It’s a fact that we rely on the internet. Have you ever wondered how the internet access actually works? You might heard internet gateway in articles about networks. However, what does this term mean and how does it affect your network?
Here we will explore everything you want to know about this term. In addition, we can guide you to check your own internet gateway address and also compare it with the router.
What Is an Internet Gateway?
Every day, we just connect to the network and start to browse on our devices. It seems like so easy and fast. Well, it is not as simple as you think and you can’t do this without the internet gateway.
Generally speaking, you can consider it as a bridge between your private network and the networks. It allows your devices to connect to the internet. To better understand the whole process, we can learn what is VPC first.
VPC is short for virtual private cloud. As the name suggests, it is isolated within the public cloud. Normally, each user will be assigned a private IP subnet. An internet gateway can make the internet communicate with VPC resources.
On the other hand, it translates this private IP address into a public IP address. When your device sends a request to connect to the internet, an internet gateway will guide the traffic travels to the related external network. Then it will set the response back to the right device.
Internet Gateway vs. Router
To better clarify their differences, we can focus on their definitions. We are very familiar with the router. In short, a router can transmit the data packet to the intended IP addresses. Besides, it allows multiple devices to connect to the same network.
A router is widely used in homes or small businesses. To manage private networks in a larger space, you might need an internet gateway. It aims to manage traffic between private and public networks. On the other hand, A Router is more focused on the local network.
Internet Gateway vs. NAT Gateway
A NAT gateway can transform the private address in a private subnet to a public IP address. It’s similar to an internet gateway. However, a NAT gateway focuses on private resources. If the resources within a private subnet can’t directly access the internet, they usually use a NAT gateway to ensure the security and efficiency of the traffic.
How to Find My Internet Gateway Address?
Here we mainly talk about your default gateway address. Sometimes, it could be your router in the local work. Based on your devices, we offer specific instructions.
On Windows
- You can press the “Win+R” key simultaneously to evoke the Run window. Press CMD and enter the Command Prompt. Or you can directly search it in the bottom search bar.
- Type ipconfig and click the “Enter” key to see all the IP configurations.
- Scroll down to locate the default gateway, you can find the IP address easily.
Besides, you can still find it via the Control Panel.
- Type “Control Panel” in the search bar and hit “Enter”.
- Go to “Network and internet” then press “View network status and tasks”.
- Click the name of your WiFi network and tap “details” in this new window.
- Find the “IPv4 default gateway”.
On Mac
- Go to the Apple icon and press “System preferences”.
- Find “Network” in the left navigation bar and click “WiFi”.
- Tap “details” next to your current connected network.
- Select the “TCP/IP” and you will find your default gateway IP address under the router section.
On iPhone
- Press the “Settings” on your home green and go to “WiFi”.
- Find your current WiFi network and click the “i” icon.
- In the Router section, you can find the IP address.
On Android
Depending on your mobile phone’s brand, the steps might be a little different.
- Open your mobile phone and go to “Settings”.
- Navigate to “Connection” or “Network” and select “WiFi”.
- Press your network connection and tap “View more”. It could also be “details”.
- Under the IP settings section, change it from “DHCP” to “Static”.
- Now look at the router, you can see the default gateway settings.
Use LightningX VPN to Secure Your Internet Gateway
LightningX VPN can hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic, effectively preventing any cyber attacks. Even if connected to the public network, your true identity will not be exposed. On the contrary, LightningX VPN can make you browse anonymously. With strong encryption algorithms, it can block possible hacking or tracking.
Besides, it offers 2000+ servers in 50+ countries, so you can easily change your IP address. Geo-restrictions are not trouble anymore. You can unblock the full streaming library of Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming services. Just select a server, and you can easily access websites or apps not available in your country.

You can download it on your Mac, iPhone, Android phone, Windows computer, Android TV, and Apple TV. In addition, you can log in to three devices at the same time, perfect for multiple platform use.
LightningX VPN offers a 7-day free trial, you can try our VPN services first. The Most popular plan only costs $0.13 per day and you can get a total of four months.
Conclusion
After reading this blog, you might have noticed the importance of an internet gateway. Without it, we can’t browse as usual. Hopefully, this blog can help you understand this term.