Network Inspector: Public IP & CGNAT Checker (South Africa)
Check your public IP, ISP and location instantly, and see if you are behind NAT, CGNAT or have a direct public IP. Free South African network tool.
IP Addresses
Network Identity
This reflects infrastructure, not your retail ISP
or connection type.
A mismatch may mean a VPN is active.
Performance
measured over 3 pings.
What this means
Public IP address
NAT (Network Address Translation)
CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT)
Why it matters
What the Network Inspector checks, and why it matters
Every device that connects to the internet is given a public IP address by its network, but many South African ISPs now share one public IP across hundreds of customers through Carrier Grade NAT, or CGNAT, because they have run out of individual addresses to hand out. This tool reads the public IP, ISP and rough location your connection is currently using, and checks whether you have a direct public IP or are sitting behind CGNAT.
Knowing this matters mainly if you need something at home to be reachable from outside, hosting a server, a security camera or remote access, since CGNAT blocks that by default while ordinary browsing, streaming and video calls are unaffected. If you also want to check your DNS resolver speed, try the DNS Benchmark, or browse all our free South African tools and calculators.
Frequently asked questions
What is my public IP address?
Your public IP address is the address the rest of the internet sees you as. With a direct public IP your device can be reached from outside, which matters if you want to host a server, reach a device at home remotely, or run some online games and apps.
How do I know if I am behind CGNAT?
The Network Inspector checks this for you. With Carrier Grade NAT your ISP puts many customers behind a single shared public IP, so you never get one of your own, port forwarding will not work, and self hosting, security cameras, remote access and some online games can break.
What is the difference between NAT and CGNAT?
With ordinary NAT your home or office router shares one public IP between your devices, and you can usually open ports yourself. With CGNAT your ISP shares one public IP across many customers, so you do not control it and cannot open ports.
Does NAT or CGNAT affect normal browsing?
No. If you only browse, stream and use apps, NAT or CGNAT makes no real difference. It matters when you need a device or service at home to be reachable from outside.
Can I fix or bypass CGNAT?
Port forwarding cannot get through your ISP's CGNAT gateway, it only controls your own router's NAT. The real fixes are asking your ISP for a dedicated public IP address, often a paid add-on, checking whether your ISP supports IPv6, which sidesteps NAT entirely, or using a reverse tunnel service. If you only browse and stream, none of this matters.
Which South African ISPs use CGNAT?
Most mobile networks and a growing number of fibre and fixed-wireless ISPs use CGNAT because they have run out of individual public IPv4 addresses to hand out. Whether your specific line is behind it varies by ISP and package, which is exactly why this tool checks it directly rather than you guessing from a list.
Does CGNAT stop me from gaming or hosting a server?
It can. Being behind CGNAT usually blocks inbound connections, which can show up as a strict NAT type in some games and stops a self hosted server, security camera or remote access session from being reachable from outside your home. Outbound connections, joining someone else's game or streaming, are unaffected.
Why does my IP address show the wrong city or ISP name?
Location and provider databases behind IP lookups are approximate, built from ISP registered address blocks rather than your street address, so a South African IP can sometimes show a city some distance away or a parent company's name instead of your retail ISP. This is normal, and not something this tool, or any IP checker, can fully correct.
What is the CGNAT IP range?
Carrier Grade NAT uses the reserved block 100.64.0.0/10, which covers every address from 100.64.0.0 to 100.127.255.255, set aside for exactly this purpose in RFC 6598. If the WAN IP shown on your router falls inside that range, you are behind CGNAT. This tool checks that range for you automatically.
How do I get a public IP address from my ISP in South Africa?
Most South African ISPs offer a dedicated or static public IP as an optional extra, sometimes free on request and sometimes a small monthly add-on, so the first step is to phone your provider and ask for a public IPv4 address on your line. Many fibre and fixed-wireless providers will move you off CGNAT this way, while most mobile networks will not, so IPv6 or a tunnel service may be your only route on a mobile connection.
Is CGNAT the same as a dynamic IP?
No. A dynamic public IP is still your own address for the moment, and it only changes from time to time, so you can usually still reach your line from outside using a dynamic DNS service. Behind CGNAT you never get an address of your own at all, because your ISP shares one public IP across many customers, so inbound connections and port forwarding will not work no matter what.
Do Starlink, rain and 5G connections use CGNAT?
Usually yes. Starlink, rain and most 5G and LTE home internet products place customers behind CGNAT by default, which is why port forwarding and self hosting often fail on them even when speeds are good. Some offer a public IP or IPv6 as an option, which is why this tool checks your actual connection rather than relying on the provider name.