Put your console on the DMZ for an Open NAT
DISCLAIMER: I will not accept responsibility for any issues that are a result of these changes.
Whether you play Halo, Uncharted, Killzone, Call of Duty, or Gears of War online – you have seen a message regarding your NAT (Network Address Translation) and how it may be “Moderate”, “Strict”, or simply “Not Open”. The NAT is what determines the communication between you and other players.
There are three settings most games will let you be aware of (or during testing):
Open (best) | Moderate (okay) | Strict (bad)
Ideally, you want your NAT set to Open in order to play with any and all friends with ease. When your NAT is not open, you’ll receive a warning pop-up saying you may experience some problems. Some easy ways of knowing you are experiencing problems are:
- – You cannot hear a certain a player within a game or someone cannot hear you.
- – You cannot join a party or your friend cannot join your party.
What having a Moderate or Strict NAT does not mean:
- – It is affecting game play speed (i.e. lag or ping response)
Now whether you have an Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP, or a Wii – These are the steps I recommend (not the only way):
- Setup your console with an static IP address (do not let it be set to automatic) that does not conflict with others on your network.
- Then access your router settings, find “DMZ”, or De-Militarized Zone. It is a place that is UNPROTECTED by any firewall/router from an attack.
- Once you input the IP you set for the console into the DMZ, save your settings and reboot both your router and the console.
- Once connected, the next time you play the game of your choosing – you will not get any warnings and see much better connections with friends and others when communicating.
NOTE: This is fine with consoles, but not with your PC. A computer on the DMZ is susceptible to any hack attempt and will rely on firewall and anti-virus to protect you. It is generally unwise to use this method for a computer.
And that’s it! If you have any questions, please leave them in the Comments and I will reply to you. Now, the regular way to get an Open NAT is to open ports. You should be able to find what ports you need to open on your router for each system you take online.
DISCLAIMER: I will not accept responsibility for any issues that are a result of these changes.
