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NAT Traversal: STUN, TURN & ICE

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The NAT connectivity problem

Most internet users are behind NAT — their devices have private IPs that aren't directly reachable from the internet. Establishing peer-to-peer connections (WebRTC video calls, VoIP, gaming) requires both peers to discover their public-facing addresses and 'punch holes' through their NATs.

The ICE framework orchestrates this: gather all possible connection candidates, exchange them via a signaling server, and systematically check which ones work.

Packets in motion — click to inspect:

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