A stable connection and high download or upload speeds can be deciding factors when it comes to online games. Players with better internet will always have an advantage over players experiencing lag, and changing your Network Address Translation (NAT) settings can help improve your connection.
NAT adjusts the overall openness of your connection to outgoing and incoming network traffic. A strict setting can cause some activities to be rejected and create problems like lag and spikes.
Changing NAT types is often regarded as a last resort these days, but it was a method we commonly used during the early days of CS:GO in 2012. Upon optimizing our settings, our ping would lower by 10-20ms, making a noticeable difference overall.
Making any adjustments to NAT types will have a different process depending on your platform of choice.
How to change NAT type on Xbox Series X or S
- Launch your Xbox.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Choose “Network Settings” in General.
- Select Test NAT type.
Running will often change your NAT type from Moderate to Open, but it may not always be the case. If your NAT type remains the same after the test then you’ll need to switch to your PC to make network-wide changes.
- Click on Start on your Windows PC.
- Search for “Network Status.”
- Choose Properties.
- Copy the “IPv4 DNS Server” address and paste it on your browser, the address will be “192.168.1.1” in most cases.
- Login into your router’s control panel, and search for “NAT Forwarding.”
- Turn on “UPnP” and your NAT type should be set to Open after restarting your router.
How to change your NAT type on PlayStation 5
- Start your PS5 and navigate to Settings.
- Choose Network and then Connection Status.
- Scroll down to View Connection Status where you’ll find NAT Type.
After finding NAT Type in the settings, you’ll be able to change it.
Related: Everything PS5 and NAT: What it is and how to change it
How to change your NAT type on PC
- Open your browser and type “192.168.1.1” into your search bar.
- Log into your router interface and look for NAT Forwarding.
- Turn on UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to change your NAT type on PC.
Published: Jun 11, 2023 09:17 pm