Video Game Issues On UNW Networks

Owned by Adam Janecke (admin)
Last updated: Nov 28, 2023 by Adam Janecke
3 min read

Overview

If your video game works at home, but not on campus it is most likely due to how our campus firewall handles video game traffic. Some games require opening ports out to the public internet. Due to security concerns, we do not open ports out to the internet for video games. This can also be seen as a NAT issue on devices. We do have a workaround that allows some video games to work. See the instructions below. 

How does a Strict NAT type affect playing video games on campus?

When trying to play video games on the UNW wired or wireless networks, you might find some parts of the game such as voice chat or multiplayer games do not work as expected. 

  • You might see errors such as "strict NAT", or "Incorrect NAT type".

Can I request my gaming console or computer to be set to a different NAT type? 

Yes, you can request your gaming device to be set to moderate NAT. Please do the following: 

  1. Gathering the following information:

    1. Your wired MAC address and current IP address

    2. (e.g. MAC: 00-A1-22-AC-E2-BC and IP: 10.22.0.123 or 10.1.0.156)

    3. Your wireless MAC address and current IP address

    4. (e.g. MAC: 00-A1-22-AC-E2-BC and IP: 10.22.0.123 or 10.1.0.156)

    5. Gaming device

    6. Video game name

  2. Please submit a ticket to the IT Department with the above information.

How do I find my MAC address and IP of my Gaming Console? 

Most often you can find both the MAC address and IP address of your console in the network settings on your gaming device.

XBOX SERIES X/S: 

  1. Find My Xbox in the Xbox Dashboard and select Settings

  2. Under General, select Network Settings

  3. Select Advanced Settings from the Network Settings tab

  4. You will see the MAC addresses for Wired (Ethernet) and Wireless (Wi-Fi)

XBOX ONE:

If you are signed in to a profile, go to My Games & Apps and Settings. If you are not signed in to a profile, just go to Settings.
Select Network then Advanced Settings.
Scroll down and select Network Settings. Then choose either Wired (Ethernet) or Wireless, depending on how you want to connect.

PLAYSTATION 5:

  1. Start up your PlayStation 5 without a disk in the drive.

  2. On the home screen, click on the settings icon (gear) in the top-right corner.

  3. Select System and under System Software, select Console Information.

  4. You will see the MAC addresses for LAN cable (Ethernet) and Wi-Fi.

PLAYSTATION 4:

Go to Settings in the main menu (looks like a toolbox).
Scroll down and select "System". Then select System Information.
Here you will see the MAC addresses for LAN (Ethernet) and Wi-Fi.

PLAYSTATION VITA:

On the Home Screen, go to Settings.
In settings, go to System, then select System Information. Your MAC address will be listed here.

NINTENDO SWITCH:

On the Home Menu, go to System Settings.
In the menu on the left side, select Internet. The MAC Address will be under System MAC Address.

Wii U:

This will also be the wireless MAC address.

On the Wii U menu screen, select to the System Settings Icon
Go to the Internet menu and select it. Then select the View MAC Address icon. The MAC address will be listed here

Wii:

This mac address will be for the Wireless internet, so if you are connecting using an Ethernet to USB adaptor, you will have to use the MAC address of that adaptor.

From the Wii Channel Menu, select the Wii Settings button the in the bottom left-hand corner
Navigate the settings menu to Internet and the Console Settings. The MAC Address will be listed there.

NINTENDO 3DS:

On the 3DS Home Screen, select System Settings. Then select Internet Settings.
In the Internet Settings, select Other Information and then Confirm MAC Address. The MAC Address will be listed here.