I was thinking whether my Starlink router supports port forwarding as i wanted to access my home computer remotely from my work computer. A lot of users may be curious regarding the same. Port forwarding is not just useful for business. Residential users might need it to run web server, game server or to access security cameras.
So with this article i tried to place this query to the people who need port forwarding and lastly provide an answer whether you can enable port forwarding via your Starlink router.
Starlink does not support port forwarding due to its use of CGNAT. But by applying several methods we can enable port forwarding in Starlink router.
Why Starlink Port Forwarding necessary?
Starlink provides a strong internet connection wherever there is none or coverage is minimal. Yet, it is limited by self-protection protocols for example CGNAT and IPv4 address issuing.
Bypassing CGNAT and enabling port forwarding makes it easy to enjoy services that need remote access, such as online gaming, video conferencing, CCTV monitoring, and data backup.
What is CGNAT?
Carrier-grade Network Address Translation or CGNAT involves issuing multiple services to one shared IP address. ISPs extend their usable IP addresses pool, mitigating issues linked to the scarcity of IPv4 addresses.
CGNAT is a firewall, it prevents network overload and bandwidth problems. We need to bypass CGNAT to port forwarding on starlink.
How you can do Starlink port forwarding and Bypass CGNAT?
Starlink does not support inbound port forwarding but multiple methods exist to bypass CGNAT and forward port on starlink.
IPV6 Method
Stralink recently started to assign IPV6. Most of the case they assign IPV4. If you are assigned IPV6, you can use this method. You can use a aftermarket router with port forwarding capability to bypass IPV6. You need to select connection recommended by Starlink in advanced setting of 3rd party router.
Use of VPN for port forwarding
If you are assigned an IPv4 and CGNAT, you can use a VPN to port forward. But your selected VPN must support port forwarding. To use the VPN method, install the VPN client on your devices.
After installation VPN, in VPN settings, select port forwarding. Then VPN provider will assign a static IP address for external connections. VPN method involves some latency. While hosting a game server, this VPN method might be inapplicable.
Using NGROK Method
Instead of using VPN, you can deploy NGROK for port forwarding with Starlink. Ngrok is an access service letting users to broadcast their private devices online. It is like a secure tunnel to your private server. It is an easy alternative that let other users remote access to your device.
You will have to install NGROK on your device, run the commend and specify a port.
Then, ngrok will assign a unique address to access the specific device outside the local network.
Upgrade to Starlink Business
Another effective method to port forwarding on Starlink is to deploy Starlink Business plan. In the Starlink Business plan you can request a static IPv4 address. You can combine the static IPv4 address with a 3rd party router to launch port forwarding.
But since Starlink Business is expensive than the Residential plan, it is best suited for business users.
Conclusion
If you have further queries regarding port forwarding with Starlink you can contact Starlink support.
