Making Tech Headlines · Page 6
NAT Type Gives Your Gaming Connection a Score Before You Play
· New York time
NAT type is a network setting that console players may encounter in a menu or an online gaming alert. It concerns how connections are handled, and can matter when players try to connect with one another for multiplayer games. The label can be confusing because it appears alongside the entertainment rather than the home networking equipment that helps make the entertainment possible. A player may be ready to join friends and suddenly find that the first opponent is a setting on the router. Understanding the label gives a user a starting point for investigating connection difficulties. It does not say anything about the player's ability, and it is not a reason to change settings at random. The relevant question is how the network and the game handle connections, not whether a menu has awarded a flattering grade. This is a distinctive achievement of online play: a pastime designed to put people together can begin with each household inspecting the machinery that keeps its network separate. The game promises a match with friends, while the router requests an administrative pregame. At least the setting cannot complain about the player's tactics.
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