How To Change NAT Type On Your Xbox One

If you’ve been playing your Xbox One all by your lonesome, you’ve been missing out on one of its most exciting features: Peer-to-peer (or P2P) networking. Why play against the computer when you could be racing against your friends online? After all, they’re much more satisfying to beat.

But in order to make this possible, you may need to make a simple adjustment to your Xbox One’s NAT type. Before we go over the steps, let’s just briefly explain what this is and why it matters.

What is NAT Type?

NAT is short for Network Address Translation, and it refers to the process your device uses to be identified on the internet. In most homes, all your devices—your PC, your laptop, your smartphone (and these days maybe even your toaster) will all be connected to the internet through a router.

This router will have a single IP address, and all your devices will appear to have that same IP to everything else on the internet. So if your Xbox One wants to exchange information directly with another Xbox One, it needs to be sure it’s not going to be mixed up with your other devices.

In order to simplify this process, your Xbox One will sometimes use what’s called UPnP, which is a “plug-n-play” technology used by some routers. If your router has this capability, your Xbox One should detect it, and you may be ready for networking out of the box.

However, UPnP is not always reliable, and it’s come under heavy criticism for having security flaws. So if you want to beat the pants off your neighbor at Forza Motorsport, you may be better off switching your NAT type to Open.

Once set to Open, you’ll be able to text, voice chat, join games, and match with other players quickly, easily, and securely. This will require configuring a setting on both your Xbox One and on your router.

How to Change Your NAT Type

To change your NAT Type, follow these instructions:

Open your IP Settings on your Xbox

First, go to the Settings on your Xbox One and open Network Settings, then click the Advanced Settings option, and then finally, IP Settings.

Write down the IP address and MAC address.

Type your IP Address into a browser address bar

Next, using a web browser on your PC, go to your router login page. How to access this page will vary from router to router, so it’s best to refer to your user guide.

Set your Xbox to ‘Static IP’

Once you’re in your router settings, you’ll want to set the IP address for your Xbox as a static IP, or manual IP, using the numbers you grabbed from the Xbox settings. Again, how to do this will depend on what kind of router you own.

Adjust the router’s Port Forwarding

You’ll then need to adjust your router’s Port Forwarding option. Fill in these specific ports – 3074, 88, 80, 53 –  into the Start Port and End Port fields, for each line. Save your changes and close it.

Test your network, it should say ‘Open’

Now return to your Xbox One’s Network Settings, and select the “Test network connection” tile. If the network is active, then select the “Test Nat Type tile.” It should now be set to Open.

Even though this might seem complicated – it isn’t. Just carefully follow the steps and everything will be fine!

How to Access Your Router’s Settings

Something that many of us take for granted is the years of experience we have working with technology. For those of you who aren’t familiar with accessing your router’s settings, we have listed more detailed steps below.

Each router is different, sometimes your internet provider gives you a router, and sometimes you have to buy your own. Whatever the case, here is how you can access nearly any router.

Find Your IP Address

The first thing you need to do is find your IP address. It is a series of numbers with periods in between so it will look something like this: 192.111.2.3 (that last bit varies but you get the idea).

Although we touched on it a little earlier, there are three additional ways you can find your IP Address:

• Check your router – Every router has manufacturer’s stickers on it with information. Look for the sticker that says ‘IP Address.’
• On a Mac – Click the Apple icon to access System Preferences. Open the Network Settings and click ‘Advanced.’ Click the ‘TCP/IP” button at the top. Your IP Address is displayed here.
• On a PC – Select the wifi icon in the lower-left portion of your Windows home screen. Click ‘Properties’ and locate the IPv4 address.

As long as your computer is connected to the wifi network in question, you should be able to see your IP address using the above-listed methods.

Access your system settings

Now that you have your IP Address, head over to your favorite browser. Type in your IP Address (and nothing else, just the numbers and punctuation). Sign in using either the credentials that you set up or the system default login (which should also be located on a sticker on the router).

You should now have access to your system settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different NAT Types available for Xbox One?

Both Sony and Microsoft have chosen their names for the NAT Types that correspond with their unique consoles. For example, PS4 has a simple “Type 1,” “Type 2,” and “Type 3” NAT Type. Fortunately, Microsoft is even simpler naming theirs “Open,” “Moderate,” and “Strict.’ Let’s break down what each of those NAT Types does:

• Open – Open NAT Types allow you to chat and play games with anyone on the internet regardless of their NAT Type.
• Moderate – You can chat and play with most people but not everyone.
• Strict – You can only play and communicate with those who have an Open NAT. Also, you can’t host a match on whichever game you’re playing.

My Xbox says “UPnP Not Successful.” What does this mean?

As mentioned earlier, UPnP allows players to game and chat with others. If you’re seeing this message, there are a few things you can try to make it successful:

• Restart your Xbox – It seems silly, but this is likely to fix the error quickly.
• Check that UPnP is enabled on your router – follow the instructions above to enable this function. Disabling it and re-enabling it is ideal if it’s already on. Restart your Xbox and the error should be gone.