NAT VPS are the best learning environment for networking

Sorry for the silly question maybe this is dumb but I got a Hostinger NAT VPS last month for my small site and honestly I learned more in 3 weeks than in 2 years of shared hosting. I had to figure out port forwarding and reverse proxy and I didnt even know what a port was before.

The constraint of not having your own IP (sorry if I say that wrong) forces you to understand what you're doing instead of just clicking buttons. My site is just a static page for my pottery business but now I actually understand nginx config files. Sort of. 😬 (I used https://nginx.org)

Is this a crazy thought or did other people learn this way too?

Not crazy at all. I already use NAT VPS from 3 providers, can learn iptables properly because port limited so must think carefully dong. My first time I cannot even SSH in because wrong port forward, already spend 2 hours to find out. After that, understand TCP much better.

You use nginx reverse proxy can or not? I already do similar with Caddy, more easy for SSL. Which port Hostinger give you, 20 ports or 10 ports? More limited is more challenge, good for learning but sometimes frustrating also.

Right then, Wilma, you're not mad at all — and cheers for being a customer, by the way. Proper chuffed to hear the badger-box taught you something.

We designed the NAT tier partly because IPv4 scarcity is real and partly because, well, we were broke when we started. The port limit (10 per customer, 20 on the "generous" plan) forces you to think about what actually needs exposing. Most people run everything through one reverse proxy and call it a day. The ones who don't learn about fail2ban real fast.

Self-deprecating honesty: our documentation was rubbish for the first year. Still patchy now. The constraint breeds education because we can't be bothered to hand-hold properly. 🦡

😅 Before I dont know nothing about networking, now I understand what is a port, a firewall, a reverse proxy... it is possible to do that? Yes, but with some headache lol.

In France we say "c'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron" (you become blacksmith by doing), so the constraint is good for learn. But franchement, sometimes I want just a simple button for install WordPress, not a lesson of iptables. Bref, I agree with you but with limit.

My pottery site is on shared hosting since 2 years, maybe I will try to migrate, du coup. Good luck with your business!