A Strict or Moderate NAT type is why you get stuck in lobbies, can’t join friends, or lose party chat in Call of Duty and Battlefield 6. The fix is the same for both: turn on UPnP on your router, and if that doesn’t work, forward the right ports to your console or PC.
This guide covers Black Ops 7, Warzone and Battlefield 6, plus Modern Warfare 4, which launched on October 23, 2026. Port lists below come from Activision and EA’s own support pages.
If you’re fixing your connection ahead of a new season, our rundown of everything in Modern Warfare 4 Season 1 covers the new maps, DMZ and Warzone changes, and our Battlefield 6 Casino Heist update guide explains what’s landing on the Battlefield side.
What NAT types mean
- Open (Type 1 on PlayStation, Open on Xbox): no restrictions. You can join anyone, host, and use party chat. This is what you want.
- Moderate (Type 2): you can play, but you’ll struggle to connect with players on Strict and may not be picked as host.
- Strict (Type 3): you can only connect with players on Open NAT. Expect long matchmaking, failed party joins and broken voice chat.
How to check your NAT type
Xbox Series X|S
Press the Xbox button, go to Profile & system > Settings > General > Network settings. Your NAT type shows on the right. Select Test NAT type to refresh it.
PlayStation 5
Go to Settings > Network > Connection Status > View Connection Status and look for NAT Type.
In game
Call of Duty also shows your NAT type in-game, under Settings > Account & Network. Your console can report Open while the game reports Moderate. If so, trust the game and carry on with the steps below.
Step 1: Turn on UPnP
UPnP lets your console or PC open the ports it needs automatically, and it fixes most NAT problems on its own.
- Log in to your router. Type its address into a browser: usually 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254. The address and default login are normally printed on a sticker on the router.
- Find UPnP. It’s often under Advanced, NAT, or Network settings.
- Turn it on and save.
- Restart the router, then your console or PC, and check your NAT type again.
Step 2: Give your device a fixed IP address
Port forwarding only works if your console or PC keeps the same local IP address. In your router’s DHCP or LAN settings, find your device in the connected-devices list and choose the option to reserve its address (often called DHCP reservation or static lease). Note the address down: you’ll need it in the next step.
Step 3: Forward the ports
If UPnP didn’t get you to Open, forward these ports in your router’s Port Forwarding (or Virtual Server) section to the IP address you reserved. For each port or range, enter it in both the start and end port boxes, pick TCP or UDP, and point it at your device.
Black Ops 7, Warzone, MW II and MW III
| Platform | TCP | UDP |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation | 3478-3480 | 3074, 3478-3479 |
| Xbox | 3074 | 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500 |
| PC (Battle.net) | 3074, 4000, 6112-6119, 20500, 20510, 27014-27050, 28960 | 3074, 3478, 4379-4380, 6112-6119, 20500, 20510, 27000-27031, 27036, 28960 |
| PC (Steam) | 3074, 27015, 27036 | 3074, 27015, 27031-27036 |
Modern Warfare 4
Activision hasn’t published a separate port list for Modern Warfare 4 yet. Its current list, above, covers the recent Call of Duty games and Warzone, which MW4 joins at Season 1, so start with those ports. Check Activision’s support page after launch in case anything changes, particularly for the new Nintendo Switch 2 version.
Battlefield 6
| Platform | TCP | UDP |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | 3478-3480 | 3074, 3478-3479 |
| Xbox Series X|S | 3074 | 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500 |
The console ports are the same as Call of Duty’s, so if you play both, one set of rules covers you. EA hasn’t published an official PC port list for Battlefield 6, because it varies between the EA app and Steam. On PC, rely on UPnP, and make sure Windows Firewall allows Battlefield 6, the EA app or Steam, and EA’s anti-cheat.
Older Call of Duty games
Modern Warfare (2019) uses slightly different ports. PlayStation: TCP 1935, 3478-3480 and UDP 3074, 3478-3479. Xbox: TCP 3074 and UDP 88, 500, 3074, 3075, 3544, 4500. PC: TCP 3074, 27014-27050 and UDP 3074, 3478, 4379-4380, 27000-27031, 27036.
Still Strict or Moderate?
- Check for double NAT. If your ISP’s modem is also a router and you’ve plugged your own router into it, you have two layers of NAT. Put the ISP box into bridge or modem mode, or connect your console straight to it.
- Check for CGNAT. If the WAN or internet IP on your router’s status page starts with 100.64 to 100.127, or is a private address like 10.x or 192.168.x, your ISP is sharing one public IP between customers. No router setting fixes that: ask your ISP for a public IP address.
- Don’t mix UPnP and manual forwarding for the same device if your router behaves oddly. Pick one.
- Restart everything after changes: router first, then your console or PC.
- Only one console per network can use the main game port. If two consoles play the same game, the second may stay Moderate. That’s normal.
Is it safe to forward ports or use UPnP?
For a console, yes: forwarding the game’s ports to one device is low risk. On a PC, only forward the ports listed for the game you play, keep your firewall on, and remove old rules you no longer need.