What Is NAT Type and How to Change It for Better Gaming

If you have ever seen NAT Type Open, Moderate, or Strict on a PlayStation, Xbox, or PC game and wondered what is NAT type, you are not alone. NAT — Network Address Translation — is how your router shares one public IP address among every phone, laptop, console, and smart TV at home. The type label is simply a shorthand for how freely outside devices can start connections back to your console or PC.

Gamers care because multiplayer lobbies, party chat, and peer-to-peer sessions often need inbound connections. When NAT is too restrictive, you may join some matches but fail others, hear friends drop from chat, or get stuck behind a firewall you did not know you had. Understanding NAT types helps you fix the root cause instead of randomly toggling settings.

What NAT Actually Does

Your ISP typically assigns one public IPv4 address to your home. Inside the house, devices use private addresses such as 192.168.x.x. The router rewrites outbound packets so replies return to the right device. That rewriting is NAT. It is efficient and improves privacy, but it also means the internet cannot freely see your console unless the router has a rule allowing it.

Game platforms simplify this into a few labels. PlayStation often uses Type 1, 2, and 3. Xbox uses Open, Moderate, and Strict. Nintendo and PC titles may use different wording, but the idea is the same: how permissive your network is for inbound multiplayer traffic.

Why NAT Type Becomes Strict

Double NAT from stacked routers

The most common home culprit is double NAT. Many ISP gateways already act as a modem and router. When you plug another router behind them without bridge mode, every packet is translated twice. Consoles report Moderate or Strict, and port forwards on the second router never fully open the path.

Carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT)

Some fiber, 5G home, and cable plans place many customers behind shared public IPs. You cannot get a true Open NAT with classic port forwarding because you do not control the outer NAT. Solutions include requesting a public IP from the ISP, using IPv6 where games support it, or a gaming VPN that terminates elsewhere.

Disabled UPnP or blocked ports

Universal Plug and Play lets games request temporary port mappings. If UPnP is off and you have not forwarded ports manually, inbound sessions fail. Corporate VPNs, aggressive firewall suites, and security modes on ISP apps can also block game ports.

How to Change NAT Type Safely

1. Run a connection test on the console while connected by Ethernet if possible.
2. Log into your main router and check whether the ISP gateway is also routing (double NAT).
3. Put the ISP modem/router in bridge mode, or enable DMZ/IP passthrough to your own router — not to a PC.
4. Turn on UPnP on a single router only, then retest NAT type.
5. If UPnP fails, assign a reserved LAN IP to the console and forward the game ports listed by the publisher.
6. Retest party chat and a peer-to-peer title after each change so you know what worked.

Avoid enabling DMZ on a general-purpose computer. Prefer bridge mode or DMZ to your dedicated router, then lock that router down with strong admin credentials and current firmware. For a deeper primer on home topology, learn how modem and router roles differ in our networking guides.

NAT Type vs Speed and Packet Loss

NAT type does not magically raise Mbps. You can have Strict NAT on a gigabit fiber line and Open NAT on a modest cable plan. What changes is connectivity success for certain sessions. Separately, high packet loss or jitter still ruins games even with Open NAT. After you open NAT, verify the connection quality on testspeed.space so you are not chasing the wrong metric.

Platform Notes for PS5, Xbox, and PC

PlayStation

PS5 connection tests show NAT Type 1–3. Type 2 is normal for most homes with UPnP. Type 1 usually means the console has a public IP or is effectively unrestricted. If you see Type 3 after a router swap, check for double NAT first.

Xbox

Xbox Network settings show Open, Moderate, or Strict plus whether Teredo is working on Windows. On PC Game Pass, Windows firewall rules and VPN adapters often force Moderate or Strict even when the router is fine.

PC multiplayer

Steam, Epic, and battle.net titles vary. Some need specific UDP ranges. Keep only one NAT helper active: either UPnP or carefully documented manual forwards — not conflicting duplicates on two routers.

• Prefer Ethernet for competitive play while you debug NAT.
• Disable unused VPN adapters when testing.
• Update console system software after router changes.
• Document every port you forward so you can remove it later.

When You Should Call Your ISP

If your gateway status page shows a private WAN IP such as 100.64.x.x, you are likely on CGNAT. Ask for a public IPv4 address, static IP add-on, or IPv6 enablement. Explain that you need inbound ports for gaming — support teams hear this daily.

Also call if bridge mode is locked behind a technician appointment. Some providers require a second public IP for your own router. That fee can be worth it if you host regularly or stream from home.

While you wait, keep a simple notebook of before-and-after NAT results, speed tests, and whether party chat improved. Clear evidence shortens support calls and helps you spot regressions after firmware updates.

Related Guides

These networking guides pair well with NAT troubleshooting:

• What Is a Static IP Address?
• Modem vs Router: What Is the Difference?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best NAT type for gaming?

Open (Type 1 on PlayStation / Open on Xbox) is best because it allows unrestricted peer-to-peer connections. Moderate usually works for most titles; Strict often causes party and matchmaking issues.

Does Open NAT make my network unsafe?

Opening NAT with careful port forwarding or UPnP for game ports is common and generally fine on a home network. Avoid exposing admin interfaces to the internet, keep firmware updated, and use strong WiFi passwords.

Why is my NAT Strict even on Ethernet?

Strict NAT is usually caused by double NAT (modem router plus your own router), disabled UPnP, or CGNAT from your ISP — not by WiFi versus Ethernet.

Can a VPN fix NAT type?

Some gaming VPNs advertise Open NAT by routing through their network. Results vary by title. Fixing double NAT or enabling UPnP or port forwarding on your own gear is usually more reliable and lower latency.

Is Moderate NAT good enough?

For many games, yes. If party chat and matchmaking work, you may not need Open. Chase Open when specific titles refuse connections or friends cannot join your hosted sessions.

NAT Type Versus Ping, Jitter, and Loss

Opening NAT improves who can connect to whom; it does not magically lower ping. You can have Open NAT on a congested WiFi hop and still feel rubber-banding, or Strict NAT on a rock-solid Ethernet link that only fails when hosting certain lobbies. Treat NAT as a connectivity checklist item after you have already measured download, upload, ping, and jitter. If matchmaking works but gunfights feel delayed, chase latency and bufferbloat first. If parties cannot join you at all, then dig into UPnP, port forwards, and double NAT.

A practical order of operations: wire the console or PC, confirm healthy results on testspeed.space, then adjust router NAT settings. Re-test latency after each change so a well-meaning port-forward experiment does not introduce instability. Keep notes on which titles required Open versus which were fine on Moderate — that record saves hours the next time you replace a gateway.

NAT type is a connectivity setting, not a speed score. Open it carefully, eliminate double NAT, and measure real performance on testspeed.space so gaming feels both connectable and smooth.