ISP - Internet Service Provider

ISP: The Gatekeeper of Your Network

Your Internet Service Provider is the “P (Primary)” layer of your connection to the world.

Why the ISP Matters

• Latency: Fiber (best) vs Cable (variable) vs DSL (legacy) vs Satellite (worst).
• Public IP: Do you have a static IP? Are you behind CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT)?
• Hardware: Bridge Mode is your friend! Don’t use your ISP’s “all-in-one” router.

NetYeti’s Strategy for Connectivity

1. Bridge Mode: Disable the routing/Wi-Fi on the ISP modem so your router (OPNsense/pfsense) does the heavy lifting.
2. DNS: Don’t use the ISP’s DNS. Use Quad9, Cloudflare, or your own local recursive resolver (Unbound).
3. Bypass: Use Tailscale or Wireguard to “punch through” if you’re stuck behind CGNAT.

Common Pitfalls

• CGNAT: Prevents port forwarding. (Solve with a VPS/Tunnel).
• DNS Hijacking: Some ISPs redirect 404s to their own ad-heavy pages. (Solve with DoH/DoT).

Knowledge Check:

• Is your ISP modem in “Bridge Mode”?
• Do you have a secondary (Alternate) internet connection for when the grid goes down?