How to Check NAT Type in Windows 11

Windows 11 does not have a single Settings page that shows a NAT type for every game, because NAT happens on your router, not in Windows. The quickest reliable check is the network or connection screen inside the game or app that is having trouble, since it reports the result for its own service. To see what your router is doing, select Start, type cmd, open Command Prompt, run ipconfig, and open the Default Gateway address in your browser to reach the router’s status page.

Applies to: Windows 11 (Home and Pro) on a home network; router screens vary by manufacturer.

What NAT type means

NAT stands for network address translation. A NAT is a router that rewrites the IP addresses and port numbers of traffic as it passes between your home network and the internet. That is how every device in your house can share the one public address your internet provider gives you. Your router keeps a table of these translations, and it only lets traffic from the internet in when a matching entry already exists.

The “NAT type” a game shows is a rating of how easily other players can reach you through that router. Many PC and console games use three labels. The Xbox definitions are:

• Open: can connect with other players regardless of their NAT setting.
• Moderate: can connect only with players whose NAT is Moderate or Open.
• Strict: can connect only with players whose NAT is Open.

Some network tools use technical names instead. In the terms Windows uses for Teredo, a cone NAT accepts incoming traffic to a mapped port from any address, a restricted NAT accepts it only from the addresses (or addresses and ports) your PC already contacted, and a symmetric NAT uses a different public port for each destination, which makes direct peer-to-peer connections the hardest.

In practice, a Strict or symmetric result usually shows up as failed party chat, long matchmaking, or being unable to join or host a friend’s session, while normal browsing and streaming keep working.

Before you start

• Turn off any VPN while you test. A VPN sends your traffic through its own servers, so the result would describe the VPN’s network rather than your home connection.
• Use the network you actually play on. A result on your phone’s hotspot or a school network tells you nothing about your home router.
• Have your router’s admin sign-in ready if you plan to look at its settings. Check the router’s label or its manual if you do not know it. On a work or school PC, or on a network you do not manage, you may not be allowed to change router or firewall settings.

Method 1: Check the NAT type in the game or app

This is the result that matters most, because it is measured against the service that is having problems.

1. Open the game or app that has the connection problem. Sign in if it asks, so it can contact its online service.
2. Go to its settings and look for a network, connection or online section. The names differ from game to game. Some games show the result on the multiplayer or party screen instead, or in a network test you can run.
3. Read the NAT result. Expect Open, Moderate or Strict, a numbered type, or a message that your network is blocking connections. Write it down so you can compare after any change.
4. Check the game’s own help page if no result appears. Many publishers list the ports and connection requirements for their games, which you will need if you later set up port forwarding.

Older guides may point to a Windows Settings page for Xbox networking. If that page is not on your PC, use the check inside the game or service instead; the in-game result is the one that service actually uses.

Method 2: Find your router and check its connection status

If the game reports Moderate or Strict, look at the router next. Your PC reaches the router through its default gateway address, which ipconfig shows. Run without any extra options, ipconfig displays the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, subnet mask and default gateway for every network adapter.

1. Select Start and type cmd. Command Prompt appears in the search results.
2. Open Command Prompt. A black command window opens.
3. Type ipconfig and press Enter. Windows lists each network adapter on the PC.
4. Find the adapter you are using (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and read its Default Gateway. On many home networks this is an address such as 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
5. Type that address into your web browser’s address bar and press Enter. The router’s sign-in page opens.
6. Sign in and open the router’s status, internet or WAN page. Look for a NAT type, a UPnP status, and the router’s own internet (WAN) IP address. Labels vary by router brand, and many routers do not show a NAT type at all, so the WAN address is often the most useful clue.

You can also see your PC’s own address without a command. Go to Start > Settings > Network & internet, select Wi-Fi and your network, or Ethernet, and read the IPv4 address. Finding your IP address in Windows 11 explains that screen in more detail. That screen shows the PC’s address, not the router’s, so use ipconfig for the gateway.

How to read the router’s internet address

The router’s WAN address tells you whether something upstream is doing a second round of NAT, which is one of the most common reasons a game stays at Strict even after you change router settings.

• A normal public address: your router is the only NAT between you and the internet. Router settings such as UPnP or port forwarding can change your NAT type.
• A private address in the 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 or 192.168.0.0/16 ranges (the private ranges defined by RFC 1918): another device, usually your internet provider’s modem-router, is also doing NAT. This is called double NAT.
• An address that starts with 100.64 through 100.127 (the 100.64.0.0/10 block): this range is reserved as Shared Address Space for carrier-grade NAT, where your provider shares public addresses among many customers. Settings on your own router cannot open that outer layer.

How to improve a Moderate or Strict result

Make one change at a time and check the game’s NAT result after each one, so you know what actually helped.

1. Restart the modem and router. Unplug the router and then the modem, and wait about 30 seconds. Plug the modem back in and let its lights settle, then plug the router back in and wait a few minutes. Restart the game afterward.
2. Check UPnP on the router. UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) lets software on your PC open the ports it needs on the router automatically. Some routers turn it on by default. If it is off, turning it on is the simplest router-side fix. The setting’s location varies by router brand; check the router maker’s manual.
3. Use port forwarding if UPnP is not available. Port forwarding opens specific ports to one chosen device while other services stay hidden from the internet. Forward only the ports the game’s publisher lists, to your PC’s local IP address. Because a PC’s local address can change, use the router’s DHCP reservation feature (if it has one) so the rule keeps pointing at the right PC.
4. Fix double NAT. If the router’s WAN address is private, ask your provider or check the gateway maker’s instructions for a bridge or passthrough mode, or set your own router to access point mode, so only one device performs NAT.
5. Ask about carrier-grade NAT. If the WAN address is in the 100.64.0.0/10 block, only your internet provider can change it, for example by giving your connection a public IPv4 address.

Avoid putting your PC in the router’s DMZ just to get an Open result. A DMZ host has all ports opened and is totally exposed to the internet, as router makers such as TP-Link point out. If you try it to diagnose a problem, turn it off again afterward.

Check Windows settings that can block game connections

Windows does not set your NAT type, but it can block a game’s incoming connections, which some games report as a NAT or network problem.

• Windows Firewall: open Windows Security > Firewall & network protection and use Allow an app through firewall for the game rather than turning the firewall off. Turning off Microsoft Defender Firewall could make your device more vulnerable to unauthorized access. Also check that Blocks all incoming connections, including those in the list of allowed apps is not turned on.
• Network profile: in Settings > Network & internet, select your Wi-Fi network or Ethernet and check Network profile type. Windows 11 sets new networks to Public network (Recommended), which hides your PC from other devices. Choose Private network only on a home network you trust.
• Organization policies: on a PC managed by a work or school, firewall settings may be locked. Contact the administrator.

Troubleshooting

The game shows no NAT type

Not every game reports one. Use the router check in Method 2, and look at the game publisher’s support page for its connection test or required ports.

ipconfig shows no Default Gateway

Make sure you are reading the Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter you actually use, not a virtual or disconnected one. If none lists a gateway, the PC may not be connected to the router; go to Settings > Network & internet and check that the connection shows Connected, or run the Network and Internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app.

The router page does not open or you do not know the password

Make sure you typed the gateway address exactly. If the sign-in details are not on the router’s label or in its manual, contact the router maker or your internet provider.

The NAT type changed back after it worked

A forwarded port stops reaching your PC if the PC gets a different local address, which can happen because most home routers hand out addresses automatically. A DHCP reservation keeps the PC’s address the same. A VPN that was turned back on will also change the result.

Network reset as a last resort

If Windows networking itself is misbehaving, go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset, then select Reset now and Yes. This removes and reinstalls your network adapters with default settings. You may need to reinstall VPN software, and known networks may switch to the Public profile. It does not change your router, so it will not change a NAT type caused by the router or your provider.

Frequently asked questions

Does Windows 11 have a built-in NAT type checker?

Windows 11 does not have one page that reports a NAT type for all games. Check the game or service with the problem, and use your router’s status page to see what the router is doing.

Can I change my NAT type in Windows 11 settings?

Not directly. NAT is done by your router, and sometimes by your provider’s equipment. Windows settings such as the firewall and network profile can block a game’s connections, but changing the NAT type itself means changing router settings or asking your provider.

Is Moderate NAT good enough?

Often, yes. By the Xbox definitions above, Moderate can connect with Moderate and Open players but not with Strict ones. If you only have trouble with certain friends, the problem may be on their side.

Will Open NAT lower my ping?

NAT type decides whether connections can be made, not how fast they are. If you are dealing with lag rather than failed connections, start with fixing ping spikes.

Does the netsh Teredo command show my NAT type?

Running netsh interface teredo show state in Command Prompt displays the state of Teredo, a Microsoft tunneling feature that carries IPv6 traffic over IPv4 through NATs. It is a networking diagnostic, not a game NAT type test, so rely on the game’s own result.

Is it safe to turn on UPnP or forward ports?

Both let traffic from the internet reach a device on your network, so open only what a game needs and remove rules you no longer use. Keep Windows Firewall on either way.

Start with the NAT result in the game that is having trouble, then check the router’s WAN address; that one number tells you whether the fix is on your router or with your internet provider. Background on the Windows tools used here is in Microsoft’s ipconfig command reference and essential network settings in Windows.