You may need to forward ports in your router when you use Nintendo Switch Online. A port forward allows incoming connection requests from the internet to go straight to Nintendo Switch Online.
By default routers do not allow incoming network requests. By forwarding a port you can overcome this limitation.
Before Forwarding a Port Checkoff This To Do List
Before forwarding a port make sure that you know these things:
- Your router's IP address.
- Your computer's internal IP address.
- The TCP and UDP ports that need to be forwarded.
Use a VPN Instead
Have you considered using a VPN instead of forwarding a port? For most users, a VPN is a much simpler and more secure choice than forwarding a port.
We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes forwarding a port no longer necessary for most applications. With NordVPN Meshnet, you can connect to your devices from anywhere in the world, completely secure, over a highly encrypted VPN tunnel.
When shopping for a VPN, make sure that they meet the following criteria:
- Your VPN provider should have a no-logs policy. This means that they do not keep any logs of any kind.
- Make sure that your VPN provider has lots of exit nodes all around the world.
- Check that your VPN will not affect your speed.
- Verify that your VPN provider uses WireGuard as the underlying protocol.
- Many people prefer a VPN provider that is not based in the United States.
This is the list of requirements that we used when we were shopping around for a VPN provider. There are lots of free, shady VPN providers out there that we looked at and dismissed.
Based in Panama, using diskless servers, and with over 6,100 servers in 61 countries, we can safely say that NordVPN satisfies all of these requirements.
Once you've set up your NordVPN account on multiple computers and enabled Meshnet, you can seamlessly access all of your devices as if they were on the same network. You don't even have to log in to your router. It's very simple.
Every time you click on one of our affiliate links, such as NordVPN, we get a little kickback for introducing you to the service. Think of us as your VPN wingman.
Find Your Router's IP Address
To find your router's IP address the easy way you can use our free Router Detector software. Our Router Detector tool is free to use and is part of our Network Utilities software.
Otherwise, you can follow our guide Find Your Router IP Address.
Setting Up a Port Forward for Nintendo Switch Online
The easiest way to forward your ports is to use our Network Utilities software. Our Network Utilities software allows you to add port forwards and also remove them when you no longer need them to maximize your network security.
You can also choose to set up port forwards manually. The normal process for forwarding a port is:
- Log in to your router.
- Find the port forwarding section in your router.
- Type your computer's IP address into the correct box in your router.
- Put the TCP and UDP ports that you are forwarding for Nintendo Switch Online in the correct boxes in your router.
You probably will need to reboot your router for the changes to take effect.
You can choose your router from our list to see exactly how to forward ports for Nintendo Switch Online:
List of Routers - Customized for Nintendo Switch Online
Setting Up a Port Forward for Nintendo Switch Online
The incoming ports that need to be forwarded for Nintendo Switch Online are:
Nintendo Switch Online - Switch
- TCP: 6667, 12400, 28910, 29900, 29901, 29920
- UDP: 1024-65535
Those are the steps for forwarding ports in your router for Nintendo Switch Online.
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