Change NAT Type from Moderate/Strict to Open in Call of Duty: Warzone

A lot of Call of Duty Warzone players have reported that they are encountering the NAT Type: Strict or Moderate status when trying to play the game. When you are on the game’s main menu, you should see the status indicating “NAT Type: Open if it is working properly“. But many players have said that they are seeing the Strict or Moderate status, which means that the connection is not the best possible for gaming. This is affecting the gameplay, not letting them play COD Warzone properly. This error has been encountered on PC, as well as Xbox and Playstation consoles.

After many complaints were made by players, we have decided to take a deeper look into this issue to see what causes it. Here’s a shortlist that contains all the possible causes:

Now that you know what can cause this issue, here is a list of all the methods that users have used in order to fix this issue:

1. Reset your Firewall

The first thing you should do when you encounter the Call of Duty Warzone NAT Type: Strict/Moderate issue is to try to reset the Windows Firewall that you are using. This will restore the default settings of the Firewall, making you choose again which apps you want to allow and which don’t.

All you have to do is to go to the Windows Defender Firewall settings and make sure to restore it to default. This can be easily found inside the Control Panel.

In case you don’t know how to do this, here are the steps on how to reset your Firewall:

1. The first thing you need to do is to go to the Windows Defender Firewall. You can do this from the Control Panel, but an easier way to do this is to open a Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R and type inside the search bar ‘firewall.cpl‘. Press Enter to open the Windows Defender Firewall.

   

2. Once you are inside the Windows Defender Firewall, you need to click on the Restore defaults button located inside the left side menu.
3. After you’ve done that, click on the Restore defaults button located in the middle of the screen and confirm the prompt that you allow this action.

   

4. When you are done with that, the settings should be restored. Launch Call of Duty Warzone and confirm that you allow the public and private networks.
5. Now, wait until you reach the main menu to see if the NAT Type status has changed or if it still indicates Moderate or Strict.

In case the problem hasn’t been fixed, you need to check the next method below.

2. Set a Static IP

The second thing that you can try is to set a static IP address on your internet connection. This will help your internet to connect to a different IP, which might increase the network capabilities and make the game playable.

Many players are recommending doing this because it helped them get rid of this issue easily. All you have to do is to go to the properties of your internet connection and change the IP address as you want. There are a few spaces that need to be filled, but the process is still very easy.

Here is a guide that will show you how to set a Static IP on your PC:

1. The first thing you should do is to open the Network Connections section. One easy way to do this is to press the Windows key + R to open a Run dialog box, then type ‘ncpa.cpl‘ inside the search bar and press Enter to open it instantly.

   

2. Once you are inside the Network Connections, look for the main internet connection that you are currently using. 
3. When you see it, right-click on the internet connection and then click on Properties.

   

4. After you are inside the Properties menu, you need to double-click on the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) section.

   

5. Now you need to click on the toggle next to Use the following IP address to be able to set the static IP.
6. Once you’ve done that, open another Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R and type inside the search bar ‘cmd‘. Press Enter to open the Command Prompt.

   

7. Now that you are inside the Command Prompt, you need to type the following command to obtain the IP address and Subnet mask that you need in the following steps:

   ipconfig /all

8. Once you have inserted this command, you will be able to see the IPv4 Address and Subnet Mask addresses somewhere inside the Command Prompt.
9. After you are being able to see the addresses, you should pay closer attention to the following steps to see how to create a Static IP.
10. For the IP address, the address should be made of four numbers. The first three numbers remain the same, the only number that changes is the last one. You should change it to a number like 200, 300, 315, and so on to make sure that it works.
    Note: In case you didn’t understand, if my IP Address is 192.149.8.125, to change it to a Static IP you need to type 192.149.8.200.
11. Once you have made a Static IP address, go to the IPv4 Properties and insert the code at the IP address section. 
12. After that, click on the space next to the Subnet mask to make the address visible.

    

13. Now go back to the Command Prompt and search for the Default Gateway address. When you find it, copy it into the Default gateway section located in the Properties.
14. Once you have files that blank space as well, click on OK to save the changes
15. Now try to see if it was helpful with the Call of Duty Warzone NAT Type: Strict/Moderate issue.

In case this method didn’t help as well, you can go to the next method below.

3. Forward ports

It is quite possible that the reason you are experiencing issues with the Call of Duty Warzone NAT Type: Strict/Moderate is because the networking equipment you are using is unable to permit incoming network requests. If the above scenario applies to your situation, you should be able to resolve the issue by manually forwarding the ports that Call of Duty Warzone uses through the settings of your router.

To accomplish this, forward the ports that are utilized by Call of Duty: Warzone by following the procedures below:

Note: The specific steps you need to take to configure your router will vary slightly from one brand to another, so keep that in mind as you proceed.

1. To access the settings of your router, open the browser that is configured as your default, type one of the following addresses, and then press Enter:

   192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1

2. When you are presented with the login screen for your router, enter your credentials in order to gain access to the router’s settings.

   

   Note: If you have not altered the default login credentials, you should be able to access the site by entering admin or 1234 as either the username or the password. If it does not work, browse the internet for detailed instructions on how to access the settings of your router.

3. When you are inside the settings for your router, expand the option labeled Advanced, and then navigate to the section labeled NAT Forwarding (Port Forwarding).
4. After that, select Virtual Servers from the menu, and then select Add from the drop-down menu to begin the process of adding your first port.

   

5. The following is a list of the ports that need to be opened in order for you to be able to play Call of Duty Warzone on the platform that you are trying to play it on:

PC

PlayStation

Xbox

Once you are done with that, try to see if you still encounter the Call of Duty Warzone NAT Type: Strict/Moderate issue.

In case the game acts the same even after doing this, check below the last potential method.

4. Add the game as an exclusion in Firewall

The last thing that you can try according to users who have gone through this issue is to add the CoD Warzone as an exclusion in Firewall. This might make the game work properly because the Windows Firewall could block some connections that are affecting the game directly. By doing this, you will create a new rule inside the Windows Defender Firewall that will make the game an exclusion.

All you have to do is to open the Advanced Settings of the Windows Defender Firewall and create a new Inbound Rule. Inside this rule, you have to insert the address from the Call of Duty Warzone executable.

In case you don’t know how to do this, here are the steps that will show you exactly how to do this:

1. The first thing you need to access is the Windows Defender Firewall. One easy way to do this is to press the Windows key + R to open a Run dialog box, where you need to type ‘firewall.cpl‘. Press enter to open the Firewall.

   

2. Now that you are inside the Windows Defender Firewall, look on the left side menu and click on Advanced settings.
3. Once you are inside the Advanced Settings, you need to click on the Inbound Rules. You need to click on New Rule.

   

4. After that, all you have to do is to insert the correct path to the game’s executable.
5. Proceed with the action and follow the on-screen instruction until you complete everything that you are being asked about.
6. After that, when the process is complete, you should be able to see that the game is now excluded.
7. When you are done with that, launch the Call of Duty Warzone to see if the NAT Type: Strict/Moderate error still occurs.