Your Network is Behind a Cone NAT: How to Fix This Easily
Get back to playing multiplayer on Xbox in no time
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In order to fully enjoy multiplayer experience on your Xbox One your network needs to be configured properly.
If that’s not the case you might get Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT message on Xbox One. This error will prevent you from accessing certain multiplayer features, so let’s see how to fix it.
How can I fix Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT error on Xbox One?
- Forward / trigger your ports
- Use DMZ feature
- Enable UPnP
- Repeat the Internet connection test
- Turn off UPnP settings
- Enable Access Point feature and turn the UPnP on
- Update your router’s firmware
- Change NAT filtering settings
- Use wireless connection instead
- Turn Bridged Mode on your modem
Before we start, let’s quickly explain what NAT is and how does it work. NAT stands for Network Address Translation and it’s performed by your router.
This feature allows all devices on your home network to access your external IP address that is assigned by your ISP.
There are three NAT options on Xbox One, and they are Open, Moderate and Strict.
Moderate NAT will give you Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT message, and this is why it’s important that you switch it to Open NAT in order to avoid these types of problems in the future.
Solution 1 – Forward / trigger your ports
In order to remove this message, it’s advised that your forward or trigger certain ports.
Problems with NAT can occur if specific ports aren’t forwarded, but you can easily change that. To forward your ports, you need to access your router’s configuration settings and assign a static IP address to your Xbox One.
After that, you need to forward the following ports:
- Port 88 (UDP)
- Port 3074 (UDP & TCP)
- Port 53 (UDP & TCP)
- Port 80 (TCP)
- Port 500 (UDP)
- Port 3544 (UDP)
- Port 4500 (UDP)
Forwarding ports is different for each router, therefore we strongly suggest that you check your router’s manual for detailed instructions. Some users are recommending to trigger the ports in the range 88-88, 3074-3074, etc.
Few users reported that they fixed this problem by forwarding the following ports as well:
- Port 16000 (UDP and TCP) for party chat and matchmaking
- Port 1863 (UDP and TCP) for Kinect, Skype and video issues
- Port 3075 and 3076 for Call of Duty Ghosts and some other games
After forwarding the ports you just need to connect to your network on Xbox One. Be sure that you don’t enter static network information. Instead set your network configuration to Automatic on your Xbox One.
By doing so your router will do all the necessary configuration for your console.
Now you need to test your network connection to ensure that everything is working properly. To do that, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings and select Network. You should see the relevant information regarding your network connection.
- In the Troubleshooting section select Test network connection. Wait while the scan tests your Internet connection. Once it’s done, select Continue.
- Now select Test multiplayer connection option from the Troubleshooting section.
- When you see the scan results hold LB + LT + RB + RT on your controller.
- You’ll see a new screen with detailed network report.
- Look for Detailed NAT status option. Wait for a minute or two and the Detailed NAT status will change. If it changes to OPEN NAT type, it means that the problem is resolved.
Few users reported that you need to restart your router while forwarding ports in order for changes to take effect. To do that, follow these simple steps:
- Press the power button on your router to turn it off.
- Wait for 30 seconds or more.
- Press the power button again and wait until your router turns on completely.
- After that, start your Xbox One and check if the problem is resolved.
Solution 2 – Use DMZ feature
Some routers support DMZ feature, also known as Demilitarized Zone, and you should be able to fix various network problems with your Xbox One simply by enabling this feature.
This feature works similarly to port forwarding, but instead of forwarding specific ports, it will forward all ports to your Xbox One.
To use this feature first you need to access your router configuration page and assign a static IP address to your console. If you have any port forwarding or triggering enabled, be sure to disable it.
After that, locate the DMZ feature and enable it. To enable this feature you might have to enter your Xbox’s static IP address or its MAC address.
Remove any network settings that you have on your Xbox One and make sure that your network configuration is set to Automatic. Now you need to test your network connection.
We explained in detail how to do that in our previous solution, so be sure to check it out. Be sure to press LB + LT + RB + RT on your controller after the network scan is completed to see the detailed results.
Wait for couple of minutes and check if Detailed NAT status changes to Open.
We have to mention that using DMZ feature is a lot simpler than forwarding the specific ports, but keep in mind that not all routers support this feature.
Before enabling DMZ feature, be sure to check your router’s manual and see if this feature is supported by your device.
Solution 3 – Enable UPnP
Few users reported that this issue can be solved by using UPnP, also known as Universal Plug and Play. This feature allows your network devices to discover one another and establish the connection seamlessly.
To enable this feature you need to access your router’s configuration page and clear any port forwarding and DMZ settings. Now locate and enable UPnP feature.
By enabling this feature your router should automatically detect the ports that Xbox One uses and enable them without the need for any manual configuration.
After enabling this feature, go to your Xbox One and set network configuration to Automatic.
Test your network connection and press the LB + LT + RB + RT button combination. Wait for a minute or two and check the status of Detailed NAT.
Although UPnP allows you to automatically configure your Xbox One to work with your router, few users reported issues with it.
According to them, this feature doesn’t work if you’re using Instant-On power mode on your Xbox, so you’ll have to switch to Energy-saving mode. To do that, follow these steps:
- Press the Menu button on your controller.
- Go to Settings > Power & startup.
- In Power Options section select Power mode and press the A button on the controller.
- Choose Energy-saving option.
After turning Energy-saving mode on UPnP should work without any problems and the Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT message will be removed.
Keep in mind that Energy-saving mode will completely turn off your console, so it will start a bit slower when you press the power button.
We also have to mention that UPnP feature doesn’t require that you assign a static IP address to your Xbox.
Still, few users reported that assigning a static IP address and turning on UPnP fixed the issue for them, so you might want to try that.
Solution 4 – Repeat the Internet connection test
Few users reported that you can fix this problem simply by repeating the Internet connection test a few times. According to them, you need to repeat it until you get Open NAT or Your network is behind a cone NAT message.
For detailed instructions on how to test your Internet connection be sure to check Solution 1.
Solution 5 – Temporarily disable your router’s firewall
Your router comes with its own firewall that is designed to protect your from malicious users and attacks, but sometimes your firewall configuration can affect your multiplayer experience.
To fix this problem you need to open your router configuration page and turn off the firewall. After turning off the firewall check if the Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT message still appears on your Xbox One.
Disabling your router’s firewall is always a security risk, but if disabling the firewall fixes the problem on your Xbox One, you need to enable the firewall and check the firewall configuration to determine why is your firewall blocking Xbox One.
Solution 6 – Turn off UPnP settings
Few users reported that UPnP feature was causing the Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT message to appear on their console.
As we already mentioned, this feature should automatically configure all network devices, including your Xbox One, but sometimes certain problems can occur.
After disabling the UPnP feature the problem should be resolved.
Solution 7 – Enable Access Point feature and turn the UPnP on
Couple of users reported that they fixed this issue on their Xbox One simply by changing their router configuration.
According to them, all that you have to do is to enable Access Point feature on your router and turn on UPnP. After doing that, the issue should be resolved.
Solution 8 – Update your router’s firmware
Your router is in charge for network configuration and all your network traffic, but sometimes in order to get the best performance from your router you need to update its firmware.
New firmware brings new features, and in some cases updating the firmware on your router can fix the problems with your Xbox One.
Users reported that Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT issue was resolved after installing the latest firmware update for their router, so you might want to try doing that.
Keep in mind that updating your firmware is an advanced procedure, and you should check your router’s instruction manual before trying to update the firmware on your router.
Solution 9 – Change NAT filtering settings
As we already mentioned, your modem configuration can cause this and many other network-related issues on Xbox One.
According to some users you can fix Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT issue simply by changing NAT filtering settings on your modem. To do that you need to follow these steps:
- Open your modem’s configuration page.
- Go to Advanced Settings > WAN setup.
- Locate NAT filtering and change it to Open.
- Disable SIP ALG and save changes.
This procedure might be a bit different on your modem, therefore we strongly suggest that you check your instruction manual for detailed instructions.
Solution 10 – Use wireless connection instead
Both wireless and wired connections have their advantages, and while using wired connection allows you to access the Internet without any interference or data loss, many users prefer using wireless connection due to its simplicity.
In fact, if you use wired connection you might encounter Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT message on your Xbox One.
Users reported that after switching to the wireless network, their NAT changed to Open and this issue was completely resolved.
Solution 11 – Turn Bridged Mode on your modem
Some modems can work as wireless routers as well, but sometimes that can cause issues with certain devices such as Xbox One. To fix this problem, you need to turn on Bridged Mode option on your modem.
This option will disable router features of your modem and you won’t be able to use Wi-Fi, so keep that in mind.
After turning on Bridged Mode, you just need to connect your console to your modem using an Ethernet cable and check if that fixes the issue.
To see how to enable Bridged Mode on your modem be sure to check its instruction manual.
Your network is behind a port-restricted NAT message is not an error, but this message can prevent certain multiplayer features from running.
In some cases this message can seriously affect your multiplayer experience, but we hope that you managed to solve this issue by using one of our solutions.
If you have any other suggestions or questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.
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