10/9/2015
Getting Configured: A guide to configuring your NAT settings.
What can UPnP or port forwarding settings potentially solve?
If you aren't experiencing these specific problems, we strongly recommend that you don’t mess with port forwarding as it is a delicate procedure that may worsen your situation if done incorrectly.
- Frequent BEAVER/FLATWORM/LEOPARD KTOs
- Unable to hear voice chat from other players in your own Fireteam
- Frequent empty towers
- Matchmade activities failing to find a game, resulting in ‘unable to find a match in time’/MONGOOSE errors
Q: What does NAT mean?
NAT is your Network Address Translation. If you're interested in knowing more, there are numerous sites that provide additional information. Essentially, your NAT type represents how easily your console can talk to other devices across the internet. What matters for your Destiny experience is that certain NAT types prevent certain game features from working optimally. If your NAT type isn’t ideal, we have guides to help you resolve the issue.
Q: What are the differences between NAT types?
Open or Type 1 NAT – Nothing is getting between you and your connection to Destiny. You get the best experience using voice chat, joining games, and matchmaking with players.
Note: Open or Type 1 NAT may not be possible in many configurations, especially if you don’t control all of the hardware between you and your internet access.
Moderate or Type 2 NAT – This is the most common configuration. You may experience longer matchmaking times, issues with voice chat, or other problems.
Strict or Type 3 NAT – Strict or Type 3 NATs often indicate your console network settings are restrictive. With Strict/Type 3 NAT types, we have a harder time giving you the best possible experience, including voice chat with all players in your Fireteam. A Strict NAT or Type 3 NAT is not recommended and may cause noticeable problems.
Q: How can I change my NAT type?
In addition to changing your console’s network settings, in order to get an Open or Type 1 NAT connection you will have to change your home network settings. Check out the guides on http://portforward.com for information on changing your network’s NAT type.
In order to get an Open/Type 1 or Moderate/Type 2 NAT type, you may also have to set up a Static IP Address on your console. Check out the portforward.com guides on how to do that for different consoles: http://portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm
NAT is your Network Address Translation. If you're interested in knowing more, there are numerous sites that provide additional information. Essentially, your NAT type represents how easily your console can talk to other devices across the internet. What matters for your Destiny experience is that certain NAT types prevent certain game features from working optimally. If your NAT type isn’t ideal, we have guides to help you resolve the issue.
Q: What are the differences between NAT types?
Open or Type 1 NAT – Nothing is getting between you and your connection to Destiny. You get the best experience using voice chat, joining games, and matchmaking with players.
Note: Open or Type 1 NAT may not be possible in many configurations, especially if you don’t control all of the hardware between you and your internet access.
Moderate or Type 2 NAT – This is the most common configuration. You may experience longer matchmaking times, issues with voice chat, or other problems.
Strict or Type 3 NAT – Strict or Type 3 NATs often indicate your console network settings are restrictive. With Strict/Type 3 NAT types, we have a harder time giving you the best possible experience, including voice chat with all players in your Fireteam. A Strict NAT or Type 3 NAT is not recommended and may cause noticeable problems.
Q: How can I change my NAT type?
In addition to changing your console’s network settings, in order to get an Open or Type 1 NAT connection you will have to change your home network settings. Check out the guides on http://portforward.com for information on changing your network’s NAT type.
In order to get an Open/Type 1 or Moderate/Type 2 NAT type, you may also have to set up a Static IP Address on your console. Check out the portforward.com guides on how to do that for different consoles: http://portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm
Configuring NAT, UPnP and port
forwarding for Destiny
Certain networking issues are related to having “strict” or “moderate” rather
than “open” NAT. Please note that an open NAT isn’t a magic
bullet that solves all networking issues.
NOTE: In general, the need to open or unblock ports only comes up when playing on institutional networks with strict firewalls. Destiny should work well with most off-the-shelf consumer routers without any custom configuration– all necessary traffic should be permitted by default. Before opening or forwarding ports manually, we would recommend making sure that UPnP is enabled on your router, as well as trying to connect your console more directly to your internet uplink to rule out other possible causes.
What is the difference between opening a port and forwarding a port?
The first table lists notable ports to open (i.e. unblock) that can help Destiny perform better. If your router is blocking or slowing traffic on those port numbers, they need to be unblocked.
The ports in the second table are ports that Destiny uses for inbound traffic that you might want to port-forward. Port forwarding is basically giving the router orders to forward incoming traffic on certain ports to a particular device within your network – it only affects incoming traffic, so all ports listed in the second table are inbound ports.
Any port you might want to forward must also be open – there’s not much gain in trying to forward traffic that is being blocked!
For example: I cannot log in to Xbox Live.
After following all previous troubleshooting steps, if you are still unable to log in, check to see if you have a firewall that blocks all traffic on 3074. This means you will be unable to log into Xbox Live and 3074 needs to be unblocked in TCP inbound, UDP inbound, and UDP outbound. After unblocking 3074, you have the option of also port forwarding 3074 for TCP and UDP, if the guide above suggests that port forwarding would mitigate the issues you’re encountering. Port forwarding is not necessary for most people to play Destiny.
Ports that should be unblocked to play the game:
| TCP outbound | TCP inbound | UDP outbound | UDP inbound | |
| Xbox 360 | 7500-17899 30000-40399 | 53, 80, 3074 | 53, 88, 3074, 1001 | 53, 88, 3074, 1001 |
| Xbox One | 7500-17899 30000-40399 | 53, 80, 3074 | 53, 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500, 1200, 1001 | 53, 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500, 1200, 1001 |
| PS3 | 7500-17899 30000-40399 | 80, 443, 3478, 3479, 3480, 5223, 8080 | 3478, 3479, 3658, 3074, 1001 | 3478, 3479, 3658, 3074, 1001 |
| PS4 | 7500-17899 30000-40399 | 80, 443, 1935, 3478-3480 | L3478, 3479, 3074, 2001 | 3478, 3479, 3074, 2001 |
Ports to forward to your console to provide open NAT:
| TCP | UDP | |
| Xbox 360 | 3074 | 88, 3074 |
| Xbox One | 3074 | 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500 |
| PS3 | 3478, 3479, 3480, 5223, 8080 | 3074, 3478, 3479, 3658 |
| PS4 | 1935, 3478-3480 | 3074, 3478, 3479 |
If you are afraid that you may have forwarded ports incorrectly, don’t worry: it can be undone. Please try removing any existing port forwarding rules that you implemented for gaming and enabling UPnP in your router settings if your networking hardware is updated to a recent firmware. UPnP is also typically the best solution if you have more than one gaming console on your network as each required port can only be forwarded to one console at a time. If you have UPnP on and no other forwarding rules and the problem still occurs, or if your networking hardware/setup doesn’t support UPnP, ONLY THEN attempt to forward ports manually.
Port forwarding can be an
incomplete solution at best if you have more than one gaming console behind
your router – you may fix the problem for one console, while causing more
severe issues for the other.
Please note: Not all NAT Type problems can be solved. If you are on a university or corporate network, or if your ISP limits what type of traffic you can send/receive you may have a NAT problem that is out of your control.
