How to Change NAT Type on Nintendo Switch

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

In This Guide

You'll Learn:

• How to fix NAT Type problems for your Nintendo Switch gaming console.

2. NAT Types

If you are gaming on a console and are having trouble playing multiplayer games, joining lobbies or talking to other players through voice chat, it may be due to your internet connection or more specifically the type of NAT your network has. This guide will explain what NAT is, what the different NAT types are for your console and how these issues may be resolved.

What NAT is

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a technology that allows you to have multiple devices connected to the internet at the same time while only having one physical connection to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The connection to the ISP is established through a modem whereas the NAT is accomplished with the use of a router. Interconnecting a modem and a router is how all your devices in your home are able to connect to the internet at the same time. Units that can replace the combined use of a modem and a router also exist and are called gateways. The NAT has the following effects on a network:

• Connections initiated from inside the home network like surfing the web, checking email and joining a game work fine because the router passes the connection request out. Once the connection is established data flows both in and out.
• Connections initiated from outside the home network are dropped by default. This is because the router doesn't know to which device on your home network the incoming connection was intended for. In a multiplayer game these incoming connections are sometimes required for joining lobbies and voice chat.

Nintendo NAT Types

Your NAT type is determined by the settings or features of the router on the network you are using to connect to the Internet. Your NAT type, combined with the NAT type of other online players, determines whether you can successfully communicate with them in party chat or use multiplayer gaming.

For Nintendo consoles, NAT Types range from Type A (best for peer-to-peer communication) to F (unable to complete peer-to-peer communication). If your NAT type is A or B, your console is connected properly and shouldn't run into issues. If you are having problems, this may just be a glitch with your connection and may be resolved with a simple reboot. The remaining NAT types, C through F, generally indicate that there is some sort of restriction or blockage that is preventing your console from communicating properly. This means that your router's settings will have to be altered to allow proper communication, or might be altogether incompatible with your game console.

3. Determine NAT Type

1. From the main screen, go to System Settings.
   

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2. Then scroll down to Internet.
   

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2. And select Test Connection.
   

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2. Check what it says next to NAT Type on the test results screen.
   

4. Reboot Console & Home Network

Reboot the Console

1. Hold the Power Button for roughly 3 seconds.
   

1. Select Power Options.
   

1. Choose either Turn Off or Restart.
   

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2. If the console was turned off, press the Power Button again to power it back on.

Reboot the Home Network

3. Unplug the power cable from both your modem and router.
   

3. Verify all lights are off on the modem and router.
4. After 30 seconds, replug the power cable into your modem and then your router.
   

3. It may take at least one minute for the internet to reconnect.
   

5. What's next?

6. NAT Type Configuration

In order to get the best NAT Type for your game console, you may need to do one of the following:

• Open required ports via Port Forwarding within your router.
• Enable the DMZ (demilitarized zone) setting for your game console within your router. This opens all ports of communication for a specified device that's connected to your router.
• Enable UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) on your router.

Not all of these options may be available to you depending on what kind of router you have in your home. In order to determine which ports need to be "opened" on your router to configure Port Forwarding, you may need to contact your game console's manufacturer, or refer to the console's supplied documentation. For details on how to configure your specific router, please refer to your router's supplied documentation for support.

7. What's next?