In the increasingly interconnected world, it’s easy to assume that the IP address of your router—what connects you to the internet—should match the public IP address that websites see. However, for many users, this is not the case. In fact, your router may display a private IP address while only the public IP is visible externally. There are various technical reasons behind this difference, primarily tied to the mechanisms of internet networking, such as NAT (Network Address Translation), CGNAT (Carrier Grade NAT), and others. In this article, we will dive deep into the reasons why your router’s WAN IP address might not be the public address you expect. We’ll explore each concept with clear explanations, examples, and technical demos to help you fully understand why your router behaves this way.