NAT
Sharing one public address between many devices, which is how commercial VPN servers put hundreds of users behind a single IP.
Glossary
Shared IP
A VPN address used simultaneously by many subscribers.
Why it matters
It is the default on every consumer VPN and the mechanism that makes individual traffic hard to attribute.
What most explanations leave out
The crowd is the protection, so a larger crowd is better. It is also why shared addresses get flagged by streaming services and banks: the same address exhibiting hundreds of unrelated behaviours is exactly what abuse detection looks for.
Related terms
Dedicated IP
A VPN address assigned to you alone rather than shared with other subscribers.
Referenced from
Terms are defined here because they appear in our scoring rubric or in provider reviews, not to fill a glossary.