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This topic has moved here: Subject: Opening NAT for Dummies 2: Pimp Out Your Xbox Live for Halo Reach!
  • Subject: Opening NAT for Dummies 2: Pimp Out Your Xbox Live for Halo Reach!
Subject: Opening NAT for Dummies 2: Pimp Out Your Xbox Live for Halo Reach!

Awesome thread exactly what I needed

  • 08.10.2010 9:29 AM PDT

I don't mean to make anyone mad or anything but honestly, the people with ONE xbox with strict or moderate NAT should not complain as much as they should be. If you can not get it open from these directions (mostly because they are AMAZING directions) then you should call your ISP or your router manufacturer. They will straighten it out.

I have to deal with the task of getting two xboxes to get open NAT. The task is most difficult and frustrating. Especially when I get banned for something silly when I had just gotten done typing a five paragraph report on what my ISP and router manufacturer said to me.

Well, this is what happened:

I spent three hours on the phone with my ISP and router manufacturer. My ISP would have helped if I was blind and couldn't read this forum or if i had one xbox (those of you who have only one , call your ISP if this thread doesn't help). Thus I called my router manufacturer. They did just about everything I had already done that I had found on the internetz. This means that they didn't help me either.

The best way to get a decent connection for both xboxes is to DMZ one and do nothing to the other. Thats what im doing right now with my two. I always have open and my bro always has moderate. My ISP said for me to also try opening all ports for both protocols. This, as he explained to me, pretty much disables the firewall since all of the ports are open. That pretty much works as a DMZ. He suggested that I DMZ one and open all ports for the other. I did. This worked for a minute and as I went to double check it, one went moderate and one went open. I dont know whether to put uPnP on or not either.

Oh yea, my router manufacturer also wanted me to buy a new router. Ahh, its only 150 bucks. WHY NOT? No, Im just kidding. First off, the router is made for gaming AND is one of the top rated routers out there, but its not full proof for two xboxes. I dont even know if it would fix my problem. Secondly, its out of my price range in this great economy.

Linksys E3000: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cisco-Expert-E3000-Storage-Link-Wir eless-N-Router/14066655

Hope this gets feedback and helps people.

  • 08.10.2010 4:26 PM PDT

Posted by: VolatileToast
Please sir, I want some moa.

Andrew, it seems like almost everyone's problems are with 2 xboxes. I don't think there is a solid solution, and I think a lot of routers are simply incapable of supporting 2 xboxes on Open NAT. I believe xbox.com had a list of routers that are certified to be able to support 2 xboxes on Open NAT, but I can't find it anymore.

To be honest, I don't think there is a solution beyond buying a new router. One of your xboxes is going to have to live with moderate.

[Edited on 08.10.2010 8:22 PM PDT]

  • 08.10.2010 8:21 PM PDT

I'm going to reject your reality, and substitute it with my own!

Hmmm I've done everything in the guide to get my NAT open using port forwarding instead of DMZ, but it's still Moderate.
So, I want to just call my ISP and get them to flick the switch, but as they charge for their support I don't want to spend hours explaining to them what I want. So what specifically should I be asking them to do?

  • 08.12.2010 3:56 AM PDT

For IP configuration in Windows 7:

Open your start menu, type "CMD" in the search bar. When the prompt opens up, type "ipconfig /all" and sort through the entries until you find one containing "IPv4 Address" and "DNS Servers" on different lines. Remember that the first DNS Server entry is the primary, and write them down as such. This is mostly the same as in XP, but you only need to write down the IP address, gateway, and DNS servers for Win7.

Note: If your start menu search bar is enabled, you can type "Network Connections" into it and press enter to skip this entire paragraph!
Alternatively, if the command prompt scares you with its monospaced fonts and lack of a File menu, there's another way. On the far right end of the taskbar, next to the clock, there should be an icon that either shows a picture of a monitor, or a series of signal bars. Right click it, then click "Open Network and Sharing Center." A window should appear shortly containing a diagram of internet flowing from the web to your router, and finally to your computer. This window is completely useless, but click "Change adapter settings" on the far left. This should take you to your list of network connections.

Select whichever you use to connect to the internet, disabling them one at a time if you don't know which you use. Right click your connection, click "Properties." A UAC confirmation may appear, accept it and find "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" in the list that appears. Click to select it, then click "Properties." The configuration window that appears is exactly the same as the one in XP, but clicking the "Advanced..." button will bring up an interface that should give you the IP address, DNS servers, gateway address, and subnet mask of your computer.

From this point on, the rest is exactly the same as configuration in XP.

[Edited on 08.13.2010 5:59 AM PDT]

  • 08.13.2010 5:48 AM PDT

If I get a new router after doing this, will I have to do everything again or just the Xbox's settings and opening ports?

  • 08.13.2010 11:21 AM PDT
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Your friendly and eccentric Sangheili forum-poster. :)

How weird. I cannot access my router settings, even though I've clearly typed in the IP address. I keep getting randomly disconnected for Xbox Live, however the computer is working just fine. I kind of need it to work for when Halo Reach comes out, so then I don't get quit banned every time my router decides to cut my Xbox off.

  • 08.13.2010 3:03 PM PDT

Posted by: Postwarbean85
If I get a new router after doing this, will I have to do everything again or just the Xbox's settings and opening ports?

If the router uses the same gateway IP and local IP range (if you buy the same brand again, it should), then you should only have to open the ports again.

  • 08.13.2010 3:34 PM PDT

I've tried DMZ on my Xbox before and Halo games still give me warnings about non-open NAT.

  • 08.13.2010 5:41 PM PDT


Posted by: Andrew9mb
I don't mean to make anyone mad or anything but honestly, the people with ONE xbox with strict or moderate NAT should not complain as much as they should be.


I don't think people that have ISPs that don't give them 200+ ping times should complain as much as they do.

  • 08.13.2010 5:45 PM PDT
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Thanks for writing the sequel for Reach.

I have a question. Why does the Xbox Dashboard in it's network tests say my NAT is open, but Halo 3 (and presumably Reach, if it uses the same system) say my NAT is moderate?

  • 08.13.2010 11:08 PM PDT
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joey ricci

So when setting up ports for your computer, what are good numbers, or ports, to use?

  • 08.14.2010 2:28 PM PDT
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  • Exalted Mythic Member

Anyone who’s played MP on Xbox Live knows the following is true: Teenagers, plus anonymity, plus microphone = idiot.-Frankie
Casual and Hardcore nutshell
Posted By: Im SteelAssassn
Thanks for choosing to whine over being a productive member of the community and possible element towards advancing Reach.

Posted by: Goalie Master 8
Thanks for writing the sequel for Reach.

I have a question. Why does the Xbox Dashboard in it's network tests say my NAT is open, but Halo 3 (and presumably Reach, if it uses the same system) say my NAT is moderate?


This has happened to me before, but after a while the game stopped giving me that NAT warning. I think it has to do with the game recognizing previous network connections instead of the new one. If you're unsure just go by the Dashboard test, that's the more reliable one of the two.

  • 08.14.2010 2:31 PM PDT

My hotplates go to 11.

That's the best explanation I've heard and boii I've heard many. I don't even care if it's true or not

  • 08.15.2010 4:29 AM PDT

thank you

  • 08.15.2010 6:11 AM PDT

would opening my NAT help with xboxlive connection problems? for example would it reduce internet disconnection?

  • 08.15.2010 9:08 PM PDT

Spammed grenades are NOT cool...

Thanks but...
TOO LONG, DID NOT READ.
I got the jist of things tho...

  • 08.16.2010 7:11 AM PDT

My hotplates go to 11.

I just bought a wireless-n router. I plugged it into my modem/router and it worked without changing anything! What a breath of fresh air. Opening my nat proved more troublesome though, so after tweaking settings i realised wired connections might as well just go through the first router!

Woot, the test says its open! (i was nearly going to read my own guide!)

  • 08.17.2010 6:20 AM PDT

Thanks for the article

  • 08.17.2010 8:29 AM PDT
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I just found out today that my NAT is now strict. I'd been having problems with it being moderate (and consequently getting lag) for several months, then it went open randomly, and I still got lag when I searched on good connection. Now the ironic thing is, now I have strict NAT, I can't connect to friends who live within 300 yards of me, yet can get into a matchmaking game in an average of 3 to 4 minutes and have no noticeable lag with people from anywhere else (and this WITHOUT searching on good connection........it seems my connection is better than it was, yet the actual settings are worse somehow!)

Edit:

Just did my usual MW2 NAT setting check (don't know where the dashboard NAT check is......I test my xbox live connection and it says nothing about NAT).....anyhow, my MW2 NAT says it open. Clearly one is wrong.

Edit 2:

back on Halo, no network warning came up. tried checking a friends party details but couldn't get them, probably because they're, I suspect, in a private party, but it came up immediately to say it couldn't access party details rather than trying to get them and failing to after about 45 seconds. I have seriously touched absolutely nothing, yet my NAT seems to have mysteriously fixed itself....AGAIN. Does anyone have any reasonable explanation as to why my NAT changes at random for no flippin reason?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Edit 3: yes, it has fixed itself.....i was just able to access my friends party details for the first time ever.......anyone see why i get so mad at my internet connection?!

[Edited on 08.17.2010 9:23 AM PDT]

  • 08.17.2010 8:56 AM PDT

One does not simply stop playing Minecraft! Or Fallout!

I already have an open NAT, but it's really laggy.

  • 08.17.2010 9:11 AM PDT

Favorite Quotes:

"Get in, sit down and shut up." - Halo 3 - random pelican gunner

"Crazy Sausage" - Once More Unto The Breach

"Does my brain rule me or do I rule my brain?" - Karl Pilkington

My Method is Network settings-Configure network-advanced settings-restore to factory defaults, it usually works...

  • 08.17.2010 12:11 PM PDT

"You either die a noob, or live long enough to see yourself become a try hard." -Harvey Dent

You are the brain of awesome.

  • 08.17.2010 12:45 PM PDT

Posted by: Andrew9mb
I have to deal with the task of getting two xboxes to get open NAT. The task is most difficult and frustrating. Especially when I get banned for something silly when I had just gotten done typing a five paragraph report on what my ISP and router manufacturer said to me.


I promise you that I did not lie in my previous post. I don't care how many times you place a call into tech support. You will NEVER get OPEN NAT on both xbox's it's technically impossible.

Open NAT means that whenever Xbox Live sends a packet of information to your external IP address, (i.e. how it distinguishes you from everyone else in the world) it goes straight to your Xbox.

The problem with NAT is when you make a request from your XBOX your router embeds your request in a session and the response from xbox live is returned through the NAT to your xbox. XBL doesn't always just respond and sometimes it initiates communication, which unless you are forwarding that port directly to your machine it has no idea how to talk to your xbox, resulting in either strict or moderate.

The paradigm you have is that with two machines hidden behind your router, and XBL only talking on a set port, only one can be classified as open.

So, unless you set up both xboxes to use the same IP address, (which if you do this, only one xbox will work at a time) you will not be able to even get open nat on both boxes.

The only solution is for you to have two routers(or a fancy expensive router that will do multi-netting) and two IP addresses from your ISP.

And no the router listed in your post will not solve your problem.

Ignore me if you want, but I do this for a living and I'm giving you free professional advice.

  • 08.17.2010 4:13 PM PDT

It seems there is a vast mis-understanding of Port-Forwarding, DMZ, and uPNP here. Let me offer a quite explanation of all three.

Think of your Router as a castle protecting everything inside. All your computers and xboxes live inside the castle. To get to the castle you have one address. The draw bridge is your front door and the address points to the drawbridge. Your cable/dsl modem resides on the outside of your drawbridge. In a case where your system is a combo modem/router, then you will most likely need to call your ISP to get them to help you.

When you are a device on the inside and go out to the internet the draw bridge creates a session (or more appropriate to the analogy a seal) on the traffic leaving so that the communication response will present that session/seal when it arrives at the drawbridge so that it is allowed passage into the castle and directed to the device that started the conversation. These sessions are time sensitive and will expire. This is for security.

Port-Forwarding say that (for example) UDP port 88 traffic needs to communicate with your XBox even if the XBox didn't initiate the traffic and that you want the drawbridge to send everything talking on that port and any other specified points only directly to that specified device and that device only.

DMZ is the opposite, to port-forwarding. It says send everything that comes to the drawbridge to this one specified address. UNLESS it has been explicitly requested for usage by the port-forwarding configuration.

uPNP works very similar to Port-Forwarding. It's an initiative to simplify the process of port-forwarding and allow intelligent devices that need ports-forwarded to communicate with routers and request that for the duration of the device being on, forward a set of ports directly to my device. When the device requesting the ports turns off, eventually uPNP will timeout and the Port-Forwarding will disappear, only to be re-built the next time that it turns on.

uPNP would be wonderful, but like all standards, every vendor does it differently and in turn it doesn't always work.

The easiest way to make 'open-nat' work is to put your xbox in the DMZ and make sure that none of the ports required

UDP 88
TCP 3074
UDP 3074
TCP 53
UDP 53

are being forwarded to another device. If you put it in the DMZ and the ports are not being forwarded to another device and you are still getting STRICT or MODERATE NAT then you must call your ISP as they are doing something to your connection that is stopping the OPEN NAT. You will not get help from them at the TIER 1 level of support. Escalate to at least the 2nd or 3rd TIER to get someone that will actually be helpful.

That said DMZ exposes everything to your XBOX, but realistically, there are not any malicious hacks circulating the internet that are targeting XBOXs. You should not put your computer in the DMZ unless you know what you are doing.

The secure way to get open NAT is to forward the ports listed above to your XBOX.

If you have OPEN NAT and you have a laggy connection, then you just need to get a faster internet connection. Upgrade your service package or find a new provider.

[Edited on 08.17.2010 4:34 PM PDT]

  • 08.17.2010 4:32 PM PDT