How to change NAT type on Windows 11/10

Sometimes when you connect to the internet on a game console, things go wrong. If you’re a student, you know this all too well — often campus WiFi networks won’t allow connections from Xbox, PS4, Nintendo, or other game consoles. Sometimes, it’s the router or other network equipment you’re using that’s causing the problem (basically, it’s your Network Address Translation (NAT) settings ).

When you connect through a router or firewall to the Internet, whether at home or over some public network at a hotel, you need full connectivity functionality.

You may want to change your NAT type from Strict to Open when playing online multiplayer games. Strict or Moderate NAT can cause network issues when joining a gaming group, such as sudden disconnections, lag, and difficulty organizing matches.

You can change the NAT type on Windows to reduce restrictions, resulting in faster and more reliable network connections. But you must balance your needs with the potential security risks of changing NAT.

What is NAT? Why shouldn't you use NAT Strict?

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a method used by routers to translate public IP addresses (used on the Internet) into private IP addresses (used on home networks) and vice versa.

In the console gaming world, there are 3 types of NAT:

• Open NAT (Type 1 | A) - All allowed - The console can connect to anyone else's game and host the game. Additionally - other users will be able to find and connect to the games you host. This is usually the case when the console is connected directly to the Internet without a router or firewall.
• Moderate NAT (Type 2 | B) - Game consoles can connect to other players, but some functions will be limited. When connecting to the Internet through a properly configured router, you will get this type of NAT.
• Strict NAT (Type 3 | C) - Your gaming device has limited connectivity to other players. Other players on Moderate or Strict NAT will not be able to join your hosted games. This is the case when the router does not have any open ports.

So you will have the best gaming experience if you use Open NAT or at least Moderate NAT. That is why you need to learn how to change NAT type.

The easiest way to do this is to use a VPN like Speedify. This VPN will bypass any NAT by tunneling traffic directly to the VPN server. Since the server has Moderate NAT (Type 2 | B), your connection will also receive this type of NAT.

How to set up a static Private IP address

Whether you want to change the NAT type using UPnP or Port Forwarding, you will need a static IP address to make it work. Since most routers assign dynamic IP addresses , you will have to manually configure a static IP for your Windows device.

If you have already assigned a static IP address to your device, skip the following steps to change the NAT type. If not, follow the steps in the article: How to assign a static IP address in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, or Vista to set up a static IP address on your Windows computer:

Once you have a static IP, you can follow the steps below to change the NAT type on your Windows computer.

How to change NAT type on Windows 11/10

1. Enable Discovery mode on Windows

Network Discovery is a built-in feature in Windows that lets other computers on your network discover your computer. You can turn Network Discovery on or off in Windows 10 from the Settings app. Here's how to do it in Windows 11:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings .

2. Open the Network & internet tab on the left.

3. Click Advanced network settings .

4. Scroll down and click Advanced sharing settings under More settings .

5. Toggle the Network Discovery switch to enable it for public networks.

2. Enable UPnP on the router

You can change your NAT type to Open by enabling Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) in your router settings. This is the easiest way to change your NAT type, as long as you have access to your router's configuration page. However, there are security concerns with the UPnP method that hackers can exploit.

Note that the following steps apply to TP-Link routers. The UPnP activation process may vary for routers from other manufacturers. Check your router's user manual or manufacturer's knowledge base online for instructions.

Follow these steps to enable UPnP:

1. Log in to your router's web-based utility. To do this, type the default gateway address (for example (http://192.168.0.1) into the search bar and press Enter . If you don't know it, here's how to find your router's IP address .
2. On the router control panel, open the Advanced tab .
3. Click to expand NAT Forwarding on the left.
4. Open the UPnP tab in NAT Forwarding .
5. Toggle the switch to enable UPnP .

You can now close your router's web-based utility and check for any improvements in your network connection.

3. Change NAT type using Port Forwarding

Alternatively, you can use the more secure Port Forwarding method to change the NAT type for a specific game or application. While the process is a bit more complicated than UPnP, port forwarding offers greater control over open ports and their use with enhanced security.

To create a new Port Forwarding entry, you need to know the TCP or UDP port used for your specific game. For example, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War uses the following ports:

TCP: 3074, 27014-27050
UDP: 3074-3079

To find the UDP and TCP ports for your game, do a web search for the name of the game to forward the port to. Typically, game developers provide port information for their games on their websites.

Alternatively, go to portforward , select your game, then select your router name and model using the options given. On the next page, scroll down to find the specific ports for your game.

Port Forward maintains a database of game ports on multiple platforms and for multiple router manufacturers.

To change the NAT type using Power Forwarding:

1. Log in to your router's web application. In this case, we'll be using TP-Link's web-based utility.

2. Open the Advanced tab .

3. In the left pane, click to expand NAT Forwarding .

4. Open the Port Forwarding tab.

5. Click the +Add icon in the upper right corner to create a new port forwarding entry.

6. In the Add a Port Forwarding Entry dialog box , enter a name for the Service Name . Be sure to add a name to easily identify this Port Forwarding entry for future reference.

7. In Device IP Address , enter your computer's static IP address for Ethernet or WiFi.

8. Enter your game port number in the External and Internet Port fields . You can use either a UDP or TCP port, but use the same port in both the External Port and Internal Port fields .

9. Set the Protocol field to All .

10. Once done, click Save to save the port forwarding entry.

This entry will be saved in the Port Forwarding table. You can enable or disable the entry using the Status toggle switch.

In addition to Port Forwarding, you can also change the NAT type by modifying your router's configuration file. However, some router manufacturers, including TP-Link, encrypt the configuration file, making it extremely difficult to make the necessary modifications.