numbers, allowing traffic to flow correctly between users and the internet.
This process is optimized to handle millions of simultaneous connections.
To understand this technology more closely, we have to uncover its complete architecture and service model from a more detailed point of view.
CGNAT is typically deployed between the access network and the public internet. It often works alongside BNG, BRAS, or mobile gateways and can be placed in centralized or distributed data centers.
CGNAT integrates with routing platforms, AAA systems, traffic monitoring tools, and policy engines. NFware CGNAT solutions are designed to work smoothly with existing telecom infrastructure.
Through this section, many of you will explore some of its examples that make it far more reliable than the regular IPs
CGNAT allows thousands of users to share a single public IP address while maintaining reliable connectivity and proper session tracking.
When properly implemented, CGNAT does not affect browsing, streaming, or application usage. End users enjoy uninterrupted internet access.
Modern CGNAT platforms from NFware are built to scale horizontally and support millions of subscribers without performance degradation.
There are some possibilities where the deployment process becomes challenging with CGNAT. Let’s take a look at them
Some applications require inbound connections or fixed IP addresses, which can be challenging with CGNAT.
Solutions include port forwarding, application layer gateways, and IPv6 transition mechanisms.
CGNAT systems must maintain detailed logs that map users to IP addresses and ports. NFware provides high-performance logging that meets legal and regulatory requirements.
Poor CGNAT design can introduce latency. NFware focuses on optimized packet processing, low latency forwarding, and efficient memory management.
CGNAT acts as a bridge technology, allowing operators to continue using IPv4 while gradually migrating to IPv6.
CGNAT supports dual-stack deployments and IPv6-only access models using technologies such as NAT64 and 464XLAT.
NFware develops carrier-grade networking software for telecom operators, ISPs, and digital infrastructure providers.
NFware CGNAT is software-based, hardware-agnostic, and optimized to run on standard x86 servers while handling massive traffic volumes.
The solution is designed for continuous operation, supports redundancy, and ensures high availability for mission-critical networks.
NFware CGNAT can be deployed on bare metal, virtual machines, cloud environments, and NFV or SDN architectures.
In this phase, we are going to demonstrate how the CGNAT provides some exemplary benefits to the network security frameworks.
CGNAT provides better visibility into network traffic, allowing operators to apply security policies and manage usage effectively.
With proper configuration, CGNAT helps reduce risks such as IP spoofing, DDoS amplification, and unauthorized access.
This algorithm is three-dimensional as it can be used in various domains and mainstream formats, although its pivotal role comes in the telecom and digital infrastructure.
Mobile operators rely on CGNAT to manage dynamic IP allocation and support millions of mobile data users efficiently.
Fixed broadband providers use CGNAT to expand their subscriber base while maintaining service quality and controlling costs.
CGNAT is also widely used in private clouds, data centers, and multi-tenant environments.
Traditional NAT is designed for small networks, while CGNAT is built for carrier-scale deployments. CGNAT supports millions of users, offers higher performance, and includes advanced logging and compliance features.
Operators should pick a vendor with a track record in telecom, carefully plan capacity, and use redundancy to guarantee high availability. High-performance, scalable CGNAT solutions from NFware meet the demands of contemporary networking.
CGNAT will remain essential until IPv6 adoption becomes universal. Future CGNAT solutions will be more cloud-native, software-defined, and analytics-driven.
NFware continues to innovate to support the evolving demands of telecom and digital infrastructure.
Anybody working in networking, telecommunications, or digital infrastructure needs to know what cgnat is. Through CGNAT, service providers can scale networks effectively, cut expenses, and get around IPv4 restrictions.
With carrier-grade CGNAT solutions from NFware, operators can deliver reliable connectivity today while preparing for a fully IPv6-enabled future.
Ans: Yes, it is used by mobile networks worldwide.
Ans: It helps to make IPv4 last a little longer.
Ans: Airtel has switched to CGNAT.
