What is Google Cloud NAT?

🚀 What is Google Cloud NAT?

Google Cloud NAT (Network Address Translation) is a fully managed service that enables outbound internet connectivity for resources in private Google Cloud VPC subnets, without requiring external IP addresses.

In simpler terms: Cloud NAT lets VMs without public IPs access the internet (e.g., to install updates or contact APIs), while remaining inaccessible from the outside.

🧠 Why Use Cloud NAT?

• Secure internet access from private subnets
• No need for bastion hosts or manual NAT gateways
• Supports Compute Engine, GKE nodes, Cloud Run VPC connectors

🌟 Key Features of Cloud NAT

🔐 Use Cases

🧰 How to Set Up Cloud NAT — Step-by-Step Tutorial

🧾 Prerequisites

• A GCP project with billing enabled
• A VPC with at least one private subnet
• Compute Engine or GKE nodes without public IPs

✅ Step 1: Reserve an External Static IP (Optional)

gcloud compute addresses create nat-ip \
    --region=us-central1

✅ Step 2: Create a Cloud Router

gcloud compute routers create nat-router \
    --network=default \
    --region=us-central1
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

✅ Step 3: Create the NAT Configuration

gcloud compute routers nats create nat-config \
    --router=nat-router \
    --region=us-central1 \
    --nat-custom-subnet-ip-ranges=default \
    --nat-external-ip-pool=nat-ip \
    --enable-logging
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Explanation:

• nat-custom-subnet-ip-ranges=default → Applies to the default subnet
• nat-external-ip-pool=nat-ip → Uses the static IP created earlier
• --enable-logging → Enables Cloud NAT logs

✅ Step 4: Test NAT Access

Spin up a VM without a public IP and test:

gcloud compute instances create vm-nat-test \
    --subnet=default \
    --no-address \
    --zone=us-central1-a

gcloud compute ssh vm-nat-test --zone=us-central1-a
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Once inside:

curl https://api.ipify.org
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

You should get the external IP address of your NAT gateway!

📊 Logging and Monitoring

Enable VPC flow logs and NAT logging to track:

• Number of connections
• Ports used
• Source and destination
• Bandwidth consumption

This is useful for compliance, debugging, and capacity planning.

🔁 Alternatives to Cloud NAT

⚙️ Cloud NAT vs NAT Instance

🧾 Real-World Example: Private GKE with NAT

A company has a private GKE cluster for running microservices. To access external APIs and pull container updates:

• The nodes have no public IPs
• Cloud NAT + Cloud Router is configured
• No exposure to internet scanners
• Traffic logs are enabled for audit

Outcome:

• Secure architecture
• Reduced operational effort
• Improved compliance posture

📘 Summary

✅ Conclusion

Google Cloud NAT is an essential component for securely allowing internet access from private Google Cloud networks. It’s reliable, scalable, and easy to set up — making it a go-to tool in cloud-native and security-conscious environments.

Rajesh Kumar

I’m Rajesh Kumar, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, Cloud, and Platform Engineering expert passionate about sharing practical knowledge, real-world experiences, and industry best practices. I have worked at Cotocus and regularly write about technology, travel, investing, health, product reviews, and digital marketing through my various platforms.

I publish technical articles at DevOps School, travel stories at Holiday Landmark, stock market insights at Stocks Mantra, health and fitness guidance at My Medic Plus, product reviews at TrueReviewNow, and SEO and digital marketing strategies at Wizbrand.