4GEE - NAT Type Open summary

[Liamss]

Hi all,

There are numerous articles on this, but there doesn't seem to be one succinct recent summary.

First of all, I'm stunned that EE sell this device set-up, without being crystal clear upfront that online gaming is unlikely to work, it feels like a glaring error upon research.

I've spent about £350 in the last month in order to join online games (it's been a decade since I last played, but lockdown....)

As of now, there is no way to force your EE 4G router (Huawei WL1B625M01) to run an open Network Address Translation. 

Possible options:- 

1. EE need to roll out IPv6 support across devices, this does away with the NAT type. Does EE have a timeline for this? 

2. 4GEE runs on a sim/mobile number, so there should be a way for EE to provide a fixed IP, has anyone achieved this?

3. Through a VPN - has anyone achieved this? 

4. Dynamic DNS - such as DuckDNS or DynDNS - my next trial! 

What doesn't work:-

5. Setting up open ports - this apparently makes no difference and after an hour spent, I found the same conclusion.

6. Switching of firewall - also no impact, could be dangerous but EE have left us no choice but to try.

7. UPnp - it has the option to enable universal plug and play, but this doesn't work either. 

8. Phoning support - whilst Thomas was very kind and tried his best, it doesn't seem to be on the radar.

I find it hard to believe that we just have to continue paying and accecpt it can't work. 

Yours sincerly,

Frustrated, lockeddown, EE customer 

[XRaySpeX]

You're coming up against a limitation of EE's mobile network. The EE mobile network uses Carrier Grade NAT (CGNAT) resulting in a double NAT, which means that you don't get your own public IP address but share it with other users. So you can't be uniquely id'ed on the Net & therefore your LAN cannot be addressed from outside for unsolicited accesses. This is unlike fixed BB.

If this occurs there is nowt you can do to avoid it.

2. EE don't issue static public IPs, not the least for the reason as stated above.

[Liamss]

Thanks XRay.

So the only alternative is to cease with EE and do some research to find a provider that does allow static IPs? 

[XRaySpeX]

I just imagine that there will be few, if any, mobile networks handing out static public IPs in view of the preponderance of mobile devices.