[Kango]

Post over at @ Programminghelp

Open up your Xbox Live ports!

Most broadband routers use Network Address Translation (NAT). Windows Internet Connection Sharing also uses NAT.

For most networking hardware that uses NAT, forwarding a network port from one network node to another network node (usually known as port forwarding or tunneling) is not required for your Xbox console to connect to Xbox LIVE. This is especially true if you use an Xbox LIVE-certified device. Port forwarding should only be necessary if you use a proxy server or a true firewall device instead of, or in addition to, NAT. Sometimes, you may have to configure port settings on a non-Xbox LIVE-certified router or gateway.

If there is a firewall device between the Xbox console and the networking hardware, you may have to configure the firewall to enable communication on specific network ports. If the NAT status in the Network Status area of the Dashboard is "moderate" or "strict," you may have to configure port settings.

The following ports must be available for Xbox LIVE to operate correctly:

• UDP 88
• UDP 3074
• TCP 3074

[CalcProgrammer1]

A lot of home routers have built in firewalls. Since your average "router" (technically a gateway) consists of a wireless AP, an Ethernet switch, a DHCP server, a router, some other stuff, and possibly a firewall (usually all these things are software implementations, but still, it does all of those), you usually have to forward the ports on your router. I hate that I'm the only one who knows how to forward ports, because my friend is trying to join my party and he gets dropped because of a strict NAT and I have to go over to his house at 10:00 at night just to fix his stupid router so we can play.

[Kango]

You should set your friends Xbox to static IP then create port forwards for him. If his XBOX is DHCP it will grab new ips on the NAT. The the forwards wont work.

[CalcProgrammer1]

We tried that, but he must've plugged it in differently or something. His parents may have reset the router because it had default SSID and password last time I had to change it. He unplugs his 360 and takes it upstairs a lot and uses a WiFi adapter sometimes.