How to Change NAT Type on PS5 for Black Ops 2

Your PS5 NAT type decides how your console talks to the outside world, and Black Ops 2 leans on peer to peer connections harder than most modern shooters. If your PS5 NAT type reads Strict, matchmaking crawls, voice chat cuts out, and lobbies collapse before the match even loads. Fixing this is not glamorous work, it is router settings, and yes, you have to do it yourself.

PlayStation labels connections as Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3, also called Open, Moderate, and Strict. Open connects to everything, Moderate connects to Open and Moderate, Strict connects only to Open, and if you are Strict talking to another Strict player, you both get silence. That silence is not the game being broken, that is your router doing exactly what you configured it to do.

Checking your current NAT type on PS5

Before touching anything, confirm what you are dealing with, because guessing wastes everyone's time. Go to Settings, select Network, open Connection Status, then run Test Internet Connection. The result shows your NAT type alongside upload and download speeds. Write down your PS5 IP address and MAC address while you are there, since you will need both shortly.

1. Open the Settings menu from the PS5 home screen and select Network to begin the check.
2. Choose Connection Status and run Test Internet Connection to reveal the current NAT type.
3. Record the IPv4 address and MAC address displayed since router configuration requires them later.

The three ways people attempt changing NAT type on PS5, ranked from lazy to committed

There are exactly three real methods, and none of them involve praying to the PlayStation servers. UPnP is the lazy option, port forwarding is the correct option, and connecting directly to the modem is the nuclear option that most people cannot actually use because they own a router for a reason.

UPnP sounds convenient because it auto opens ports for you, but that same convenience is exactly what makes your network less secure, so enjoy the tradeoff you did not know you were making.

UPnP is the fastest route toward open NAT on PS5 without manually specifying ports. Log into your router admin panel through a browser, find the Advanced or Network Application tab, enable UPnP, apply, then restart the router. Run the PS5 connection test again afterward. This usually gets you to Type 2, rarely to Type 1, and that is fine because Type 2 is what actually works.

Method 2: Port forwarding, for people who want it done properly

This is the method actual gamers use, and the one most guides bury under fluff. Assign your PS5 a static local IP first so the forwarded ports do not become useless the next time your router hands out a new address. Then forward the following for Call of Duty titles including Black Ops 2:

Enter these into your router's Port Forwarding section, point them at your PS5's static IP, save, restart the router, then test the connection again. If your NAT type is still stuck, your firewall is probably blocking the same ports you just opened, so check that next.

Method 3: DMZ or direct modem connection, the option nobody with a shared household network should use

Placing your PS5 in the router's DMZ, or connecting it straight to the modem with an ethernet cable, strips away most of the router's protection and typically produces a Type 1 Open NAT. This is the setup with the least hassle and the most exposure. Anyone recommending this without mentioning the security tradeoff is not doing you any favors.

Which NAT type is actually best for PS5 gaming

Type 2 Moderate is the realistic target for almost everyone with a normal home setup, balancing connectivity with the router still doing its job. Type 1 Open gives the smoothest peer to peer performance but leaves the console more vulnerable to unwanted traffic. Type 3 Strict should never be your goal, it exists to remind you something is misconfigured.

• Type 2 Moderate is the practical open target for most home networks and needs no further chasing once achieved.
• Type 1 Open delivers the best matchmaking speed but sacrifices the router's built in filtering.
• Type 3 Strict blocks connections to other Strict and often Moderate players and should be fixed rather than tolerated.

If your ISP uses CGNAT, no amount of port forwarding on PS5 will save you, since the restriction happens before traffic even reaches your router. In that case the fix is a call to your ISP, not another hour in the router settings menu.

Fixing NAT issues specific to Black Ops 2 matchmaking

Black Ops 2's netcode predates most of today's connection standards, so a shaky NAT type for Call of Duty hits this game harder than newer titles with better relay servers. Double check that your router's UPnP setting has not silently reverted after a firmware update, since that happens more often than manufacturers admit. Restart both the router and the PS5 after any change, because half of NAT type frustration online comes from people forgetting this obvious step.

Static IP assignment on your PS5 is the one step nobody skips without regret. Without it, your console's local address can shift, quietly detaching it from any ports you already forwarded, and you get to repeat this entire process for no reason.

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