This tutorial explains how to use the Xbox 360 Dashboard System Settings to fix your STRICT NAT problems when connecting to Xbox LIVE. The STRICT NAT glitch is still a common problem even if your router and network are already configured correctly. Although simple, this guide might save you many hours of frustration and improve your online experience.

I know the STRICT problem has been a pretty common issue when connecting with xbox live, and alot of guys I speak with are getting pretty desperate latey, so i have decided to write this short but sweet guide to help you get your Xbox LIVE NAT type settings to OPEN.

The Symptoms

When you try to join an online game or party, you receive an error.
You are frequently disconnected from a game or party.
You cannot hear or communicate with someone in an online game.


What is NAT?

NAT, or Network Address Translation, is a networking concept that allows your router to share a single IP address across multiple devices. Instead of your Internet service provider (ISP) assigning an IP address to every device that connects to the Internet, NAT allows your ISP to assign a single IP address to your router. The router then manages a set of IP addresses for all the devices on your home network.

How does NAT affect online gaming?
When you have a NAT warning, you might experience the following symptoms:

You cannot hear a certain a player within a game or someone cannot hear you.
You cannot join a party or your friend cannot join your party.


Some things to be aware of:

NAT problems do not affect game play speed. A NAT warning affects the ability to connect and communicate with other players.
You should not experience a NAT warning if you are using a wired modem connection.
If you are using the network at your workplace or college, there is a good chance that you are behind a proxy server or firewall, which is why you are experiencing NAT issues. Contact your network administrator for help.
If youre using hardware that is compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7, NAT issues should not occur.


Why Should I Need to Do This?

The only reason you would need to do this is if your Xbox 360 network settings display a STRICT NAT type even after you have configured your router/DMZ. From what I can tell there is some sort of glitch on most xbox 360 dashboard's which forces the STRICT network setting no matter what you do.

For example; I was in a game of cod: black ops all day with full OPEN NAT having a great time, then after a quick reboot of my xbox it would keep getting stuck on the NAT STRICT settings no matter how many times i re-configured my router etc. Well, this is not good, especially after I knew I have configured my router and network correctly, so i found this little fix.

To get around STRICT NAT when you know it should be OPEN just follow these simple steps.

The Steps
:
1. Start your Xbox and go to the System Blade
2. Select "network settings" and then "test connection".
3. Once the test is over your network settings should now be display OPEN NAT.
4. If you have COD black ops you can start up a multiplayer lobby to confirm this as well.

If your network settings are still set to STRICT and not worked, don't worry, it hasn't changed any of your settings, you will just need to follow this advanced guide for setting up your Xbox 360 here.

Again, this may not work for everyone, but it worked for me and my friends (including hobbs - 360-HQ owner), so good luck and hope you find 360-HQ useful. I know I do.