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I've got a server with a public IP in the cloud that I'm paying good money for. I have multiple computers behind various NATs that I want to talk to each other. (Note: I'm NOT asking about how to go about doing this!)

This is a very common topology.

What is it called?

The reason I ask:

When I do web searches for a simple "HOWTO" do configurations for such a topology, I'd like to avoid being shunted off into more general HOWTOs.

James Bowery
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    All of them can talk directly using IPv6. Workarounds such as whatever you are looking for (probably some sort of VPN) are necessary only with IPv4 NAT in the way. If you have IPv6, it's time to use it. If not, it's time to complain very loudly to the relevant service providers. After all it's 2021 and this should have been available to everyone a decade ago. – Michael Hampton Feb 15 '21 at 17:20
  • US Cellular in a rural area isn't likely to be very responsive and I wasn't really asking for a solution but OK, I completely sympathize. – James Bowery Feb 15 '21 at 19:41
  • Ironically your phone was probably the _first_ device to get IPv6, as 4G LTE requires it. Also keep in mind that our site is focused pretty squarely on solving professional IT problems, so the community here might not consider this to be on topic anyway. That said, the situation you describe is so generic that the only term I can think of that fits is "internet" (which of course is short for internetwork, several networks linked together). You may find that finding the solution to a specific problem leads you to the terminology you are looking for. – Michael Hampton Feb 15 '21 at 20:29
  • I _really_ don't think my question is that generic and I've done plenty of searching for terminology and solutions. As for IPv6 support: the Android interface doesn't show an IPv6 address and PingTools Pro app shows only IPv4 and the router that's connected to my phone's hotspot doesn't show an IPv6 address either, but then that can all be chalked up to the lag in IPv6 adoption by various vendors. – James Bowery Feb 15 '21 at 23:35
  • Your question as first asked had very little context to talk about any specific network or application. What are the use cases, end user peer to peer video chats, internal services on RFC 1918 nets, ISP giving you NAT44? And no evidence of what you researched. What topologies did you find in those howtos, and which most closely matches your network? – John Mahowald Feb 16 '21 at 15:55

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End to end direct connectivity means implementing IPv6. NATs and address conflicts are then obsolete.

With IPv4, making NAT traversal work is more complicated. Relays, hole punching, proxies, or tunnels are the primary categories of implementation. But which to use specific to the network and the application. All that can be said with the information you provided is that NAT is in use.

John Mahowald
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