[omer safian]

I’m getting symmetric NAT error messages and not sure what to do, I have no other option for connection due to lack of cable or dsl lines in my flat. I already checked for my ipv4 and ipv6 so kind of stuck on how to move forward.

[David Liao]

Dear Omer,

Thanks for your message. Could you try one of the two suggestions below?

• When a hardwired internet connection is not provided in a flat, ask internet providers whether they can bring a fiber, European vDSL, or cable line into the flat.
• Look for a location that has one of these landline connections, such as a friend’s or neighbor’s home, or a rehearsal studio.

FarPlay requires a connection that supports peer-to-peer connectivity (data are sent directly between participants), and mobile (example: 5G) internet providers outside the United States often prevent peer-to-peer connections.

If you’d still like to try using your 5G connection, try the first step below. If that doesn’t work, try the next, and so on. The first two steps just involve settings that you or the other participant can adjust without help from your internet providers.

1. Turn VPN off at each end, if used.
2. If you only need to connect with one other person at a time (rather than with a group) and the remote participant uses an internet connection with a Public IP (the “Local / remote network status” error message on your screen would say that the remote status is “NAT”, not “Symmetric NAT”), ask that remote person to set up port forwarding on their router.
3. Please ask your internet provider: “Please check whether my internet service includes a Public IP (no CGNAT, not shared with other customers). If not, can I get one? And if not, can you help me enable IPv6 for my internet connection?” Could you share what your internet provider says (or said — I understand you might have asked these questions during your earlier checking)?
4. If one end’s internet provider has already enabled IPv6, ask the internet provider at the other end to turn IPv6 on too. IPv6 helps only if it’s turned on at each end. Note: IPv6 isn’t needed if the two ends already have Public IPs that let them connect.

Thank you,
David Liao

• This reply was modified 3 weeks ago by David Liao.
• This reply was modified 3 weeks ago by David Liao.

[omer safian]

as I said, I already made sure that I have ipv6 and ipv4 enabled and im getting symmetric nat

[David Liao]

Hi Omer,

Thank you for your reply. I understand you have IPv4 and IPv6 enabled 👍. Next, please:

1. Post a screenshot here of the “FarPlay couldn’t establish a connection” message, including the “Local / remote network status” line at the bottom. The position of “Symmetric NAT” in that line tells us which end to troubleshoot.
2. Using your computer, visit whatismyip.com and email a screenshot to support@farplay.io. To protect your privacy, I’ll obscure identifying information before pasting a copy into this forum conversation.
3. Email screenshots of your router’s settings pages that show (a) its internet (WAN) IP addresses and (b) its IPv6 settings, and of the IPv6 settings in your computer’s network settings. IPv6 can be on in one place and off in another (I ran into this problem myself: my internet provider supported IPv6 on my connection but my router had IPv6 unselected, and the other way around can happen too), so these help us find where the connectivity might be breaking.
4. Ask the other participant whether IPv6 is turned on for their internet connection, and tell us what they say. IPv6 helps only if it’s turned on at each end.

Thank you,
David Liao

[David Liao]

Dear Omer,

Many thanks for your screenshots of the Symmetric NAT error message, your whatismyip.com results, and your router information. I’m keeping those screenshots out of this forum conversation to protect your personal information.

I recommend following one of the suggestions below. Each suggestion can fix the connection error on its own, so you can start with whichever is easiest for you.

1. Contact your internet provider and ask them, “Could you please change my internet connection’s IPv4 address from a shared IPv4 address to a non-shared IPv4 address (sometimes called a Public IP, with no CGNAT), meaning an IPv4 address that only my home router, and no other customer’s router, uses? I understand I have an IPv4 address, but a peer-to-peer application I want to use isn’t connecting.” The NAT error message in your screenshot said “Local / remote network status: Symmetric NAT / NAT”. On a mobile internet connection, this status at your end typically appears when your internet provider shares one IPv4 address among several customers’ routers. This kind of shared IPv4 address can block the peer-to-peer connectivity FarPlay requires. Some internet providers who block peer-to-peer connectivity in this way let customers pay a modest monthly fee to use an unshared IPv4 address and so unblock peer-to-peer connectivity. These companies typically market this add-on feature as a “Public IP”, which can be confusing because “Public IP” means something else too in IT/network language. Can you let us know what your internet provider says in reply?
2. Have each remote musician you want to connect with, but can’t, ask their internet provider, “Can you help me make sure IPv6 connectivity is active on my computer’s internet connection?” FarPlay can use IPv6 addresses to connect musicians, and your whatismyip.com screenshot indeed shows that you have an IPv6 address. However, if a musician’s computer doesn’t have its own IPv6 address that computers on the internet can see, IPv6 will not be available for FarPlay to use to connect you with that musician. Can you let us know what their internet providers say?
3. Have each remote musician you want to connect with, but can’t, configure their router and their copy of FarPlay to use forwarded ports. If any of them would like help with this, please let us know their internet provider and router model, and we can provide custom steps.

Thank you,
David Liao

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by David Liao.
• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by David Liao.
• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by David Liao.
• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by David Liao.