How to Install an ESP32 NAT Router Config on an M5NanoC6

A friend told me about a firmware called esp32_nat_router_extended, and it turns out you can turn an ESP32 into a cheap, low-power 2.4 GHz travel router pretty easily. Here’s how I got it running on my M5NanoC6 (ESP32-C6) from macOS.

1. Create a Python virtual environment

python3 -m venv esp32-nat
cd esp32-nat
source bin/activate

Using a venv keeps macOS’s system Python clean and avoids PEP 668 pip restrictions.

2. Install esptool inside the venv

pip install pyserial esptool

This gives you the flashing tool without touching system packages.

3. Download the ESP32-C6 firmware

The original esp32_nat_router repo does not provide ESP32-C6 binaries, but the extended project does:

👉 Releases:

https://github.com/dchristl/esp32_nat_router_extended/releases

For the M5NanoC6, download the latest full build:

esp32c6nat_extended_full_v7.2.0.zip

Unzip it and place the .bin file into:

~/esp32-nat/bin/esp32c6nat_extended_full_v7.2.0.bin

What the filenames mean

• …full… — contains bootloader + partitions + firmware.Use this for the first flash.
• …update… — incremental firmware-only packages for devices already running the extended version (OTA/web UI). Not suitable for a clean flash.

4. Put the M5NanoC6 into USB flash mode

1. Hold the BOOT button (GPIO9)
2. Plug the device into your Mac over USB-C
3. Release the button once connected

Check the serial port:

ls /dev/cu.*

You should see something like:

/dev/cu.usbmodem2101

That’s your device.

5. Flash the firmware (ESP32-C6 uses a single combined image)

From inside your working directory:

esptool --chip esp32c6 \
  -p /dev/cu.usbmodem2101 \
  --before default-reset --after hard-reset write-flash \
  -z --flash-size detect \
  0x0 bin/esp32c6nat_extended_full_v7.2.0.bin

If you see “Hash of data verified,” the flash succeeded.

6. Connect & configure the router

After rebooting, the M5NanoC6 broadcasts a Wi-Fi network:

ESP32_NAT_Router

Connect to it and open:

http://192.168.4.1

Configure:

• STA (upstream) Wi-Fi SSID + password
• SoftAP (your private network) SSID + password

Save & reboot.

Even though the ESP32-C6 supports Wi-Fi 6, the NAT router firmware only operates a 2.4 GHz AP.

Summary

This takes about five minutes and turns a $6 ESP32 board into something genuinely useful: a pocket-sized NAT router with a private SSID, surprisingly useable 2.4 GHZ range, and low power draw. I  wouldn’t rely on it as a full replacement for a more capable, multi-band travel router, but it definitely has its place. Especially, when all you need is to extend Wi-Fi to a low-bandwidth device.