Are
you having Xbox Live NAT Issues
If when running the Xbox 360 Xbox Live test
it reports you have a Moderate or Strict NAT
please read this section as it provides
guidance on ways to resolve this
An Explanation of NAT for the Xbox Your
NAT setting is responsible for just how much you can get out of Xbox
live. If incorrectly set it means you may not be able to host games,
chat to friends or only be able to join a smaller amount of games
on-line. First of all. A bit about the NAT status and what each one means:- Strict This is the worst possible setup. You can play/talk to other Xbox live gamers that have a NAT Status of Open and no-one else Moderate Better, but not ideal. You can play/talk to other Xbox live gamers that have a NAT Status of Open and Moderate and no-one else Open
The optimum setting, you can play/talk with all other Xbox Live gamers * * (However in some cases other factors can still impact your gaming even when your NAT status is reported as Open)
Are you connecting your Xbox to a PC/Laptop? If
you are connecting your Xbox to a PC/Laptop and get a NAT status of
Moderate or Strict. It is probably because your PC is connected to a
router using an Ethernet cable or Wireless. And you are using ICS
(Internet Connection Sharing). In this setup, ICS is not the best method to use, as you will never get a NAT Status better than Moderate. The best method to use, which will get you a NAT status of Open, is to use
bridging If
you are connecting your Xbox to a PC and the PC is using a USB modem
and you are using a Personal Firewall (Mcafee/Zonealarm/Norton etc) and
your NAT status is Strict or Moderate please look
here Please note no configuration is needed for the built in Windows XP/Visa Firewall
Are you connecting your Xbox to a PC/Laptop that uses a 3G USB modem? Some
mobile phone companies are offering internet access via a 3G USB modem
that talks to your mobile phone, you can use this to connect your Xbox
to Xbox Live (via your PC), but it has been found that some setups like
3 Broadband give you a strict NAT, to date there is nothing you can do
about this and this is because of the way the service is provided. 3G
broadband providers usually allocate you a
private IP Address and do the translation
(NAT) to a public IP Address themselves
outside of your control, leaving you with a
strict NAT. So we do not recommend using this method at the moment.
General options for getting your NAT Status to Open There
are four ways to overcome a Strict/Moderate NAT setting when using a
router. Please by aware, all of the methods have pro's and cons it is
up to you which method you prefer and what works for you best. I have
listed them in the order of ease of configuration:-
- If you have an Xbox Live Certified router, use the
certified firmware for your router,
also
here
- Get the very latest version of firmware
for your router. it could contain vital
fixes relation to NAT
- Use
UPnP. If your router supports this. Turn it on. The router will work
out the ports it needs to open for Xbox live. If your router does not
have this feature, check the manufacturers website for the latest
firmware. (also make sure port forwarding and/or DMZ is turned off as
they interfere with UPnP)
- Port Triggering (only available on some
routers). A cross between UPnP and Port
Forwarding and allows specific ports that
you define to be opened/closed on demand to
any device on your own network, you don't
need to define the ip address of the Xbox
unlike port forwarding so it will work with
multiple end devices
- Port forwarding (look up your router here
then follow the instructions for Xbox Live
360, but use
these ports listed on this page to
forward)
- Use a DMZ (De-militarized Zone)
The
DMZ (De-militarized Zone) is an area that sits outside of your routers
firewall. Don't worry though your not at risk with your Xbox
If you are a user of Belkin routers download and run this flash presentation which explains what to do (don't worry its safe!)
IMPORTANT Do not mix
and match port forwarding Xbox Live ports with UPnP and/or DMZ. Each of the methods
should be used on their own. Do not turn on UPnP and also DMZ or port forward
the Xbox Live ports to your Xbox or you will run into problems as the router
will become confused as you are using multiple options to do the same
job.
So.... now you know your options, how do you get the NAT to Open?
UPnP
Consult your router documentation to find out how to turn it on. Don't be afraid of trying this on your own! For most routers turning on UPnP is very simple and straightforward.
- Ensure
your Xbox IP address is set to "auto"
(Important)
- Turn your
router over and look at the exact model
number
- Go to
your router manufacturers website and
download the manual for your router, its
usually in the support/download section,
look for the "User Guide" and download
it, its usually in Adobe Acrobat format
so you may also need the Adobe reader
from
www.adobe.com
- The
manual for your router will tell you how
to access your router settings via your
web browser
- Ensure
you have no Portforwarding or DMZ
settings configured for Xbox Live (you
should know if you have any as you will
have setup them up and also know how to
turn them off) this setup is important
as these two methods can interfere with
UPnP
- Locate
the section in the manual telling you
how to enable UPnP (just do a search for
it in the Adobe Reader)
- Turn on
UPnP, save the settings
- Reboot
the router and Xbox and run the Xbox
Live Test again, hopefully you now have
an Open NAT.
If
your NAT is not Open, look at the rest of this FAQ and see if your
router is listed below, if you still have issues you may need to
Portforward instead.
Portforwarding
If UPnP is not an option for you, or you have tried it and it does not work. Look up your router here then
follow the instructions for Xbox Live 360. When you use port forwarding the ip
address that you need to forward the Xbox Live ports to to is the ip address of the Xbox.
It
is crucial to use a static ip address when portforwarding or reserve the same ip
address for your Xbox which is a feature on
some routers, see
this section for more details.
Rather than use the Xbox Live ports listed
on Portforward.com
use
these ports listed on this page instead. DMZ
Consult your router documentation to find out how to put your Xbox IP Address in the DMZ of your router. It is
crucial to use a static ip address when using a DMZ, see
this section for more details.
Guides for Specific Routers Netgear DG834G
Most
new Netgear routers will have an Open NAT status of out the box as the
have UPnP turned on by default. So you should not need to do any of the
following, always ensure you have the latest version of firmware for
your router from the Netgear website. If you do still have
problems, the first thing you need to do is make sure the Xbox gets the
same ip address each time it boots up, as the configuration of the DMZ
is just one IP address. If you don't lock your Xbox/360 down to
the same ip address it might work now, but not later if another device
takes that ip address.
Start up the 360, go to My Xbox/System
Settings/Network options, go to edit settings, go to additional
settings and then advanced settings. Take a note of the letters and
numbers under the “Wired Mac Address” or "Wireless Mac Address" - They
should be both the same anyway.
The MAC Address will look something like this:-
00-0D-61-53-E2-52
Browse to your router's setup page usually 192.168.0.1 (This guide is for a Netgear DG834G, read your router manual and substitute your own routers IP Address).
- Go
into LAN IP Setup. Note the DHCP address range (e.g 192.168.0.10 -
192.168.0.254), because you will be reserving an address from that
range. Click on Address Reservation.
- Type in the address you have chosen to reserve from the range (e.g. 192.168.0.20).
- Type in the MAC Address you wrote down earlier.
- Type in a name of the device Xbox 360 for example
- Click on Add
- Save
the changes on your router. Now reboot the Xbox/360 and check the
dashboard and make sure it has the ip address you have reserved for it.
Now you need to put that reserved address into the DMZ. - On
the routers setup page, click on WAN Setup. Put the IP address in the
Default DMZ Server field (you can only actually type in the last octet
of the address).
- Ensure that the Default DMZ Server tick box is ticked.
- Click on Apply. Save the changes. Reboot the router and try the Xbox live test again. Your NAT settings should now be Open.
Netgear WGR614, WGT624, WGU624, WGT634U & WPN824 Generally with Netgear routers you do not need to use portforwarding or DMZ. So if you have set them up, turn them off now. If
your only requirement is to use one Xbox on your router, simply
download the latest version of firmware from the Netgear website. Ensure
UPnP is on and DMZ or Portforwarding is turned off, this is very
important. UPnP needs to be left to do the work on its own, forwarding
ports or using a DMZ will interfere and not give the desired results. If
you need to use two or more Xboxes on your router (or you've tried the
latest firmware and its still not Open) Look up and download the Xbox
Live certified version of firmware here If your firmware is no longer listed on the Netgear site we also now host most of the certified versions
here
Using
the certified version of firmware with your Netgear means you do not
need to change any settings. So ensure any DMZ or Portforwarding
settings are turned off and UPnP is turned on (it is by default)
Please note that on certain firmware versions of this
router, it has been known for the Xbox live test to report a NAT status of Strict even after putting the Xbox in a DMZ.
Do not worry, your gaming should be fine, the settings is not strict its just the router mis-reporting the status.
This can be fixed by getting the latest version of firmware for the router.
It
has also been found on some version of Netgears "Trend Micro" can
interfere with your NAT status, try disabling this feature if it is
present.
As stated above you are best using UPnP, get the latest
version of firmware for the router. Do not enable a DMZ or
Portforwarding. And see if the NAT Status is Open.
If
it isnt, try turning off UPnP, follow the instructions to get your Xbox
MAC Address as above. Then follow the instructions below to configure
the router:-
Open up your web browser on the PC and type in this:- - http://www.routerlogin.net
- Login with the username of admin and password of password
- Click on the LAN IP Setup
- Click on the Add button
- In the IP Address box, type in 192.168.1.20
- Type the MAC Address of the Xbox 360 that you got above
- Click Apply to enter the reserved address into the table.
- Click on the WAN Setup
- Look for the default DMZ server setting, change the last digit to 20 and then put a tick in the box, click on Apply.
- Reboot the router and the Xbox 360 and it should now be all setup so you can access everyone’s games
BT Voyager 2109 Router users First of all you need to ensure that you are using a static IP Address in your Xbox.
Put these details into the Xbox Dashboard:-
IP Address: 192.168.1.35
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS Server 1: 192.168.1.1 (or the real DNS server for your ISP)
DNS Server 2: 192.168.1.1 (or the real DNS server for your ISP)
- Next you need to access the router using a PC or Mac browser. The address is http://voyager.home/
- Click
on the "advanced" menu option on the left hand side. If you are asked
to login use the default username "admin" the password is the same
"admin" (this assumes you haven't changed these yourself)
- Click on the "Virtual Server" option. This gives you the option to allow all internet traffic for the 360/Xbox 1.
- Click
on the option "Forwarded to the DMZ host" - then type in the IP address
you assigned to the Xbox 360 in step 1 (192.168.1.35 in my example)
- Click "Apply" and you are done. You 360's NATs are now open and you can enjoy Xbox Live to the full.
(Credit to shinesevens of the OXM Forums for supplying the information for the Voyager 2109) BT Voyager 205 Router Please see
this section BT HomeHub Router Please see
this section Linksys (most models) Some
of the Wireless G range of Linksys routers have had NAT issues for
sometime now, recently Linksys have released new firmware for some
models that fix these issues, therefore I suggest you download and use
the latest version of firmware and reset the router back to factory
defaults and check the outcome of the NAT status
Belkin Routers (most models) Depending on the model of router the menus/setting may differ slightly. - http://192.168.2.1/
- System Settings
- Locate the UPnP advanced feature at the bottom of the page
- Select Change setting in that section
- Click the Enable UPnP On Radio Button
- Click Apply changes
- Power off the router, wait 10 secs, power it back up again
- Ensure your Xbox IP Address is set to auto
- Run the Xbox live test and NAT should be Open
PLEASE NOTE: It
appears that some gamers are having issues with some of the new Belkin
N range of routers with regards to NAT. UPnP is already enabled and
when running the Xbox Live test the NAT status is reported as Open, but
still behaves likes its not (Slow matchmaking, dropping from games etc). If
you have the very latest version of firmware for your Belkin N and UPnP
is turned on and you are still having issues I would recommend turning
off UPnP and setting up Portforwarding instead. ZyXEL Prestige 600 Series (also 660..etc) You
need to enable UPnP to ensure this router has an Open NAT, there are
three options to use and you need to use them all as follows:- - http://192.168.1.1/
- Find the "UPnP" settings.
- Enable the Universal Plug and Play(UPnP) Service
- Enable Allow users to make configuration changes through UPnP
- Enable Allow UPnP to pass through Firewall
- Save the settings, Reboot the router and try again
SmartAX MT882 (Version 2)
- On your Xbox put these manual details in:-
IP: 192.168.1.10
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.2
DNS 1: 192.168.1.2
DNS 2: 192.168.1.2 (If you get issues with DNS after making these changes try these settings instead Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS 1: 192.168.1.1
DNS 2: 192.168.1.1) - Access your router's config page by clicking on one of the links below
- http://192.168.1.2 or http://192.168.1.1
- Enter Username = admin, Password = admin
- Goto Advanced, then, disable UPnP, click save all
- Goto Basic, then, goto your NAT settings
- On
DMZ create delete any current entries and make a new one. The Local IP
From and Local IP To should be the same. This will be the IP address of
your Xbox 360 (as above)
- On NAPT delete any entries that are there, and make a new series of entries. Under
the new entry, use the IP range of ALL IP addresses connected to that
modem/router. e.g if your last device uses the IP Address. .140 use
192.168.1.2 as the From and 192.168.1.140 as the To. ENSURE it covers the whole of the ip addresses in use otherwise not all devices will work correctly or be NAT'ed.
- On redirect delete any entries
- Click back onto DMZ
- Now Goto Tools, Save and Reboot,
- Click save, wait for refresh, Click reboot, wait for refresh and re-enter user and password details (admin admin)
- Your NAT status should now be Open
You should now have open NAT when you test you XBL settings.
If you still do not have an Open NAT I
would recommend that you choose the factory
reset option and follow the guide again.
Please ensure you note down
or have a copy of your ISP username/password
before doing this as all settings will be
lost.
(Credit to Shorum of our forum for supplying the information for the SmartAX MT882)
(Further credit to Shahmizzle of our forum for supplying the
amendments to make this work for all) Thompson Speedtouch 576 (and other models) - Click on http://speedtouch.lan/ or http://192.168.1.254/ to open up the router config page in your browser
- The default username=Administrator
- The default password is blank so just press enter (unless of course you've changed these settings from the defaults)
- Click on the "Game and Application Sharing" menu
- Untick the UPnP option
- Click Apply
- Create a static ip address on your Xbox by following the instructions
here
- In the Home Network menu, click Devices.
- In the Pick a task list, click Assign the public IP address of a connection to a device.
- Click the Edit link of your Internet connection.
In
the Device list, select the device you want to assign the public
address to. The Xbox may not appear in the list, if it doesn't you
should be able to manually enter the ip address of the Xbox in that
field. - Click Apply.
- The SpeedTouch™ prompts you to make some adjustments as a result of the new configuration.
- Click OK.
- After that, restart the Xbox and the router and try again
- After
saving Applying/Saving all settings you have changed, power off the
router and xbox. Wait 20 seconds and power up the router then then Xbox
and your NAT should be Open and able to host/join games
Cisco PIX Firewall For Cisco PIX Firewall users:
Understanding
Cisco firewalls is a tad more complex than your standard consumer type
Linksys router. In order to get your PIX to allow your XBox NAT to be
recognized as OPEN, you will need the following configs added to your
PIX (in the third section replace 'xboxStaticIP' with the actual IP of your Xbox):
!
access-list outside_access_in permit udp any interface outside eq 3074
access-list outside_access_in permit tcp any interface outside eq 3074
access-list outside_access_in permit udp any interface outside eq 88
!
access-group outside_access_in in interface outside
!
static (inside,outside) tcp interface 3074 xboxStaticIP 3074 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 3074 xboxStaticIP 3074 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
static (inside,outside) udp interface 88 xboxStaticIP 88 netmask 255.255.255.255 0 0
!
================
Save
those configs to memory and rerun your Xbox Network Tests, you should
see your NAT definition change from Moderate to OPEN. Full credit to SkidrowCowboy of Teamxbox forums for this information.
Tried everything above and still have issues? One
problem you could be experiencing is "double NAT". That's where two
devices on the same network are carrying out NAT and your Xbox's NAT
status ends up in a mess. This usually applies to people who have a separate router and modem. So
in theory you could follow all of the instructions above to change your
router to get a NAT of Open but it still ends up as moderate or strict. If
this is the case you need to check the modem that connects to your ISP.
Until now many modems were just dumb devices so this wasn't an issue.
Now some ISP's are providing modems with some routing functionality,
including NAT. Which can mess things up for you. If you have a
separate modem from your router you need to look up details on the
modem on the internet and find out if it has routing functionality. If
it does, you should be able to configure it in "bridged mode", this
changes it back into "dumb mode" and passes everything across to your
router unchanged so the router can do all the hard work.
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