Just bought a 360 & Live and looking to go online, but it doesn't seem to work and complains about my NAT type being "Strict".

I've tried the normal guides, but I've hit a bit of a stumbling block...

For reasons I don't know, we have several routers in the house...

Connected to the phoneline is a BT HomeHub 2. This is then connected to a TP Link TL-WR1043ND router, which then goes through a series of hubs, switches & wires to the Xbox.

The TP Link router is running a DHCP server and is handling all the IP's for everything on the network, and then the TP Link is simply a client of the HomeHub.

I've tried forwarding the ports, but obviously it's a bit of a headache trying to work out on which should I forward / to what.

Why it's setup like this I have no idea...

Any ideas?

with so much interconnections that chance of you getting everything right is just about zero!

I don't use a hub so I don't know about setting on up or does it has restrictive options, but personally if I intend to race seriously on Forza I just grab a 30m cable and connect via direct PoPPE, it's fail proof, it's much quicker and nobody in my house uses internet in those hours anyway.

Quote from JJ72 :

I don't use a hub so I don't know about setting on up or does it has restrictive options, but personally if I intend to race seriously on Forza I just grab a 30m cable and connect via direct PoPPE, it's fail proof, it's much quicker and nobody in my house uses internet in those hours anyway.

Err hub = less advanced switch


Jakg.. just ignore presence of hubs/switches. They don't affect port forwarding in any way (if they truly are just hubs or just switches).

Quote from E.Reiljans :

Err hub = less advanced switch


Jakg.. just ignore presence of hubs/switches. They don't affect port forwarding in any way (if they truly are just hubs or just switches).

I know that a switch wont affect things, but the routers will - the first router (BT HomeHub) is working as a DHCP server (on one subnet), and has one connection, the next router (TP Link) which is working as a cable router with a working DHCP server on a another subnet.

I.E. the TP Link has the BT HomeHub as it's gateway, and the BT HomeHub has it's gateway as an internet IP.

So then, on HomeHub forward needed port to TP-Link, and on TP-Link forward it to PC needed?

Or you tried that already and it didn't work?

Quote from E.Reiljans :

Or you tried that already and it didn't work?

Yes - I tried having the TP Link forward to the Xbox IP, and the HomeHub forward both to the Xbox IP & the TP Link ID, with no luck.

Are the TL's and HH's LAN networks in different subnets?

Yes - 192.168.100.101-200 & 192.168.1.1-254 respectively.

Try setting up a DMZ to the Xbox IP, that should show if it's a firewall issue or not.

The Homehub my parents have doesn't like the xbox at all, it goes between strict and moderate. I hate BT homehubs, they're awful!

I don't consider having 2 DHCPs on one network a particularly good idea when one is behind the other. How do you make sure which router assigns IP to which device?

I take it you use HomeHub to connect to WAN and then the TP-Link to share the connection via WiFi and LAN? Would it be possible to use just the HomeHub's DHCP for the entire network and let the TP-Link act just as another switch?

Quote from MadCatX :

I don't consider having 2 DHCPs on one network a particularly good idea when one is behind the other. How do you make sure which router assigns IP to which device?

I take it you use HomeHub to connect to WAN and then the TP-Link to share the connection via WiFi and LAN? Would it be possible to use just the HomeHub's DHCP for the entire network and let the TP-Link act just as another switch?

Not my network - will talk to my Dad about why it's like that tonight.

Quote from mr_x :

Try setting up a DMZ to the Xbox IP, that should show if it's a firewall issue or not.

The Homehub my parents have doesn't like the xbox at all, it goes between strict and moderate. I hate BT homehubs, they're awful!

Tried the DMZ on the HomeHub with no joy.


Never had a problem with the HomeHub before... but then I've never needed to forward ports to play an online game before...

Quote from Jakg :

Tried the DMZ on the HomeHub with no joy.


Never had a problem with the HomeHub before... but then I've never needed to forward ports to play an online game before...

Did you do DMZ on the other router too? Or is that firewall off anyway?

you could just call you're provider to switch it to open, should that not work, just cable the console rather then using wifi, if not... a cheap linksys/netgear router will fix it for you ( almost everyone has a spare one not in use ( i know nobody with the homehub as its exclusively UK and thank god for that

Quote from theirishnoob :

you could just call you're provider to switch it to open, should that not work, just cable the console rather then using wifi, if not... a cheap linksys/netgear router will fix it for you ( almost everyone has a spare one not in use ( i know nobody with the homehub as its exclusively UK and thank god for that

How is the provider going to help?

How is not using WiFi going to help (i'm not on WiFi, but even if I was i'd still be on the same network)?

A new router isn't really an option - it's not "my" network

Quote from mr_x :

Did you do DMZ on the other router too? Or is that firewall off anyway?

Firewall off on both routers, DMZ on the TP Link to the Xbox, but the DMZ on the BT HomeHub doesn't work (it ONLY gives you an incomprehensible list of devices, you can't specify an IP - it's a mix of random names and MAC addresses and I can't find either device on the list).

Quote from Jakg :

How is the provider going to help?

How is not using WiFi going to help (i'm not on WiFi, but even if I was i'd still be on the same network)?

A new router isn't really an option - it's not "my" network

Firewall off on both routers, DMZ on the TP Link to the Xbox, but the DMZ on the BT HomeHub doesn't work (it ONLY gives you an incomprehensible list of devices, you can't specify an IP - it's a mix of random names and MAC addresses and I can't find either device on the list).

Check the xbox settings it should give you network information in there including MAC address. Also have you tried directly connecting it to the homehub just to see what difference it makes if any? It'll help you narrow down the problem.

Quote from mr_x :

Check the xbox settings it should give you network information in there including MAC address

On the HomeHub *somtimes* it's by MAC, other times by the PC's name (i.e. "JakgPC") and other times its a seemingly random number.

Plugged into the HomeHub directly, works fine... will just re-route the cables I think.

Quote from Jakg :

On the HomeHub *somtimes* it's by MAC, other times by the PC's name (i.e. "JakgPC") and other times its a seemingly random number.

Plugged into the HomeHub directly, works fine... will just re-route the cables I think.

Problem is with TP Link router then (from experience, not great routers at all!)

Re-wiring to homehub (as i said above also not great) probably the best idea!

Quote from mr_x :

(from experience, not great routers at all!)

wat
1043ND = Zyxel Keenetic by hardware


Also, Jakg.. are you using stock firmware? If yes, flash to OpenWRT, naow.

Not my hardware to mess with.

Quote from E.Reiljans :

wat
1043ND = Zyxel Keenetic by hardware


Also, Jakg.. are you using stock firmware? If yes, flash to OpenWRT, naow.

The hardware is probably fine, but the firmware is awful... I'm guessing by your comment to Jakg after that you agree.

Quote from mr_x :

The hardware is probably fine, but the firmware is awful... I'm guessing by your comment to Jakg after that you agree.

I can't agree or disagree, cause I haven't used the stock firmware at all. I flash all my routers to OpenWRT as soon as I buy them.
Feels good man. :F