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  • Subject: NAT: What is it and why can't I play Halo 3 with some people!?
Subject: NAT: What is it and why can't I play Halo 3 with some people!?

The Banhammer is watching you.. See for yourself!

Quick note: This tutorial has been worded in such a way that it is easy to understand for non-advanced networking users.

Quick disclaimer:

I am in no way involved with Microsoft or Bungie Studios. This is an informational tutorial and any instructions should be completed by persons with advanced computer and networking skills and should do so with caution and at their own risk.


What is a NAT?
(in simple terms):
A "NAT" (or "Network Address Translation") allows you and your friends to connect to eachother while playing online games, such as Halo 3. A "NAT" determines which remote connections can be established, therefore letting you play on Xbox LIVE. Depending on your "NAT TYPE" (described below), you may have troubles connecting to your friends.

(in nerd terms):
"NAT" helps improve security by reusing IP addresses. Traffic enters the router (or modem) and filters the network traffic of incoming connections and outgoing connections. If it matches an unknown target, you will be refused the connection. If it is in the network whitelist, you will be allowed access to the connection.

That's great, but what's the difference between "Open", "Moderate" and "Restricted"? Which is better?
If you're wanting to play online with friends, your best option is "Open", which allows you to easily establish a remote connection with another network. This leaves the connection table open and is usually very lightly firewalled. If you're using a "Moderate" "NAT", you may have issues connecting to some players as your firewall set by your router is refusing different connections (this usually occurrs when a player has a different router or they are larger distances apart from one-another). If you are using a Moderate NAT, you'll need to check with your router's guide to see how to allow certain connections, such as the main XBOX LIVE ports (TCP 80, UDP 88, TCP 3074, UDP 3074, UDP 53, TCP 53). If you have a "Restricted" NAT, your ability to connect to other players is significantly lowered. Your router is told to block most/all of the incoming connections and will usually display a "NAT" error message.

How do I know which kind of NAT I have?
Most games allow you to check your "NAT" status and usually display it in plain sight. Halo 3 however, displays the message only when you're having issues connecting to another party. When the message appears, you will be notified of your NAT status. If you need an additional way to check you're using a NAT modem/router , you can do so by clicking here.

I don't have a router!
Your modem may have a NAT system built right in, which assigns you an IP address based on your network (like a router).

How do I know FOR SURE if I have a "NAT"
If you're curious as to if you have a NAT and you're an advanced computer or network users, you'll need to do the following:


Windows VISTA / 7:

* Click the "START ORB" (little blue orb with Windows logo if you can't find it)

* Type in the "Search programs and files" box: CMD and press ENTER/RETURN on your keyboard.

* Type in "ipconfig /all" without the quotes and press ENTER/RETURN on your keyboard.

* If you see:

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.XX or any other weird numbers beginning with a 1 or 6, you're most likely behind a NAT.


WINDOWS XP:

* Press the "START" button.

* Find and click "RUN"

* Type in "CMD" (without quotes) and press ENTER/RETURN on your keyboard.

* Type in "ipconfig /all" (without the quotes) and press ENTER/RETURN on your keyboard.

* If you see:

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.XX or any other weird numbers beginning with a 1 or 6, you're most likely behind a NAT.


If you want to resolve the NAT problem, visit your router's configuration page by typing in the address you see for the "DEFAULT GATEWAY . . . " in your internet browser and press ENTER/RETURN on your keyboard. If you're prompted for a username and password, visit this page for a list of default usernames and password OR consult your network administrator / manual.

E.g: http://192.168.0.1/ in INTERNET EXPLORER® and press ENTER/RETURN on your keyboard.

Typical username for router: admin
Typical password for router: N/A

You'll need to find the "FIREWALL" section or "DMZ", depending on your router. If you see "FIREWALL", add the following IP to the allow list: "*.*" (without quotes) - this allows every IP address to connect to the router (please ensure you have anti-virus software on your computers before you open up the connection stream!). If you see DMZ, you'll need to enter the last 3 digits of the LAN ip (as seen in DEFAULT GATEWAY) and save. This means you'll manually need to set the IP address on your Xbox 360. (for more information on doing this, visit this website which is the same way to do it, in a different dashboard update. Or, you can visit the Microsoft KB Support Center by clicking here)

If you want a detailed way to unblock ports, visit this website below:

http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/router index.htm and select your router (just scroll down when on the page).


Hope this has helped. If you need any detailed help, I'll gladly help you.

[Edited on 09.04.2010 1:15 PM PDT]

  • 09.04.2010 1:11 PM PDT