Strange routing on the EE network

[userbradley]

Hello all!

Hoping to get a reply from the infamous @XRaySpeX 

Basically, I am using my apple mac on a hotspot from my iphone 12, and 3 sites give me different IP address. All in the 109.249.187.x range.

If I ssh to a server on GCP, it gives me 109.249.187.116, where as general web browsing gives me 109.249.187.62. (this is on my mac)

Where as on my phone the web browsing IP is 109.249.187.51

called up EE and they basically said "Tough, speak to the ombudsman we cant help you"

My question to them was "What is my actual public IP, and is there port or traffic based routing/nat?" 

I'm in the greater Reading area if this helps at all? 

I have a suspicion that it's down to traffic rules somewhere in their network as I cant detect any proxies...

Thoughts? 

[XRaySpeX]

All 3 IPs come from the "Orange UK Addressing" pool. Every time you disconnect the phone from the mobile network you are just as likely to get a new public IP. 

What does WhatIsMyIP.com say it is for the time being?

[userbradley]

Hey!

Yup that's correct but the issue is those 3 ip's come from the same device. 

I am connected on my laptop via my phone.

If I ssh to a server and run `w` to see logged in users, I get the 109.249.187.116

Where as find my ip shows

These are all on my mac. 

The question still stands here is does EE do some port based routing for certain ports/ protocols? 

From what I can tell, it has to be otherwise there's no way I can connect to the internet over 2 public IP's, if it's true CGNAT, (which I assume it to be) then it should be one outbound IP.

This is really causing havoc with my servers, and the only reliable way I've found to get around this is to open ports to the entire EE/ Orange range in hopes that one of the IP's is correct. 

let me know if I've not explained this well! 

Additional images below:

[XRaySpeX]

It's nowt to with the device you read the public IP on but the state of the device with the mobile SIM that you are connecting to the mobile network & whether it has discon'ed/connected between each time you take an IP reading.

[userbradley]

I understand that, 100%.

The mobile phone has not discoonected at all during these tests. I am sat 173 meters from the cell tower.

The connection has been established for a while no, no disconnects. I can be connected to the IP echo site and also the remote server at the same time and have different IP's.

Just want to know if this is the case, that they have policy based routing etc.

Thoughts? Happy to record a video

[XRaySpeX]

Sorry, then I can't explain it! You only have 1 public IP at a time!