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I'm getting a private IP

I just noticed something after having my 4g VZW phone for 3 weeks....I'm assigned a private IP of the 10.x.x.x subnet. This is pathetic.

I'm obviously not the only one based on other discussions, and perhaps *all* VZW 4G customers are getting the same. Has anyone heard if this is temporary, maybe until IPV6 is more prevalent? It's fine for web browsing etc. but doesn't work very well with FTP and maybe even home security cameras.

Please, before you answer, this is not the same as static vs. dynamic. And it has nothing to do with tethering, which I'm allowed to do anyway. This pertains to the ability of a remote system to directly connect to your phone which is required by some applications.

Those of you who understand will immediately know what I'm talking about.

Comments

John_Getzke

Hello,

You should have done your research before purchasing a new 4G LTE device for remote access purposes. Since day 1 of the new 4G LTE network all devices have been provided a NAT firewalled private IP Address. All devices that rely on public IP addresses have been coincidentally disabled on this network due to VZW's new firewall policy. The various limitations are well documented around the forums. This has nothing to do with IPv4 or IPv6. No changes are on the horizon, this is simply something we have do deal with.

Examples of devices and services that suffer the same limitations on VZW 4G LTE network:

1. Security Cameras/Webcams

2. FTP servers

3. XBox live hosting

4. VOIP phones

5. etc.

Here are the work arounds:

1. Purchase a static IP address from VZW for several hundered dollars. This proceedure will provide you with a public facing IP address that will allow you to remote to your devices as you always have, but at a high entry cost.

2. Set up a VPN. VPN tunnels allow you to punch through VZW's NAT firewall and provide your applications and devices with a public IP. There are many free VPN services and clients available for PC's as well as some routers that can connect for you automatically. Once on a VPN you can either join the same VPN server or VPN connect to a public facing VPN with the neccesary ports opened for your applications.

3. Terminate your service and seek out a VZW 3G only device or another service provider.

Let me know if you need any more details on the subject.

jrmymllr

Great informational reply. I'm much less annoyed about this now that I understand more. From what I gather, due to the expense and availability of IPv4 addresses VZW has chosen to use this as sort of a bridge to IPv6. After all, it would be a strange compromise to provide greatly increased speeds over 3G, but run everything through NAT without some sort of long term plan. If this is incorrect, I'm curious what the actual reasoning is.

I was pleased to find that the phone passes all IPv6 tests, and, I assume IPv6 would be a good way around this since I believe NAT isn't even in IPv6 language. However this would require a lot of work on my home Internet equipment first; something I'm not going to bother with now.

The VPN idea is a good one and something I didn't know. I have DD-WRT on my home router so a lot should be possible with this. Any recommendations on free VPN clients for Android?

In any case, this isn't important enough to me to go back to 3G. VPN should give me a way around it and keep my 4G speed.

John_Getzke

I think you got the gist of it.

NAT's are normally implemented because of either securtiy concerns a lack of IPv4 addresses. Since Verizon's old 3G network was created when there were plenty of public IP's available they didnt need to implement one at that time. VZW used to be able to hand out public IP's to anyone who wanted one. It's true that IPv6 will resolve the problem of too few public IP Addresses, but VZW's new network was deployed before IPv6 was fully supported. NAT was the only reasonable option that would allow them to grow and support all devices at the time.

That being said, as you posted a few handsets and other devices have been noted to support full IPv6, but those devices do not normally help the folks who truely need Public IP Addresses for the devices I posted above. At this time all USB Modems and Mobile Hotspots/Jetpacks are nestled behind the NAT firewall.

That may change someday, but as I said before there are no plans on the horizon to alter these devices. It might be something that needs to be manufactured into the next generation of USB modems and Jetpacks before we can see this functionality return to normal.

I have no experience with Android devices. I'm sure you can find a reliable resource that can rate and review your options somewhere online. DD-WRT should be able to auto VPN connect, if not there are many routers out there that can do so for under $100.

Merlin3100

We will have to agree to disagree with your first statement. When 4G LTE was first offered by Verizon I jumped right on the band wagged. I went from 3G to 4G. For the first...thinking back I want to say 45 days. I did connect with a publis IP of 75.xxx.xxx.xx. After about the 45 day mark Verizon had a 2-3 day 4G outage and when they powered it back up it was 100% privet IP's of 10.xxx.xxx.xx.

I know this because I have a CCTV camera system at our farm and with the 3G public IP connection of 75.xxx.xxx.xx I can connect to my CCTV system remotely out side of my home network. When I first switched to 4G LTE for the first 45 days I was also able to connect to my CCTV camera system from a remote location that was outside of my home network. When 4G switch to the 100% privet network that connects with the 10.xxx.xxx.xx IP's I lost that ability. So I had to give up 4G and go back to 3G.

But my question to you is about buying the static IP from Verizon. I do know someone that has the static IP ($500) from Verizon through the company he works for. And he proved to me that the 166.xxx.xxx.xx IP it connects at is a public IP that allows the two way data transfer from outside of his home network. I was able to PING his router through the 4G LTE system from my PC.

But I have contacted Verizon MANY times and not only is it VERY hard to talk to a tech that knows what they are talking about with topics like privet/Public IP's, I'm told by them that they only sell the $500 static IP's to businesses with commercial accounts.

Can you add any personal insight on this?

Thanks

John_Getzke

That is the first time I have heard of a 4G MiFi obtaining a public IP address out of the box. The older MiFi 2200's were known to pull public IP Addresses with no problems, but everything after that was a full blown 4G LTE device and had the usual limitations. I will keep your testimony in mind the next time I comment on the subject.

When it comes to the actual process of obtaining a static IP I do not have any personal experience. My preference has always been to invest in VPN tunnels and routers as opposed to forking over the money for a static IP. All I can tell you is that there are multiple accounts here on the forums where users have had success in completing the request. We know that people are obtaining them and they are costing around 500.00 each. How exactly they are negotiating that transaction is unknown. VZW may have recently changed something in thier policy too.

My only suggestion is to try talking to a different rep. 1st level phone support is not ideal on this subject as you have discovered. It might be a better use of your time to stop into a VZW store and have them start the process for you too. If you are able to discover anything please share with us so that we can pass the knowledge along.

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