What Is NAT type F? And How To Change NAT Type F?

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What Is NAT type F? And How To Change NAT Type F?

There are different aspects that you need to take care of while setting up a connection on your Nintendo Switch. One of them is selecting the NAT-type settings on Nintendo Switch.

NAT, short for Network Access Translation helps with assigning a distinct IP address to all the devices connected to your router.

When you have a single Internet Service Provider for many devices, you will only receive one IP address for each device connected. To split these IP addresses into a distinct one for each device, NAT settings are important.

You will receive different prompts about the NAT type on the Nintendo Switch. We will talk about What is NAT type F and how to change it, in this article.

If you see NAT type F on the Nintendo Switch, it means that the Nintendo Switch is unable to connect to other devices on the network. This will restrict you from playing with other players on the network since your IP is not verified at that point.

Let’s see what might be the issues behind this and how to solve them.


How to solve the NAT type F issue on the Nintendo Switch?


We have established the fact that if you see NAT type F on the Nintendo Switch, this means that your IP Address is not verified for playing with others on the network.

You need to get to the NAT type A status to be able to play online with other players. We will talk about the steps to get to NAT type A.

Fix 1: Remove the Nintendo Switch from the perimeter of the network firewall

A network firewall is an important tool to keep you secure online. However, in some cases, there are issues that stem from the misjudgment of the network firewall.

The official Nintendo Support team also mentions the first solution as removing the Switch from the range of network firewall scan.

You can add the Switch as an exception and the firewall will not interfere with the processes of the Nintendo Switch.


Fix 2: Put the console into DMZ

The Demilitarized Zone is a setting that can help you bypass the router’s security zone in order to function properly.

However, before you try to do this on your router and console, keep in mind that Nintendo Support warns you about the network security being compromised when you do this and it might lead to security breaches on your account.

Here are the steps that you can use to put your console in DMZ.

For the PC or device that you are using

Make note of the following information so that it can be used later. 

  • The IP address
  • The subnet mask
  • Gateway

For the Nintendo Switch

  • Launch the internet settings
  • Click on the IP address settings
  • Select the option for Manual IP address Settings
  • Select the IP address and hold the B button. This will delete the IP address that already exists.
  • Now enter the IP address that we noted in the step above. When you see the last section of the digits, add 20 to it. (if the last digit is 2, add 20, and it becomes 22)
  • Click on OK
  • Now click on Subnet Mask and press the B button again to delete the existing setting for the same.
  • Now enter the new Subnet mask that you noted in the above step.
  • Click on OK
  • Now click on Gateway and click on the B button. This will delete the existing gateway.
  • Enter the gateway that we made note of above.
  • Click on OK.

For the Router

  • Click on the Router settings
  • Find the DMZ setting under the settings for the firewall, security, or Applications and gaming.
  • Enable the DMZ setting
  • Now enter the IP address that you just assigned to the console.
  • Save the settings
  • The DMZ setting will be enabled for your console.

Fix 3: Set up Port Forwarding for Nintendo Switch

Before we mention the steps for this one, you need to keep in mind that Nintendo also offers safety warnings for this step.

You need to take care of your device’s vulnerability and see if this is something you want to do.

Here is how you can do this in easy steps.

For the PC or the device that you are using

On the device that you are using, make note of the 

  • IP address
  • Subnet Mask
  • Gateway

For the Nintendo Switch

  • Launch the Advanced Settings for the Network connection on the console
  • Click on the IP address settings
  • Click on Manual
  • Find the IP address that is added. Hold the B button to erase it.
  • Enter the new IP address as the one that we noted on the PC. also add 20 to the last section of digits.
  • Now click on the Subnet mask and hold the B button to delete the existing entry.
  • Enter the Subnet mask as the one we noted on the PC.
  • Now click on Gateway. Hold the B button to delete the existing gateway.
  • Enter the new gateway as the one we noted on the PC.
  • Click on OK and save the settings

For the PC or device that you are using

  • Launch the Router settings
  • Find the option for Port Forwarding. You will generally find it under the security, or firewall settings.
  • You will be asked the name of the application. Enter Nintendo Switch for your reference.
  • You will now see the port range. You will need to enter the starting and ending ports. Enter 1024 through 65535 for the Nintendo Switch.
  • Now change the protocol to UDP
  • Now you will be asked to enter the IP address. Use the same one that we picked up from the PC.
  • Click on Apply/enable.
  • Now save the changes that you have made.

Fix 4: Contact the Nintendo support team

These solutions are a little technical and could also compromise your safety protocols. If you are confused, it is best to contact the support team and verify your concerns.

They will let you know alternate solutions for the issue if they exist.


To conclude


NAT type F on a Nintendo console is the last level of NAT issues where you will absolutely not be able to connect to the network to join online matches.

We have explained what this issue is and how you can bypass the same. 

Hopefully, this information was useful. Keep following for more technical and gaming updates.

Happy Gaming!!


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Falguni Rana is a technology writer who has expertise in software and hardware troubleshooting. She publishes how-to and troubleshooting guides for different apps, websites, games, and consumer hardware products.