How to Set a Static IP Address on Your Xbox One
If you are gaming using Xbox One, you have probably experienced difficulties joining multiplayer matches, chatting, and holding video calls using the Moderate or Strict NAT Type. The good news is that you can improve your gaming experience by configuring your network to get the Open NAT Type. The Open NAT Type will significantly enhance your gaming experience by improving your connection, reducing lags, and allowing you to chat or video call with other online gamers. To activate an Open NAT Type, you need an Xbox One static IP address.
A static Xbox IP address is vital since, without one, you will get a different internal IP address every time you reboot your device. To avoid this, you need to assign an IP address in your router or set up a static IP address within your Xbox One. After permanently assigning the IP address, you can forward ports to your router for a fantastic gaming experience. Some routers will allow you to assign an IP address manually while others do not. If yours does, you can set up a static IP address on your console. To learn how to set up and assign an IP address, read through the following sections.
Why Do I Need To Assign a Static IP?
Assigning a static IP allows you to have a permanent IP address every time you boot your device. For instance, you will access your router’s advanced settings with an IP address and change the NAT Type, fixing the Xbox One connection issues. With a static IP address, you can also port forward and allow incoming connections into your home network for a fantastic gaming experience.
How Do You Manually Assign an IP Address on Your Router?
The process of assigning an IP address on your router will differ depending on your router model. If your router has this feature, assign a permanent IP (Public) address on your router, and your console will pick it up. You will not need to make changes to your Xbox One when doing this. Also, your router will, from this point onwards, take care of assigning your Xbox One the same IP address. This IP address will function as a static IP.
On the other hand, if your router lacks the assigned IP address feature, you will need to set up a static IP address within your console. To do this, you can opt to assign the current IP to your Xbox One. You can find this number in your console dashboard menu under the Advanced Settings.
- To find this address, Go to the home screen and press the menu button on the controller.
- Select Settings, Network, then Advanced Settings. This action will take you to the IP settings section, where you will see the IP address. Note down this number as you will need to enter it into the router later.
- Under the IP settings, you will see the Wireless MAC address. This address is a unique number, and each gaming console has a unique number assigned by the manufacturer. Note down this 12 digit address as you will need to assign this address to your selected IP address.
- Log in to your router and permanently assign the IP address you found in step one above as your Xbox IP address.
- To log in to your router, you will need your computer. On your choice browser, either Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Edge, find the address bar and replace the address with your router’s IP address. This action will open a window prompting you to log in with your router’s credentials. Log in with your updated credentials or the default credentials if you had not changed them in the past.
- On your router’s home page, you will find a box where you can input the IP address and a drop-down for the MAC address. You also need to note down your router’s DHCP range (You can access it using your computer). The DHCP range assists in assigning an internal IP address to the devices within your network.
- Once you have assigned your console to an IP address, you can test the connection to check its functionality. To do this, go to the Xbox One Dashboard and select Settings, then Network.
- Next, choose the Test Network Connection option and wait for the tests to run. This action will check your connections to ensure your Xbox One is linked to your network. Once it finishes running the test, the system will display a message saying, “it’s all good.”
- After testing your connections, you can proceed to port forward to get the Open NAT Type, which is the end goal for Xbox One users. The UDP ports that you will forward are 53, 80, and 3074, while the TCP ports include 53, 88, 500, 3074, 3544, and 4500.
- Finally, after assigning the permanent IP address to your console and forwarding the above TCP and UDP ports, you should test your network from the Xbox One Dashboard. To do this, select Settings, then Network, and choose Test Network Connection. The test results inform you whether your NAT Type is Open, Moderate, or Strict.
- If your network status is NAT Type Open, you have successfully optimized your network. You can now join multiplayer games and chat with other gamers online. On the other hand, if you are unsuccessful in changing your NAT Type, double-check whether you have entered the details accurately and make necessary adjustments. You should also check your network settings as you may have more than one router, which will make the configuration difficult.
How Do You Set up a Static IP on the Xbox One?
The Xbox One IP address can be dynamic or static. Unlike a static IP address, a dynamic IP address is subject to change, such as when you restart your router or console. These addresses are unsuitable, as they will affect settings such as port forwarding, which rely on a constant IP address. This makes the static IP a top recommendation. If your router does not allow you to assign an internal IP address manually, you will need to follow these steps to set up a static IP address in your Xbox One.
- First, find out the IP address, gateway, DNS settings, and the subnet mask your Xbox One is currently using. You can find this information by going to the home page and pressing the menu button on your controller. Select Settings, Network, and then Advanced Settings. On the IP settings section, you will see all the above details listed. Proceed to enter the corresponding numbers as you will need them later.
- Next, log in to your router using your computer. Once logged in, look at the DHCP range used by your router. The DHCP range is a group of numbers used by the router to assign internal IP addresses to devices on your home network.
- You should pick a number within the 2-254 range and outside your router’s DHCP range. For instance, the router you are using uses a 100-149 range to assign IP addresses on the internal network, you can choose a number like 201, and your Xbox IP will be 192.168.1.201.
Once you pick a number, you should check whether it is available for use. To do this, ping the address with the Windows Prompt Command as follows:
- Click the Windows Start menu
- Type cmd in the Windows Start Menu dialog box
- The above action will list cmd.exe over the dialog box.
To check the availability of the IP address, type ping and hit the spacebar. After that, type the IP address you want to check and press Enter. If you ping your address and there is still no response, it likely means that it is available. On the other hand, if you receive a reply, the IP address is unavailable, and you need to try a different one.
If your address is available, go to your Xbox One and set an internal IP address to the number you selected above. To do this, select Settings on the home menu. Next, select Network, Advanced Settings, IP settings, then Manual. Input the IP address you have selected and press Enter. You can also type the subnet mask you noted earlier and your router’s internal IP, then press Enter. From this point, head back to the Advanced Settings screen and select DNS settings. From the list you made in the first step above, enter the Primary DNS and press Enter. Also, type the Secondary DNS, press Enter, then save the changes on the Advanced Settings screen.
Once you finish the above setup, you can test your connection. To do this, go to the Network Settings screen and select Test network connection. The test will run to check your network status, and when finished, it will pop an” it’s all good” message.
After confirming your connection status, you will need to get the Open NAT Type for a fantastic gaming experience. This is possible through port forwarding some ports in your router to your Xbox One IP address. Port forwarding points incoming traffic to a specific internal IP. For your Xbox One, you will need to port forward TCP ports 53, 80, and 3074 and UDP Ports 53, 88, 500, 3074, 3544, and 4500.
Finally, after assigning a permanent IP address to your Xbox One and forwarding the correct ports in your router, you can test your network connection from your console dashboard. To do this, select Settings, then Network, and choose Test network connection. This action will run the tests, and, after it finishes, it will tell you if your NAT Type is Strict, Moderate, or Open.
How Do You Access Your Router Settings for Static IP Address Set Up?
Accessing your router settings seems an easy task, yet many gamers have a challenge. This is because each router is different, so there’s no specific way to access these settings. Your ISP may give you a router, or you may need to buy your own. Either way, you can access these settings by first finding the IP address and then the settings.
The IP address is a series of numbers with dots in between. The last digit on the IP address will vary depending on the router. To find this address, you can check your router for this information. Every router has a sticker on it with some information from the manufacturer. By looking at the IP address printed on the back, you will know your router’s IP address. If using a Mac, click the Apple icon for the system preferences and open the Network settings. From this point, click Advanced, then the TCP/IP tab and your IP address will be displayed. If you are using a PC, select the Wi-Fi icon on the lower left of your home screen. Click Properties and find the IPv4 address.
With your IP address, you can access your system settings. To do this, go to your chosen browser and enter the IP address. By signing in with your credentials, you should access the port forwarding and other advanced router settings.
What is the Preferred NAT Type for Xbox One?
The three NAT Types for Xbox One are Open, Moderate, and Strict. While all these NAT Types are functional, online gamers have different preferences, hence the essence of port forwarding. Generally, the Open NAT Type is the end goal for an Xbox One user. This is because it allows them to chat and play games with anyone irrespective of their NAT Type. On the other hand, the Moderate NAT Type allows players to play with most but not everyone online, while strict only allows you to communicate with players having the Open NAT only.
Finally, while having a static IP address for Xbox One is vital for a fun gaming experience, you cannot underestimate the need for a router that matches your needs. This way, you can navigate the settings with ease and perform mandatory functions such as port forwarding, depending on your NAT Type. However, if you are still uncertain about the above settings, you can contact support for assistance and take your gaming to the next level.