{{
`${userDetail.user.displayName}${userDetail.user.cachedBungieGlobalDisplayNameCode ? `#${standardizeBungieGlobalCode(userDetail.user.cachedBungieGlobalDisplayNameCode)}` : ""}`}}
{{getUserClans()}}
9/11/2007 2:17:34 AM
1498
Opening NAT for Dummies: Pimp Out Your XBox Live for Halo 3!
[quote][i]At the request of the OP, this thread is being locked in favor of the OP's "Opening NAT for Dummies 2" thread, located [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=45148977]here[/url] with some upgrades and new information. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have in that thread instead, and be sure to save it so that you can return to it later if you need to!
[url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=45148977]Opening NAT for Dummies 2[/url]
- x Foman123 x[/i][/quote]
EDIT: This was designed to be a generalised, simple guide and it has achieved that if the thousands of appreciative comments are to be believed. It you're a kid it's fine to ask for dad's help with this. [b]If you're having problems have a go fixing it by using great resources like the FAQ in the third post (which summarises the 60 pages of help given here) and portforward.com[/b], the ultimate networking destination. Exotic queries/routers can be answered/troubleshot by wikipedia and google. (search for " 'troubleshooting'") If all else fails you are welcome to leave a detailed description of your problem in the thread, though I stress googling your query will usually give you an answer instantly.
Hey Bungie.net Member. Master Chef SC here. Keep the credit to me and you can put this guide anywhere.
This is all about allowing everyone to directly connect to you in games like Halo 3, so you don't have to settle for the scraps of Matchmaking. AKA Open NAT. You will not be vulnerable to hackers since you will only be allowing people into programs and games that you select. However, there are some side effects from learning how to get an Open NAT on your computer and xbox:
o - You'll remove any chance of connection problems with friends
o - You'll get better pings in all online computer games, because you can connect to everybody and so have more choice in matchmaking.
o - You'll stream your computer hard drive's videos, pictures and music onto your Xbox without any stuttering.
o - You'll maximise the speed of your peer to peer downloading including MSN file transferring
o - You won't pay an idiot 50 bucks every time something easy goes wrong.
The process is pretty technical but it'll try to explain it so you can understand it and it will pay back in huge dividends. Face it, you're living in an age of computers. Know how to pimp them.
Your Xbox 360's NAT could already be open without you realising. To check if it is, turn on your Xbox 360 and in the dashboard's My Xbox area, scroll right all the way to system settings. Select 'Network Settings.' Then select 'Test Xbox Live Connection.'
The Xbox will run a bunch of tests, the last of which is NAT. It could be Strict, Moderate or Open. If it is open, (that is, no NAT error appears) stop reading this guide (either you have a Xbox live certified router or you have your Xbox directly connected to the modem. Please note that some, including my Xbox live certified router don't do their job of letting xbox live through the firewall). If it reads moderate or strict, then you are ripping yourself off.
To get yourself an open NAT, it's not quite as simple as ticking a box. That's why this essay is here. The first thing you have to do is make your Xbox 360's local IP address 'static.' Then you have to open a back door in the router's software to your Xbox.
If you don't know what a local IP address is, just think of your home network as a neighbourhood of mostly empty houses, labelled 1 through 255. For the vast majority of neighbourhoods like yours, the mailman lives at house 1 (he is the router) and he's the only contact with the outside world, which he accesses through the modem. If your computer, Xbox and laptop don't have a static IP, then they will live in a different house each time they're turned on and so need to tell the mailman where they live to be in contact with the outside world. If your Xbox or Computer has a static IP, they're always in the same house.
The second step is to open ports on your router. It'll make teleporters between the mailman's house and your Xbox's. You can see that if the Xbox is always in a different house then the teleporter that goes to house 5 will only work some of time. Further on, each teleporter, or port opened, only works for one certain type of internet traffic AND can only be set to one device, or house.
This number of the houses is the fourth in an "IP Address." The first three numbers don't ever change for the whole network. Example: 192.168.1.[b]1[/b] or 10.1.1.[b]1[/b]. So change only the last number for different devices on the network, between 1 and 255. Your router will most likely be on 1, but whatever it is on, it will never change.
[b]PART A- STATIC IP[/b]
Your computer and Xbox show a static IP as manually entering in IP settings and a non-static as them being set to automatic.
Now you need to know all the technical numbers with three letter acronyms (you gotta love em) necessary- to get the same IP address everytime. The easiest way to get these numbers is to go to your computer's start menu, click on run, type in "cmd" and then in the black box that pops up type "ipconfig /all". That's ipconfig space slash all. A rush of stuff will appear and you'll feel like a hacker. Look down towards the bottom and [b]write down on paper[/b] your IP Address (aka IPv4), Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and DNS Servers. Any typos here would be tragic so triple check that you have them right. I'll explain what each of these mean:
[b]IP address- [/b] What I was talking about at the end of the introduction. This is your computer's local IP address. For your entire network the first three numbers, say 192.168.1, will be the same. The last identifies to the router what device on the network it is.
[b]Subnet Mask-[/b] Scrambles your IP address from outsiders.
[b]Default Gateway- [/b]The local IP address of your [b]router[/b].
[b] DNS servers- [/b] These are pass codes from your internet service provider. There will most likely be two. The first is called "Preferred/Primary DNS server" and the second is also known as the "Alternate/Secondary DNS server." Please note there may only be one. In this case please make the Secondary DNS the same number as the primary.
Now that we've got these numbers, we can go and make all of the computers and Xboxes that you want to open ports for static.
[b]How to make your Xbox 360's IP address Static:[/b]
Now you are ready to go back to your Xbox 360's dashboard. In My Xbox, scroll right and select system settings, network settings, edit settings. There are two options- IP settings and DNS settings. Go into either, change the setting to manual and then enter all of the codes you have written down on your paper, with one difference. The last digit of the IP address needs to be changed to a number preferably between 50 and 250. Choose your favourite and write it down on the paper as your Xbox's Local IP address. While you're at it choose the numbers of your computer/s too, the houses that they will live in.
If can reconnect to Xbox live, you have successfully made your Xbox IP's static.
[b]Making your computer's IP address Static:[/b]
(For this section, If you don't have WIndows XP or prefer pretty pictures over a wall of text, check [url=http://www.portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm] this out[/url])
Go to your computer, click start, control panel, network connections (classic view). You now have some icons that probably say "local area connection" and "wireless network connection." Ignore the "Internet Gateway Internet Connection" icon up further up. You need to select the one of local or wireless or otherwise that you use to connect to the internet. IF you don't know which one it is, go ahead and right click on one and 'disable' it.
If your -blam!- stops downloading and you can't load up Google, it's probably the right one.
Right click on the icon that gives you life, go 'properties', within the 'this connection uses the following items' embedded list scroll down to Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and then click on properties, just a little down and right. You will now see a window similar to how you entered in your codes on your xbox, except its all compact and lacks style.
Here you will find if your IP address is static or roaming. If all the numbers are already filled in, its static and you should right down that computer's fourth number in its local IP address. This is old hat for you isn't it! If no numbers are filled in then do that yourself using all the numbers you wrote down on paper. Type in the DNS, Subnet, Gateway... it's all as easy as shooting a whale in barrel. If you're still connected to the internet then you haven't made any mistakes, because I sure didn't.
[Edited on 06.17.2010 7:36 AM PDT by x Foman123 x]
-
you said it would most likely have two DNS servers. Well mine has three.What do i do??
-
I have been stuck with a moderate NAT since I started playing. I finally read through the instructions here and got an open NAT. I was thrilled. Then 2 days ago, without touching a single setting on my 360, modem, or router, my NAT went strict. I've never had a strict NAT before. I went out and bought a new router. No matter what I do to it the NAT is still strict. I'm done -blam!- around with this -blam!-. I'm going to wait a week to see if my NAT will fix itself and if it doesn't I'm going to light my 360 on fire and see if that fixes it. I'll report back and let everyone know how things go.
-
Hey thanks a ton man
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] BF33 ok, I just figured out that the reason my NAT always sucks dick is because of my ISP. me and my friends all have the same ISP (we're on a military base in Japan, and this is the only ISP they use on base), and I fixed their routers by doing everything you said, and nothing worked. Also, I've tried two different routers, and these also didn't work. Anyways, my question is, I'm gonna call my ISP, but I have no clue as to what to ask them to fix my NAT. You said in your guide to just ask them to "flip a switch", but is that really what I should ask? I'm afraid they're gonna be total dumbasses(last time I called them for help, they were) and not know what I'm talking about, so can you be specific?[/quote] If you are on a military base, my guess is that your problem lies with the firewalls they are using to prevent people hacking into their network. Good luck getting them to allow an exeption to your 360!
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] BF33 ok, I just figured out that the reason my NAT always sucks dick is because of my ISP. me and my friends all have the same ISP (we're on a military base in Japan, and this is the only ISP they use on base), and I fixed their routers by doing everything you said, and nothing worked. Also, I've tried two different routers, and these also didn't work. Anyways, my question is, I'm gonna call my ISP, but I have no clue as to what to ask them to fix my NAT. You said in your guide to just ask them to "flip a switch", but is that really what I should ask? I'm afraid they're gonna be total dumbasses(last time I called them for help, they were) and not know what I'm talking about, so can you be specific?[/quote] I'm passing on information from somebody who knows more than me, so I can't add anything to their quote.
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] TrueHaloPro777 I might be phoning seeing I did all this correctly and I still have a horrid ugly STRICT NAT[/quote] The problems I had with moderate NAT for months (which I didn't have when I first got xbox live) seem to have magically disappeared, and I didn't do anything to fix it! Hope you can get yours fixed soon. :-)
-
I might be phoning seeing I did all this correctly and I still have a horrid ugly STRICT NAT
-
ok, I just figured out that the reason my NAT always sucks dick is because of my ISP. me and my friends all have the same ISP (we're on a military base in Japan, and this is the only ISP they use on base), and I fixed their routers by doing everything you said, and nothing worked. Also, I've tried two different routers, and these also didn't work. Anyways, my question is, I'm gonna call my ISP, but I have no clue as to what to ask them to fix my NAT. You said in your guide to just ask them to "flip a switch", but is that really what I should ask? I'm afraid they're gonna be total dumbasses(last time I called them for help, they were) and not know what I'm talking about, so can you be specific? [Edited on 11.03.2009 2:31 AM PST]
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] noobsaucepwner I've been trying to join my friend over XBL, but it keeps saying I can't join him even though I have an open NAT. This is weird because according to [url=http://support.xbox.com/support/en/us/nxe/xboxlive/getconnected/setupahomenetwork/networkconcepts.aspx#nat]Xbox.com (see NAT Interaction)[/url] I should be able to join with anyone regardless of their NAT. Does anyone know what the problem is? [/quote] My friend and I had the same problem for the longest time. Only in Halo too right? Well, you need to port forward your 360, regardless of nat type. If you think you have done this and it still doesnt work, you might have made a mistake, or you can try getting your friend to do this too. To port forward type halo 3, along with your modems full name and the site "portforward.com" into google, and you should find a guide relatively easily.
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ElementDJC What router does the OP use?[/quote] At the time of writing the OP i used a Netlink WGR614v4 router. When i upgraded from cable to ADSL2 I got a DLink DSL-G604T modem/router.
-
I've been trying to join my friend over XBL, but it keeps saying I can't join him even though I have an open NAT. This is weird because according to [url=http://support.xbox.com/support/en/us/nxe/xboxlive/getconnected/setupahomenetwork/networkconcepts.aspx#nat]Xbox.com (see NAT Interaction)[/url] I should be able to join with anyone regardless of their NAT. Does anyone know what the problem is?
-
Ok, I've tried port forwarding and DMZ, each with UPNP on and off and nothing has worked. I have a Linksys WRT54GX-v2. I'm probably just gonna get a new router, but does anyone else have suggestions?
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] BlazingFoo Agh, I've tried pretty much everything you said, and no matter what, I've still gotten Strict NAT. I've tried the Port forwarding, with DMZ and UPnP off, and I used PFPortChecker to check if they were open, and they were. I've tried adding port 77 and 3330. I also tried to forward to my xbox's IP adress. I tried DMZ, with Port forwarding off and UPnp off, then I tried UPnP on with DMZ and port forwarding off. I've got a Netgear WGR614v6. I've tried to connect my xbox directly to my modem, to check if it wasn't a router problem, but it didn't even get a connection. I can't tell what's wrong. I also haven't tried the 1337 section, maybe I should.[/quote] When I had this router no matter what I did; especially after one of M$ updates you have to pull the plug on the router and let it reboot and then all of a sudden the M$ servers will see your router as open again. Trust me I have no idea why it works but it does. I have made a habit of doing this whenever there is an update or I have problems connecting, but not anymore since I have gotten my new router.
-
(Quote)Posted by: yoda1138777 There is really no need for manual addressing. Just use DHCP let the router handle the IP's just make sure the NAT is set to Open and if people have problems connecting to you then they need to adjust their routers accordingly. No bro. Some routers handle DHCP differently. On my router with customized DD-WRT firmware, it assigns IP addresses by MAC address, so your IP never changes. However, on some, it can be completely random numbers. Setting a static IP guarantees you get the same IP address all the time so your ports are forwarded properly. (Quote) You can also reserve the auto IP that it hands out to that MAC if you were worried about it changing. I just bought the WNDR3700 Netgear so I now use DHCP w/IP reserve, UPnP, Port Fowarding for 360 & PS3, QoS for those ports MAC addresses and LAN Ports. All running smoothly with Cox Cable 5-7MB but when testing test.lvcm.com Im always hitting between 21-25MB/s w/1.8MB/s upload [Edited on 10.26.2009 4:09 PM PDT]
-
Thank you, [b]Da Master Chef[/b], for a great guide that helped a "Networking Dummie" like me. It was so great to test my Xbox Live connection and not get the "Your NAT type is Moderate" message. Great links too... Took almost no time to do it on my Linksys router! Thanks Again!!!
-
Agh, I've tried pretty much everything you said, and no matter what, I've still gotten Strict NAT. I've tried the Port forwarding, with DMZ and UPnP off, and I used PFPortChecker to check if they were open, and they were. I've tried adding port 77 and 3330. I also tried to forward to my xbox's IP adress. I tried DMZ, with Port forwarding off and UPnp off, then I tried UPnP on with DMZ and port forwarding off. I've got a Netgear WGR614v6. I've tried to connect my xbox directly to my modem, to check if it wasn't a router problem, but it didn't even get a connection. I can't tell what's wrong. I also haven't tried the 1337 section, maybe I should.
-
What if you don't have a router?! I am using mobile broadband hooked up to laptop which is shared via system link with my 360! I get Strict NAT! What can I do (if anything!)?
-
The new dashboard does not tell if NAT is open or not, but I got a message saying that it was not open. What do?
-
What router does the OP use?
-
thanks!
-
I've just noticed recently that my router is back to strict NAT from being Open. Doing a connection test says that my MTU is too low and needs to be at 1364 or higher...Where the hell do I change the MTU at???
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] yoda1138777 There is really no need for manual addressing. Just use DHCP let the router handle the IP's just make sure the NAT is set to Open and if people have problems connecting to you then they need to adjust their routers accordingly. [/quote]No bro. Some routers handle DHCP differently. On my router with customized DD-WRT firmware, it assigns IP addresses by MAC address, so your IP never changes. However, on some, it can be completely random numbers. Setting a static IP guarantees you get the same IP address all the time so your ports are forwarded properly.
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Pl4y3r0n3 What if I just hooked up an ethernet cable to my laptop do I still need to do all that other -blam!- with the router?[/quote]Depends. If your NAT becomes open, your good. Though this is unlikely since ICS isn't really designed to allow an Open NAT. Even if you forwarded the ports on your router, your computer's firewall may still block it. And you might need to forward the ports on your computer as well. I use ICS all the time and I never have issues with it though.
-
What if I just hooked up an ethernet cable to my laptop do I still need to do all that other -blam!- with the router?
-
[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] guitarxhero19 do you know what a life is[/quote]What is this life you speak of and where can I download it?[/quote] lol good answer! give it to me tooo when you find were it is
-
guys i always seem to get disconnected do you guys have an idea why? i have the wireless adapter and idk whats up/ message i need help pl0x
