Understanding CGNAT and Mobile Proxy Infrastructure
Learn how CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT) powers mobile proxies and why mobile IPs are so effective. Understand how to build your own proxy infrastructure using physical devices with SIM cards - the cleanest residential mobile connections available.
What you'll master:
- โข Calculate exact IP pool sizes using CGNAT mathematics
- โข Build infrastructure with 415K+ unique mobile IPs
- โข Understand why mobile proxies are unblockable
- โข Scale from 1 to 100+ proxy ports efficiently
What you'll learn:
Understanding CGNAT
How Mobile Proxies Actually Work
Mobile proxies use real 4G/5G connections from physical devices with SIM cards - the same connections people use daily on their phones. Because mobile IPs come from carrier ASNs, blunt IP blocks risk collateral damageโso many platforms start with softer frictions. Detection still uses device/browser/behavior signals; CGNAT reduces IP-only friction, it doesn't make traffic un-blockable.
Real IP Pool Data from Coronium
USA (NY): 81,754 unique IPs
France: 183,212 unique IPs
Germany: 60,074 unique IPs
Total: 415,868 unique IPs observed
Our actual IP pool data shows the massive diversity available through carrier networks:
- Private devices: Each proxy is a dedicated physical device
- Rotation on demand: Get new IP in 10-20 seconds
- Real diversity: Access to large carrier pools; actual range varies by carrier/APN/region
Proxy Rotation Methods
Customize proxy rotations based on your needs. Note: 10-20 second downtime during rotation.
Button Rotation
- โข Click button in dashboard
- โข Instant rotation request
- โข Visual confirmation
- โข Best for manual testing
API Reset Link
- โข Programmatic rotation
- โข Integrate into your apps
- โข Per-proxy reset endpoint
- โข Best for automation
Getting Started with Coronium
Choose Your Option
Option B: Build your own with our hardware (from โฌ59/modem)
View hardware packages โ
Access Dashboard
โข View your proxies
โข Rotate IPs with one click
โข Get API endpoints for automation
Start Using
curl -x http://username:password@proxy.coronium.io:port http://ipinfo.io
# Rotate IP via API
curl https://api.coronium.io/rotate/[proxy-id]
Monitor Performance
โข Track unique IPs across rotations
โข Monitor connection stability
โข View real usage statistics
Proven IP Diversity (Live, Measured)
- 41,808 rotations (14 days) โ 38,927 distinct IPv4s (seen exactly once in window)
- Rotation interval: 60 s (โ10 s downtime)
- Similar behavior across servers (measured)
High IP diversity with minimal repetition, maximizing your reach and reducing detection patterns.
Quick Math: How to Reach 200k+ Distinct IPv4s
Distinct IPv4s โ rotations ร devices ร days ร (1 โ collision_rate). Track collision_rate = repeated_IPs / total_rotations per carrier/APN/time-of-day; expect higher repeats at night or under heavy load.
30-Day Projections (Including Collision Rates)
| Scenario | Est. Collision Rate | Distinct IPs/Month |
|---|---|---|
| 20 modems ร 5-min rotation (288/day/modem) | 10-20% | โ138K-155K |
| 25 modems ร 5-min rotation | 15-25% | โ162K-184K |
| 20 modems ร 1-min rotation | 25-40% | โ518K-648K |
Rotation Presets (Pick What Fits the Job)
Account creation/warm-up
10-30 min rotation for natural behavior
Logged-in scraping
5-10 min rotation for session stability
Event-based rotation
Rotate on challenge spike, session reset, or geo switch
Aggressive checks
1-2 min rotation for maximum diversity (use sparingly)
Note: 10 s downtime per rotation; scheduler verifies new /32 before resuming.Prefer event-based rotation (challenge spike, session reset, geo switch). Excess churn can raise friction and cut throughput.
Orchestration (Minimal Yet Robust)
- โข Staggered timers across devices (avoid collisions)
- โข Sticky sessions by flow; rotate between flows
- โข Per-target caps and simple counters (max hits/IP/day, cool-downs)
- โข Health pings: post-rotation IP check
curl -x http://user:pass@proxy.coronium.io:8000 http://ipinfo.io
# Trigger rotation
curl https://api.coronium.io/rotate/proxy-001
# Verify new IP (after 10s)
sleep 10
curl -x http://user:pass@proxy.coronium.io:8000 http://ipinfo.io
ASN & Region Diversity (Straightforward Wins)
- โข Run across multiple carriers/regions to sample different CGN pools in parallel
- โข Track ASN/prefix internally; aim to avoid over-sampling the same pool
- โข IPv6 is common in mobile cores; dual-stack readiness matters
Compliance & Reputation (Defaults That Work)
- Block outbound SMTP 25/tcp
- Human-like timing jitter (50-300 ms)
- 2-6 threads per modem to start; measure
- Realistic device headers; keep stable within a session
Benchmark Methodology (What We Measure)
Test Parameters
- โข Window: 14 days
- โข Regions: NYC, Paris, Berlin
- โข Devices: 10-50 modems
- โข Rotation cadence: 60s
KPIs Tracked
- โข Distinct IPv4s/day
- โข Lower IP-only friction on protected targets
- โข Challenge rate vs baseline
- โข Mbps/thread
Definition: "Distinct IP" = IPv4 seen exactly once in window. "Unique-enough IP" = seen โคN times (we use N=5). Behavior can vary by carrier/APN/time-of-day; we surface metrics in the dashboard.
Performance Methodology Notes
- โข Success rates measured across 14-day windows on production traffic
- โข "Lower IP-only friction" compared to datacenter/residential baseline
- โข Uptime calculations include planned maintenance windows
- โข All metrics subject to carrier network conditions and geographical variations
FAQ (Concise, Practical)
Do I get a new IP every rotation?
Yes, in our current POPs per logs; dashboard shows live status.
How fast can I rotate?
Every 60 s (โ10 s downtime).
Are these concurrent IPs?
No, counts are distinct observations over time.
What rotation for account creation?
10-30 min for natural behavior patterns.
Why block SMTP 25?
Mobile ranges aren't for direct mail; protects pool reputation.
Live Stats
Numbers sourced from production logs; endpoint /ip-pool-status
Expected Performance
Pricing Options
References (Standards & Industry)
- RFC 6598: Shared Address Space 100.64.0.0/10 - Reserved for carrier-grade NAT deployments
- RFC 6888: CGN requirements - Operational requirements for large-scale NAT
- RFC 6346: Address plus Port (A+P) - Framework for shared IPv4 addressing
- RFC 7422: Deterministic NAT - Predictable address mapping for carrier networks
- Industry Notes: IPv6, NAT64/464XLAT in mobile cores - Modern dual-stack implementations