Forcing Strict NAT Type

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iczerone
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Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by iczerone » Fri May 06, 2022 6:16 pm

Hello,

I am doing some testing on the affects of VPN connections and skill based matchmaking in various online games. One of the vectors I want to test is Strict vs Moderate vs Open. I don't want to mess with my router and affect other devices in the house. I have seen a Strict NAT type after launching a VPN before but after searching everywhere I can not find any information about how to cause it.

Is it possible via the .ovpn files to set up a profile that forces a strict NAT type?

Thanks!

TinCanTech
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by TinCanTech » Fri May 06, 2022 7:48 pm

Moved from: OpenVPN Connect Windows

Search for XY-Problem online..

iczerone
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by iczerone » Fri May 06, 2022 7:52 pm

TinCanTech wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 7:48 pm
Search for XY-Problem online..
This is not helpful.

I have Googled off and on for weeks trying to see if this was possible via open vpn config files. There is a ton of info on how to make it Open but there is nothing about making the connection Strict. There is some proprietary VPN software that is based on OpenVPN that can do it but the devs wont share how they achieve this.

TinCanTech
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by TinCanTech » Fri May 06, 2022 9:49 pm

iczerone wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 7:52 pm
There is some proprietary VPN software that is based on OpenVPN that can do it but the devs wont share how they achieve this
LOL .. who ?

iczerone
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by iczerone » Sat May 07, 2022 3:30 am

It's called SBMMOFF and used to alter skill based matchmaking in some online games by routing the match making traffic only to a VPN location.

I'm not sure its forcing Strict NAT via the VPN profiles but they have Open and Strict servers and once you load up a strict VPN server in-game shows the connection as strict. Maybe its done on the server setup?

TinCanTech
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by TinCanTech » Sat May 07, 2022 7:27 am

This thread is the most "clutching at straws" I've ever seen.

iczerone
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by iczerone » Sat May 07, 2022 1:08 pm

OK, sorry I asked.

You clearly would rather make a person feel bad for even asking. I am clutching at straws and looking for some help to figure out if its possible with openVPN and how if so.

TinCanTech
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by TinCanTech » Sat May 07, 2022 2:12 pm

If I knew anything about what-ever-it-is then maybe I would help but I know nothing .. I am from Barcelona.

I suspect you don't know anything about what-ever-it-is either ..
And what-ever-it-is, it is closed source, so you are really up a certain creek without a certain tool.

And what-ever-it-is and who-ever-they-are, they're obviously making up garbage to confound people ..
a.k.a Marketing bullshit.

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openvpn_inc
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by openvpn_inc » Sun May 08, 2022 12:10 am

Hi icz,

Tin's comment about "XY problem" was very important, and here's why: we still don't know why you need "Strict NAT". I don't even know what the term means! And this is with extensive experience with OpenVPN. What is this "strict NAT", and how do you think it will help you?

More to the point: what is your real-world goal in non-technical terms?

And I think I have an idea: you're seeking an advantage in some sort of online game. Okay.

Back to your original question: no. Whatever "strict NAT" means, no, it is not something that can be forced in an OpenVPN client configuration. In fact nothing about NAT is in an openvpn(8) server configuration. If NAT is being done at all on a server, it is entirely handled within the server OS.

Since the openvpn server does not control NAT, obviously the client cannot do it either.

Re: bovine excrement from marketers, I can't say for sure. The sbmmoff site is very vague about details, so it does have a certain barnyard aroma. BTW if they are providing a proprietary OpenVPN client, they must also provide source code, unless they have purchased a license from OpenVPN, Inc.

hth, regards, rob0
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iczerone
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by iczerone » Tue May 10, 2022 1:06 am

openvpn_inc wrote:
Sun May 08, 2022 12:10 am
Hi icz,

Tin's comment about "XY problem" was very important, and here's why: we still don't know why you need "Strict NAT". I don't even know what the term means! And this is with extensive experience with OpenVPN. What is this "strict NAT", and how do you think it will help you?

More to the point: what is your real-world goal in non-technical terms?

And I think I have an idea: you're seeking an advantage in some sort of online game. Okay.

Back to your original question: no. Whatever "strict NAT" means, no, it is not something that can be forced in an OpenVPN client configuration. In fact nothing about NAT is in an openvpn(8) server configuration. If NAT is being done at all on a server, it is entirely handled within the server OS.

Since the openvpn server does not control NAT, obviously the client cannot do it either.

Re: bovine excrement from marketers, I can't say for sure. The sbmmoff site is very vague about details, so it does have a certain barnyard aroma. BTW if they are providing a proprietary OpenVPN client, they must also provide source code, unless they have purchased a license from OpenVPN, Inc.

hth, regards, rob0
Thank you so much for a reasonable reply. I don’t know why that other guy assumed I didn’t do any research as the first thing he said in an immature way.

You are correct, I am trying to confuse the skill based matchmaking that certain online games uses to make the opponents I am matched with lower skill than I normally get.

There is loads of info about NAT type online which is specifically regarding online games. The NAT type is either Open, Moderate and Strict. Every post I've read is how to change your NAT type from Strict (which is the default for some routers that have UPnP disabled and no forwarded ports) to Open. On a router to get the Nat type to open you forward an array of game ports to your gaming pc or console. The theory is if you have a STRICT NAT type then the games will only match you against other players with an OPEN NAT type. This would theoretically reduce the number of players you can be matched against and thus you have a greater chance of not being matched with players at your skill level. This is helpful in games where you don't want every match to be full of sweaty try hards and want some easier, more enjoyable matches.

Sbmmoff is very vague but it does work. I started poking around in their log files to see what they are doing and how. When I asked some questions to the devs they kicked me from the discord and banned me from using the product. Therefor I want to figure out how to do this on my own.

Could there be some server configuration that does some kind of filtering or the reverse of forwarding the game ports?
Last edited by iczerone on Tue May 10, 2022 1:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

TinCanTech
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by TinCanTech » Tue May 10, 2022 1:19 am

iczerone wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 1:06 am
Thank you so much for a reasonable reply
That's unreasonable.

TinCanTech
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by TinCanTech » Tue May 10, 2022 1:23 am

iczerone wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 1:06 am
The NAT type is either Open, Moderate and Strict
What do you think NAT represents ?

abis9
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Re: Forcing Strict NAT Type

Post by abis9 » Sun Jul 03, 2022 2:49 am

You can achieve this if you are skilled in python and have a custom python script hosted on the vps server however it is not easy as you would also need to heavily modify ubuntu and the kernal, seems like a world of pain for nothing.

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