PlayStation WHAT IS NAT 1,2,3 AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR CONNECTION & NAT 1 for PS3 MADE EASY

I found this the Playstation Network Forum

NAT stands for Network Address Translation, and the NAT settings define how a PS3 system connects to and communicates with PlayStation Network and other players online. When connecting a PS3 system to a local area network and performing an Internet connection test, the current NAT setting (usually NAT 1, NAT 2 or NAT 3) will be displayed on-screen.

To check the current NAT settings at any other time, access the XMB Menu and choose Settings > [Network Settings] > [Settings and Connection Status List]. A list of settings will be displayed; the current NAT setting will be displayed at the end of the list.

None of the different NAT settings will prevent you from connecting to the network, but each has a different impact on the network connection available to you.

NAT 1: this NAT setting (often referred to as a ‘strict’ setting) is normally associated with connections with static IP addresses. NAT 1 will limit both the connection to the game and the communication between the PS3 system and the online servers, and may result in limited access to online functionality.

NAT 2: this is the most common NAT setting and should allow for a seamless connection to PlayStation Network.

NAT 3: this NAT setting will enable connection to the game but may block in-game communication or connection to some online servers. You may be able to circumvent these restrictions by opening ports on your router related to in-game communication (Port: UDP: 3658) and connection to PlayStation Network (TCP: 80, TCP 443, TCP 5223 and UDP: 3478 to UDP 3479:10070-10080 to UDP)

If your PS3 system connects to the network via NAT-1 or NAT-3 and the restrictions are adversely affecting your online experience, contact your Internet service provider for information on how to adjust your NAT settings.

If the problem persists, visit eu.playstation.com/contact to contact Customer Support

How to get Nat1 connection.....easy....
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4 Replies 3,591 Views Created 30-01-2009
Ive had my ps3 connected to a wireless router ( wired ) and when i would run a internet connection test on my ps3 i would get Upnp not available and Nat3... Obviously Nat3 u dont want as it was giving me trouble with lots of online games, no matter what i tried ( Setting a static ip adress and opening ports ) with no luck in getting a lower NAT , but last week i found an easy diffrent way to get Nat1 , all i had to do was set up new internet connection settings on ps3, this is how

1. Internet connection settions

2. Custom

3. Wired or Wireless (WIRED will give you NAT1 when completed,WIRELESS will only attain NAT2)

4. Auto Detect

5. Ip address settings ( this is how to get Nat 1, by choosing PPPoe you can connect the ps3 Directly to the internet ) so just go down and choose PPPoe

6. You will need your username and password that you got from your ISP ( ENTER THESE TO CONTINUE )

u can set all the rest of the settings to automatic and this should give you Nat1...You connect your PS3 to the phone jack direct with a RJ-46 to ethernet lead,(only you will be able to use the internet while connected like this),use a non-modem router to bridge the PS3 to the phone jack.You can also delete the PPPOe username & password in your modem/router,but you may have to establish a rule,protocol or path for the PS3 to gateway through the modem section section of your modem/router.
Essentially,the best NAT type is NAT2 for racing,but NAT1 is better for MW3 type online gaming.You may need to register your ps3 on your router with 2 or more static IP.s & with one set for GT6 with DMZ & PF,one with Static IP & UP&P enabled & one with static IP & DMZ & UP&P, & change your PS3 Internet Connection Settings to match when necessary for different games.
Summary
If you want to run an unfixed lobby,you will only be able to with NAT2.
For a Fixed lobby you should use NAT1.
If you are NAT3,you will not be able to join unfixed lobbies or host very successfully.You must setup the DMZ & PortForwarding to attain a NAT2


Cheers Derek

Dek
Why would we want NAT1 when NAT2 is the better? I find this article severely misleading, as strict NAT in COD caused no end of grief for those on either end of those connections.
The best solution is to have a router that supports UPnP so that you hit connect and it works. Dicking around with port forwarding when you don't know how to TCP/IP is the surest way to kill your connection completely.
Dog.

Exactly why it was explained what and how it is and the pro's and cons.NAT1 would only be used to run a fixed room for GT6 race rooms for people who are NAT 3 to join.

This is a GT6 forum thread remember

This post is aimed to be simple to understand, at the expense of not being 100% technically correct in some details. Read on only if you're the curious type, this won't exactly be life-changing.


NAT is the workaround to the problem of the massive expansion of the Internet. IPv6 is the supposed solution but migration is slow and understanding it can be complicated.

Your house/residence has one unique IP address which anyone else in the world can use to connect directly to you. The problem is that your residence may have anywhere between 2 to 20 devices that connect to the Internet (PCs, phones, TVs, PVRs, consoles, etc - more on the way with Home Automation becoming 'a thing').

So when the PSN sends data to your unique IP address, it arrives at your residence and goes 'where now???'. This is the job of the router and Network Address Translation, and the reason why we have 'port numbers'. If you have a good router (not elcheapo) with UPnP enabled the PS3 can talk to your router and configure it automatically. Of course it then stands to reason that malware on a PC could also request port forwarding changes as well, and some routers with insufficient processing power just aren't very good at doing UPnP.

So if you are able to navigate around your routers' configuration webpages you can set up manual port forwarding rules, using the TCP/UDP values provided in the OP above. It's a little different on each device/brand, but generally you'll find it under advanced security/firewall settings. By default a router will let traffic go out of your residence to the Internet on all port numbers, but will block unsolicited incoming data from the Internet on all ports, until you open them and specify a local device to receive them. A bit like having a large sticker on your mailbox saying 'No Junk Mail (Except the Local Leader, Sim Racing Magazine weekly, and the Coles/Woolworths catalogues)'.

(How does normal web browsing work without port forwarding then? When you type a URL or click a link, your browser sends a request on Port 80 (HTTP). The router passes the request from HOME-PC to the web host, and so knows to expect a reply and where it should go, even though Port 80 inbound is blocked. If however, you wanted to setup a web server at home that was accessible to the public Internet, you would then have to open Port 80 and forward it to your webserver PC.)

When you have specified the ports to open, you need to map them to one device in your home network. Not great if you have multiple consoles, for example. Also you should choose a static local IP Address on the device and not an automatic (DHCP) one as it will change. You can choose one in the console/PC network settings or reserve a dedicated one for your devices in the router config.

So now when PSN or a P2P (peer-to-peer) client sends data to your unique IP address on port TCP 5223 for example, your router doesn't block it (inbound firewall rules) but forwards it to which device (local IP address) you specified. Note: I don't recommend opening/forwarding ports 80 and 443 to your PS3 as these are generic web browsing ports (HTTP and HTTPS) and should not be required for online gaming.

For assistance in configuring your router see http://portforward.com/
Hope this helps

Good write-up mate, well done!

Good to know. I wasn't going to reinvent the wheel with all the technical details as it's out there on the net already, but knowing the backstory can help with putting 2+2 together when following some of those guides.