6 ms·

How to set up a router's port forwarding for a nintendo switch console

20 points by chha 5y ago

chha 5y ago
"Within the port range, enter the starting port and the ending port to forward. For the Nintendo Switch console, this is ports 1 through 65535." How on earth can someone seriously have this as a requirement?
- u02sgb 5y ago
  The method to choose a static IP is pretty iffy too. "add 20 to your laptop's IP". I suppose all of this will work (and likely generate fewer support calls). I really hope the person that wrote this article wasn't involved in setting up their firewall!
- monocasa 5y ago
  No restrictions on game developers from a network perspective, and if someone is so up shit creek that they're on this page then go nuclear on the router settings to try to avoid a support call?
- Hamuko 5y ago
  Nintendo has never been good with the online stuff so this doesn't surprise me in the least.
  - snitch182 5y ago
    not to say they have been pretty much clueless so far...
- hrrsn 5y ago
  I pity the poor souls who have routers that can only enter one port forward at a time.
8fingerlouie 5y ago
> Within the port range, enter the starting port and the ending port to forward. For the Nintendo Switch console, this is ports 1 through 65535. > Set the protocol as UDP. Yeah, that's gonna be a hard pass from here. no uPnP/NAT-PMP, and despite keeping gaming consoles on their own VLAN they will not have ports opened. pfSense and NextDNS takes care of keeping the devices in check on the inside.
dusted 5y ago
but but.. what about the other services I wanna put on the Internet?
- zinekeller 5y ago
  Don't worry, it's only UDP forwarding! /s
- jeroenhd 5y ago
  You've got a Switch, why would you want to do anything else? You should play more switch games instead, duh!
ageitgey 5y ago
I know this is posted to look shocking, but this isn't something that consumers need to do. This is probably some random old article buried in the support wiki that they don't actually use. I've had a Switch since launch day (~5 years ago) and have played online in numerous locations and with many internet configurations. Nothing about its online services requires port forwarding or any kind of custom network configuration.
- 12ian34 5y ago
  Strange, I couldn't play a game with a friend and after we both did this and only this, it worked.
- Macha 5y ago
  Caveats: This may be required if: * your router does not support upnp * One of the players is behind cgnat
  - cassianoleal 5y ago
    * You have disabled UPnP on your router because it's a horrible security mess.
- AndyJames 5y ago
  It's official support document on Nintendo's official website about their newest console. There's not "posted on" date so it's current. Maybe it's not required but it's recommended by Nintendo which is bad and it would still be bad 5 years ago on lunch of the console. It's not like in 2017 it was OK to open all ports on your router.
12ian34 5y ago
Online play "works" with "just" 45000-65535 open. Probably fewer.
AdmiralAsshat 5y ago
Back in the PS3 days, I had to do some stuff like this when I disabled UPnP on my router. Random games would just bomb out when I tried to connect to their online multiplayer components and throw cryptic error messages. Then I'd spend time googling what ports the specific game was trying to use and opening them up on the router. Luckily I haven't had any such problems with the PS4 so far. UPnP has been off on my router since day 1 of getting it and the PS4 seems fine. I've only had a Switch for a little while (haven't really ventured online yet except to the e-shop); I really hope that's not something I'll have to start doing again.
cassianoleal 5y ago
Also worth mentioning that the Switch doesn't support IPv6 so if you're behind CG-NAT or have more than 1 console on your network (or want other services to use some of those ports), you're out of luck.

20 points by chha 5y ago

chha 5y ago

"Within the port range, enter the starting port and the ending port to forward. For the Nintendo Switch console, this is ports 1 through 65535." How on earth can someone seriously have this as a requirement?

u02sgb 5y ago
The method to choose a static IP is pretty iffy too. "add 20 to your laptop's IP". I suppose all of this will work (and likely generate fewer support calls). I really hope the person that wrote this article wasn't involved in setting up their firewall!
monocasa 5y ago
No restrictions on game developers from a network perspective, and if someone is so up shit creek that they're on this page then go nuclear on the router settings to try to avoid a support call?
Hamuko 5y ago
Nintendo has never been good with the online stuff so this doesn't surprise me in the least.
- snitch182 5y ago
  not to say they have been pretty much clueless so far...
hrrsn 5y ago
I pity the poor souls who have routers that can only enter one port forward at a time.

8fingerlouie 5y ago

> Within the port range, enter the starting port and the ending port to forward. For the Nintendo Switch console, this is ports 1 through 65535. > Set the protocol as UDP. Yeah, that's gonna be a hard pass from here. no uPnP/NAT-PMP, and despite keeping gaming consoles on their own VLAN they will not have ports opened. pfSense and NextDNS takes care of keeping the devices in check on the inside.

dusted 5y ago

but but.. what about the other services I wanna put on the Internet?

zinekeller 5y ago
Don't worry, it's only UDP forwarding! /s
jeroenhd 5y ago
You've got a Switch, why would you want to do anything else? You should play more switch games instead, duh!

ageitgey 5y ago

I know this is posted to look shocking, but this isn't something that consumers need to do. This is probably some random old article buried in the support wiki that they don't actually use. I've had a Switch since launch day (~5 years ago) and have played online in numerous locations and with many internet configurations. Nothing about its online services requires port forwarding or any kind of custom network configuration.

12ian34 5y ago
Strange, I couldn't play a game with a friend and after we both did this and only this, it worked.
Macha 5y ago
Caveats: This may be required if: * your router does not support upnp * One of the players is behind cgnat
- cassianoleal 5y ago
  * You have disabled UPnP on your router because it's a horrible security mess.
AndyJames 5y ago
It's official support document on Nintendo's official website about their newest console. There's not "posted on" date so it's current. Maybe it's not required but it's recommended by Nintendo which is bad and it would still be bad 5 years ago on lunch of the console. It's not like in 2017 it was OK to open all ports on your router.

12ian34 5y ago

Online play "works" with "just" 45000-65535 open. Probably fewer.

AdmiralAsshat 5y ago

Back in the PS3 days, I had to do some stuff like this when I disabled UPnP on my router. Random games would just bomb out when I tried to connect to their online multiplayer components and throw cryptic error messages. Then I'd spend time googling what ports the specific game was trying to use and opening them up on the router. Luckily I haven't had any such problems with the PS4 so far. UPnP has been off on my router since day 1 of getting it and the PS4 seems fine. I've only had a Switch for a little while (haven't really ventured online yet except to the e-shop); I really hope that's not something I'll have to start doing again.

cassianoleal 5y ago

Also worth mentioning that the Switch doesn't support IPv6 so if you're behind CG-NAT or have more than 1 console on your network (or want other services to use some of those ports), you're out of luck.