Network Address Translation (NAT) changes network address information as packets pass through a router or gateway. It commonly lets devices on a private network share one or more public IPv4 addresses when connecting to the internet.
Why it appears in crawler diagnostics
Several workers behind one NAT gateway may appear to a destination as traffic from the same public IP address. That can affect rate limits, logs, and how a site groups requests. A crawler operator should monitor request pace at the site level rather than assuming each worker has a separate identity.
NAT is different from an application-layer proxy, although both can affect the address a destination observes. Network topology may also involve carrier-grade NAT upstream, which is outside the local router’s control. If an IP-based limit is hit, do not evade it by changing addresses; review the service’s rules and lower or stop traffic.
For debugging, compare local routing information with the public egress address using an endpoint you control or trust, and avoid publishing internal addressing details unnecessarily.
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