NAT Type Fix: How to Get Open NAT on PS5, Xbox, and PC

Why Your NAT Type Is Killing Your Game

If you’re sitting on NAT Type Strict (Type 3 on PlayStation, Strict on Xbox), you already know the symptoms: matchmaking takes forever, you can’t join friends’ lobbies, voice chat drops, and your ping in games like Warzone 2.0 or Apex Legends sits 20–40ms higher than it should. That’s not a coincidence. A strict NAT means your router is blocking or filtering the UDP ports your console or PC needs to communicate directly with game servers and other players.

The fix isn’t complicated, but it requires you to actually go into your router settings and change specific values. This guide will walk you through every method — from the fastest to the most thorough — so you can stop reading and start playing with an Open NAT.

What the NAT Types Actually Mean

• Open (Type 1/Open): No restrictions. You connect directly to game servers and other players without your router interfering. Best ping, best matchmaking.
• Moderate (Type 2/Moderate): Some ports are restricted. You can connect to most players but not all. Occasional lobby issues.
• Strict (Type 3/Strict): Heavy filtering. You can only connect to Open NAT players. Frequent matchmaking failures, voice chat problems, and elevated ping.

The goal is Open NAT. Here’s how to get there.

Method 1: Enable UPnP on Your Router (Fastest Fix — 5 Minutes)

UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) lets your console or PC automatically open the ports it needs without you doing it manually. For most people, this alone gets you from Moderate to Open.

Steps:

• Open a browser and navigate to your router’s admin panel. Common addresses: 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, or 10.0.0.1. Check the sticker on your router if unsure.
• Log in. Default credentials are usually admin / admin or admin / password — again, check your router sticker.
• Find the UPnP setting. On ASUS routers, it’s under Advanced Settings > WAN. On Netgear, it’s under Advanced > Advanced Setup > UPnP. On TP-Link, it’s under Advanced > NAT Forwarding > UPnP.
• Toggle UPnP to Enabled and save.
• Restart your router and your console or PC.
• Check your NAT type in your console’s network settings or in-game.

On a PS5, go to Settings > Network > Connection Status to verify. On Xbox Series X, go to Settings > General > Network Settings and look for NAT Type: Open. On PC in Modern Warfare III, check the Gameplay tab in options — it displays your NAT type directly.

Method 2: Assign a Static IP to Your Console or PC

If UPnP works but your NAT keeps flipping back to Moderate after a day or two, the problem is your device getting a new IP address from DHCP, which breaks the port mappings. Fix this by assigning a static IP.

On PS5:

• Go to Settings > Network > Settings > Set Up Internet Connection.
• Select your connection and choose Advanced Settings.
• Set IP Address Setting to Manual.
• Enter your current IP address (visible in Connection Status) — for example, 192.168.1.150. Pick something above 100 to avoid DHCP conflicts.
• Set Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway to your router IP (e.g., 192.168.1.1), and Primary DNS to 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).

On Xbox Series X:

• Go to Settings > General > Network Settings > Advanced Settings > IP Settings.
• Switch to Manual and enter the same values as above, adjusted for your network range.

On PC (Windows 11):

• Open Settings > Network and Internet > Ethernet (or Wi-Fi) > Edit IP Assignment.
• Switch to Manual, enable IPv4, and enter your static IP, subnet mask (255.255.255.0), gateway, and DNS.

Method 3: Port Forwarding (The Reliable Long-Term Fix)

UPnP can be inconsistent. Port forwarding manually tells your router to always direct specific traffic to your gaming device. This is the most reliable method.

Ports to forward by platform:

• PS5: TCP: 80, 443, 3478, 3479, 3480 — UDP: 3478, 3479
• Xbox Series X: TCP: 3074 — UDP: 3074, 88, 500, 3544, 4500
• PC (Steam): UDP: 27000–27036 — TCP: 27036–27037
• Call of Duty (PC/Console): TCP: 3074, 27014–27050 — UDP: 3074, 3478, 4380

How to set it up:

• Log into your router admin panel (same address as above).
• Find Port Forwarding. On TP-Link it’s under Advanced > NAT Forwarding > Port Forwarding. On ASUS it’s under WAN > Virtual Server / Port Forwarding.
• Create a new rule. Set the internal IP to your device’s static IP (e.g., 192.168.1.150).
• Enter the port numbers from the list above. Set protocol to TCP, UDP, or Both as specified.
• Save and restart your router.

After forwarding ports, re-test your NAT. In Destiny 2 on PC, open the settings menu and check Network — you should see Open NAT confirmed there.

Method 4: DMZ (Nuclear Option — Use With Caution)

Placing your console in the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) tells your router to forward all traffic to it with zero filtering. It will get you Open NAT instantly, but it also means that device has no router-level firewall protection.

This is acceptable for a dedicated gaming console like a PS5 or Xbox that doesn’t store sensitive data. Do not put a PC in the DMZ.

• Assign your console a static IP first (see Method 2).
• In your router admin panel, find the DMZ setting (usually under Advanced > DMZ or Security > DMZ).
• Enable DMZ and enter your console’s static IP address.
• Save and reboot your router.

Your PS5 or Xbox will immediately report Open NAT on next connection test.

Method 5: Switch to a Gaming DNS

Your DNS server doesn’t directly affect NAT, but a slow DNS adds 10–30ms of extra latency before your game connection even starts. Switching from your ISP’s default DNS to a faster one is a free, 2-minute improvement.

• Cloudflare: Primary 1.1.1.1, Secondary 1.0.0.1 — consistently fastest for gaming, averaging under 10ms in most US and EU regions.
• Google: Primary 8.8.8.8, Secondary 8.8.4.4 — reliable but slightly slower than Cloudflare in testing.

Set these in your console’s manual network settings or in your router’s DNS fields to apply them to your whole network.

Method 6: Use a Wired Connection

If you’re on Wi-Fi and seeing a ping of 60–80ms with jitter spikes in games like Valorant or Rocket League, your connection instability might be making NAT issues worse. A wired Ethernet connection will cut your ping to 10–20ms on a good ISP and eliminate the jitter that makes lag compensation in competitive games unpredictable.

If running a cable isn’t practical, a MoCA adapter (like the Motorola MM1000) uses your existing coax cable lines to create a wired-equivalent connection from your router to your gaming setup. Real-world latency through MoCA sits within 2–3ms of a direct Ethernet run.

PS5-Specific: Enable DHCP Hostname

Some ISPs and routers have trouble with PS5’s NAT when the console doesn’t broadcast a hostname. Go to Settings > Network > Settings > Set Up Internet Connection > Advanced Settings and make sure DHCP Hostname is set to “Do Not Specify” or enter a custom name like “PS5.” This resolves a specific bug on certain Xfinity and Cox networks where NAT gets stuck at Type 2 even with UPnP enabled.

Xbox-Specific: Enable Network Service Quality

On Xbox Series X, go to Settings > General > Network Settings > Advanced Settings and check that Alternate MAC Address is cleared (hit Clear and restart). Some ISPs assign NAT restrictions tied to the MAC address. Clearing it forces your router to re-register the device and often resolves a stuck Moderate NAT without any other changes.

When Free Fixes Aren’t Enough: Routing Problems and High Ping

If you’ve set Open NAT, forwarded ports, and you’re on a wired connection — but you’re still hitting 80ms+ ping in Call of Duty when your friend across the country gets 30ms, or you’re seeing packet loss in Fortnite even though your ISP speed test shows 300Mbps down — the problem isn’t your setup. It’s the route your traffic takes to reach the game server.

Your ISP routes your packets through whatever hops are cheapest for them, not fastest for gaming. That might mean your data bounces through three extra cities before hitting Activision’s servers in Los Angeles, adding 30–50ms of pure routing overhead you cannot fix with any setting on your router.

This is exactly the problem a GPN (Gaming Private Network) solves. WTFast reroutes your game traffic through optimized low-latency paths directly to the game server, cutting out the slow ISP hops. Players regularly report dropping from 90ms to 45ms in games like FFXIV, Lost Ark, and Warzone after switching to WTFast — not because their internet got faster, but because their packets stopped taking the scenic route.

If you’ve exhausted every free fix and you’re still getting inconsistent ping or packet loss that your ISP won’t acknowledge, start your WTFast free trial here and test it on your actual game servers before paying anything.

Quick Reference: NAT Fix Checklist

• Step 1: Enable UPnP in your router admin panel.
• Step 2: Assign a static IP to your gaming device (192.168.1.150 or similar).
• Step 3: Manually forward the ports for your platform.
• Step 4: If still Strict, place your console (not PC) in DMZ.
• Step 5: Switch DNS to 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1 for lower latency.
• Step 6: Go wired. Eliminate Wi-Fi jitter entirely.
• Step 7: If routing lag and packet loss persist despite Open NAT, use WTFast to fix the path to your game server.

If your NAT issues persist despite following these steps, upgrading to a gaming-optimized router often resolves connectivity problems permanently — our Best Gaming Router Guide breaks down the top models that handle NAT traversal flawlessly.

Related: Packet Loss vs High Ping: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

Related: Game Telemetry and Performance: What Data Games Collect and How to Stop It Hurting Your FPS

Related: What Is Ping in Gaming: Why It Matters More Than Download Speed

Related: Rubberbanding in Games: What Causes It and 8 Fixes That Actually Work

If you’re still experiencing lag issues after fixing your NAT type, you might want to explore our comprehensive guide to reducing high ping since network latency and NAT restrictions often work together to create connection problems.

If you’re still experiencing connection issues after fixing your NAT type, your next troubleshooting step should be checking for packet loss, which can also cause dropped connections and lag spikes.

If you’re still experiencing lag after fixing your NAT type, switching to faster DNS servers for gaming can further reduce your ping and improve connection stability.

If UPnP isn’t working or you want more control over your network settings, you can manually configure port forwarding for gaming to ensure your console gets the open NAT type it needs.

If you’re still experiencing lag or connection issues after fixing your NAT type, your ISP might be throttling your gaming traffic – learn how to detect and address ISP throttling that could be slowing down your games.

If you’re still experiencing lag or connection issues after achieving an Open NAT, consider configuring QoS settings to prioritize your gaming traffic over other devices on your network.

If you’re still experiencing connection issues after configuring your NAT settings, switching from Wi-Fi to a wired ethernet connection can provide more stable networking performance and reduce latency spikes.

If you’re still experiencing connection issues after getting an Open NAT, consider whether a gaming VPN might help or hurt your ping, since the wrong VPN setup can actually make your connection problems worse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my PS5 stuck on NAT Type 2 even with UPnP enabled?

NAT Type 2 with UPnP active usually means your PS5 is getting a new DHCP IP address and losing its port mapping. Assign a static IP to your PS5 first, then re-enable UPnP. Also check if your ISP uses CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT) — if your router’s WAN IP starts with 100.64–100.127, you’re behind double NAT and need to contact your ISP to get a public IP, or use a GPN service like WTFast to bypass it.

Does NAT type affect ping in Call of Duty Warzone?

NAT type affects which players and servers you can connect to, not the raw ping number itself. However, Strict NAT forces you into lobbies with suboptimal server routing, which indirectly raises your effective ping. Getting to Open NAT gives you access to the full server pool and direct peer connections, which typically results in 10–25ms lower average ping in Warzone lobbies.

How do I fix NAT Type Strict on Xbox Series X without accessing my router?

If you can’t access your router (e.g., you’re in a dorm or on a managed network), your options are limited. Try enabling the Xbox mobile hotspot trick (share your phone connection temporarily to confirm the issue is the router, not Xbox), or use a VPN or GPN service that tunnels game traffic over an open port like UDP 443 or TCP 80, which most networks allow. WTFast uses this approach to get around restrictive network environments.

Is it safe to put my PS5 in the DMZ?

Yes, for a PS5 specifically it is generally safe. The PS5 doesn’t run services that are exposed to inbound exploitation the way a PC does, and Sony’s PSN infrastructure handles most authentication security server-side. The main risk is theoretical network-layer attacks, which are extremely rare for home users.