Network 'bore, help!

[chronovore]

My home network connection to teh internetz is a fiber-optic line. NTT provides a modem which connects to the FO line, and then a weird router-like thing called a CTU which manages the actual internet connection, administers IP addresses to clients, and apparently has a firewall. My PC is ethernet connected to that, as is a wireless router (Apple AirPort Extreme /n).

When I connect to Xbox Live, as of last weekend, both Red Dead Redemption and Trenched are telling me I've got a Strict NAT setting on my network, which limits the number of players with whom I can connect.

My Apple wireless router is not running a firewall.

The CTU's firewall settings are set to "Low" which is one above "off"...

What else could be setting Strict NAT settings? And why would it have suddenly changed? I'd never received that message prior to last weekend.

[MCD]

UPnP off? Did you try port forwarding?

How about the usual reboot the router?

[chronovore]

Thanks!

The CTU didn't seem to have a place to assign port forwarding.

I've reset the router, will give RDR a shot tonight to see if it gives the same message.

Is it possible that, upstream from me, the ISP is creating a firewall over which I have no influence?

[chronovore]

UPnP off? Did you try port forwarding?

How about the usual reboot the router?

This, for some reason, did the trick. I feel foolish for not trying the IT-101 solution earlier (you can bet I will next time), but at the same time I was assuming that firewall settings were, you know, something you have to set. How the hell does a router go from having low setting to strict without user intervention?

[Ganhyun]

Some routers seem to do that automatically now if it senses things like attacks.

[chronovore]

This is a fairly complex and generally steadfast piece of equipment, so I'm inclined to believe Ganhyun's assessment. Plus, there was no smell of gas, nor trumpety noise.

[MCD]

It happened to me lots of times and X360 always suggest rebooting or upnp/port forwarding  and since I have upnp on and my ports are all forwarded, rebooting does the job.

[chronovore]

Well, I tip my hat to you, since I was actually wearing a hat today.

I tried to locate the port-forwarding stuff; I did it under my old ISP, but haven't even tried it with this one. Most of the time everything's so screamingly fast I have no complaints.

I was able to get into a fully loaded Free Roam and Free for All matches in Red Dead Redemption this morning, thanks to you. Also, I learned just how fast my RDR reflexes have deteriorated. I felt like a freaking ammunition sponge today. 

[MCD]

UPnP forward ports automatically so it is probably on in your router.

Enjoy the ride.

[chronovore]

Ah, that's news to me. Thanks for that.