If your NETGEAR or Orbi router is connected to an Internet service provider (ISP) gateway or another router, and you are having network problems, your network might be set up to perform double network address translation (NAT). For more information, see What is double NAT and why is it bad?
If you connected another router to your ISP gateway or main router to improve WiFi coverage or add more LAN ports to your home network, you might want to consider other solutions. If you have a particular area where you want to improve WiFi coverage, a WiFi extender is a better choice. If you want to improve WiFi coverage throughout your entire home, a mesh WiFi system is ideal. If you simply want to add more LAN ports to your existing router, an affordable unmanaged Ethernet switch is appropriate.
There are multiple ways to fix double NAT issues with your network. Your options depend on whether your NETGEAR or Orbi router is connected to an ISP gateway or to another router.
- ISP gateway
- Another router
To fix network problems with your NETGEAR or Orbi router when it is connected to an ISP gateway:
If your NETGEAR or Orbi router is connected to an ISP gateway, you can resolve double NAT issues by putting your ISP gateway in bridge mode or turning the gateway’s WiFi off and putting your NETGEAR or Orbi router in access point (AP) mode.
We recommend that you put your ISP gateway in bridge mode for best network performance. If you can’t put it in bridge mode, you must turn its WiFi off and put your NETGEAR or Orbi router in AP mode. Some router features are disabled in AP mode.
For more information, see the following articles:
The following diagrams show a home network with an ISP gateway before and after fixing double NAT:
Before
| (A) - Internet | (B) - ISP gateway | (C) - NETGEAR router |
| (1) - Gateway NAT | (2) - Router NAT |
After
| (A) - Internet | (B) - Bridge mode ISP gateway | (C) - NETGEAR router |
To fix network problems with your NETGEAR or Orbi router when it is connected to another router:
If your NETGEAR or Orbi router is connected to another router, you can resolve double NAT issues by removing the first router from your network, putting the first router in bridge mode, or putting your NETGEAR or Orbi router in access point (AP) mode.
We recommend that you remove the first router for best network performance. If you can’t remove the first router, check its capabilities to see if it supports bridge mode. Most NETGEAR and Orbi routers support bridge mode, but routers from other brands might not. If you can’t remove the first router or put it in bridge mode, you must put your NETGEAR or Orbi router in AP mode. Some router features are disabled in AP mode.
For more information, see the following articles:
The following diagrams show a home network with multiple routers before and after fixing double NAT:
Before
| (A) - Internet | (B) - Modem | (C) - Other router | (D) - NETGEAR router |
| | (1) - Router NAT | (2) - Router NAT |
After
| (A) - Internet | (B) - Modem | (C) - NETGEAR router |
Last Updated:01/26/2022 | Article ID: 30187
FAQs
If your NETGEAR or Orbi router is connected to another router, you can resolve double NAT issues by removing the first router from your network, putting the first router in bridge mode, or putting your NETGEAR or Orbi router in access point (AP) mode.
How to fix double NAT with one router? ›
If your ISP-provided router is combined with the ISP's modem in a single device, enable bridge mode on your modem/router combo to fix the Double NAT issue. When you enable bridge mode on your ISP router, it'll turn off its NAT and allow your Wifi device to be the sole device that performs NAT.
Does AP mode fix double NAT? ›
How to Fix Double NAT via Your Router. Don't worry if your router doesn't support the Bridge Mode. You can still fix the Double NAT problem by making your non-ISP router an Access Point. The Access Point functionality will work in the same manner, removing the router's NAT functionality.
Can I connect my Orbi router to another router? ›
The short answer is yes, of course it can. You would need one ORBI base - and one or more ORBI satellites. The ORBI base would be re-configured to be a simple WIFI access point (AP) which would disable DHCP - and then connect this ORBI base via ethernet to your current WIFI or other router.
How to know if double NAT? ›
To detect Double NAT on a network, log into a router and look up the IP address of its WAN port. If you see an address in it means that the device the router's WAN port connects to is doing NAT, and hence, you're dealing with double NAT.
How do I get rid of double NAT on my Netgear router? ›
If your NETGEAR or Orbi router is connected to another router, you can resolve double NAT issues by removing the first router from your network, putting the first router in bridge mode, or putting your NETGEAR or Orbi router in access point (AP) mode.
How do I disable NAT on my second router? ›
You can't actually 'disable' NAT; it's a feature you either use or don't use. The most common reason for asking this question is that users want their public (routable) IP address to be allocated to a client PC (or other device) behind the router rather than that device having a private (NAT) IP address.
Does Orbi work with any router? ›
Only Orbi Voice and Orbi Outdoor Satellite in extender mode can be used with non-Orbi routers. To expand your WiFi coverage using a non-Orbi router, we recommend using an Orbi Voice, an Orbi Outdoor Satellite, or one of our many WiFi range extenders.
Can you daisy chain Orbi routers? ›
You can now “daisy chain” your Orbi satellites together, to easily extend the WiFi coverage of your Orbi Mesh System range.
Does Orbi router have to connect directly to modem? ›
The Orbi router typically doesn't have a built-in modem. If you're using a separate modem, you can connect it to the Orbi router via Ethernet.
Double NAT, then, is when you have two routers and the IP address conversion occurs twice. It's not always a bad thing, but it can cause connectivity issues when trying to communicate with devices outside of the network.
How do I check my NAT mode? ›
To check your NAT type in Windows 10, you can follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
- Type "cmd" (without quote) and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
- Type "ipconfig" and press Enter to display your network information.
IP Passthrough contributes to more efficient resource utilization within the network. By eliminating the need for double NAT translation, it streamlines the data flow, reducing latency and optimizing bandwidth usage.
How do I get my NAT type 2 off? ›
How do I change my NAT type to open?
- Open your web browser and type your IP address into the address bar.
- Fill in your login info.
- Look for UPnP settings (usually goes under Settings / Advanced Settings / Network Settings).
- Enable UPnP, reset the router, and restart your device.
You can fix your NAT type by heading into Settings, Network Settings, or Advanced Settings on your router and enabling UPnP. You'll then need to reset your router and device to ensure the changes are made.
Why does my Xbox say double NAT detected? ›
If you use both a router and a gateway, both devices may be performing NAT. If both devices are performing NAT, this can generate a Double NAT detected error and you may have trouble hosting or joining multiplayer games and parties, or hearing other players. Putting your gateway into bridge mode can correct this.
Why is double NAT not good? ›
Because NAT is performed by each router or gateway, your network is split into two different private networks. The devices connected to one private network might have communication problems with the devices connected to the other private network, and you might experience problems with: Online games. VPN connections.
