I am deployed and for some reason I cannot get matched up with an opponent in Online Vs. I tried CHEL and had the same issue.My other games are working for online play.

That message means you’ve been assigned a private IP address by the hotel’s network, which is causing a handshake issue with the game servers.The 172.x.x.x range is reserved for internal networks. Here is a breakdown of what is likely going wrong:1. Strict NAT TypeHotels usually "hide" hundreds of guests behind a single public IP address. This creates a Strict NAT, which acts like a wall. Game servers often can't "see" your specific device through that wall, leading to connection drops or the inability to join matches.2. Port BlockingHotel IT admins often block specific "ports" to save bandwidth or for security. While they allow standard web browsing, they might block the specific ports EA games need to communicate, making it impossible for the game to stay connected.3. Double NATBecause the hotel has its own internal routing (the 172 IP) before it even hits the actual internet, your data is being translated twice. This "Double NAT" often causes games to time out because the data takes too long or gets lost in the internal layers of the hotel's hardware.What can you do?As the forum staff mentioned, they can't change the hotel's hardware settings, but you have a few options:Mobile Hotspot: If you have a decent data plan, using your phone as a hotspot is almost always better for gaming than hotel Wi-Fi. It gives you a much more "direct" connection to the internet.Use a VPN: A VPN can sometimes bypass the hotel's port restrictions by "tunneling" your traffic. However, this might slightly increase your ping (lag).Wired Connection: If the hotel room has an Ethernet port (LAN), try a cable. Sometimes the wired network has fewer restrictions than the guest Wi-Fi.

Thanks Fox. I have tried all of these. Mobile hotspot allowed me to connect to an opponent once, but has stopped working for some reason. But the connection that one time was pretty slow anyway, and the game play was a bit laggy. I do have a VPN with port forwading, but the Xbox would not connect to the interent with it turned on. I'll try to get the exact wording of the error.The hotel does have a wired LAN port, which I am using. With it I am able to play multiplayer on Halo, however, NHL26 still will not find an opponent.

Apologies for all the frustration with this. Unfortunately, I think it'll continue to happen until you can get off the 172 IP. Can you tell me what the NAT setting is? You can see this under the network settings on your console.

Understood. Thanks for all of the tips and tricks Fox!!

Hello. Where are you located? Have you tried alternate DNS settings?

NHL26 Failed to find opponent | EA Forums

35 Replies

FoxHoundTiger
New Veteran
1 month ago
sounds like you've hit the classic "DNS blockade." When the Xbox says it can’t resolve server names, it basically means the connection is there, but the console can't find the "phonebook" of the internet to look up where the Xbox servers are located.
Since you've already enabled Obfuscated Servers and adjusted the MTU, the issue is likely that the DNS requests are getting lost between the hotel network and the VPN tunnel.
Here is the game plan to get this working:
1. Manually Set DNS on the Xbox
This is the most effective fix for "DNS isn't resolving" errors. Instead of letting the console guess, we give it a direct path.
On your Xbox: Go to Settings > General > Network settings > Advanced settings > DNS settings.
Select Manual.
Primary IPv4 DNS: 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).
Secondary IPv4 DNS: 8.8.4.4 or 1.0.0.1.
Save and restart the console.
2. Use NordVPN’s Dedicated DNS
If Google's DNS doesn't cut it, try Nord’s own servers in the Xbox DNS settings:
103.86.96.100
103.86.99.100
3. Switch to OpenVPN (TCP)
Hotels often throttle or block UDP traffic (which VPNs usually use). TCP is more "stealthy" and handles DNS resolution better in restrictive environments.
In the NordVPN app: Go to Settings > Connection.
Change VPN Protocol to OpenVPN (TCP).
Reconnect the VPN and then try the Xbox connection again.
4. Disable "Threat Protection" (CyberSec)
In the NordVPN settings, turn off Threat Protection (or CyberSec). While it’s great for blocking ads, it can act as a secondary firewall that prevents the Xbox from communicating with Microsoft's authentication servers.
5. Verify the "Shared" Adapter
Since you are likely sharing the connection from a PC to the Xbox:
Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
Find the NordVPN TAP or NordLynx adapter.
Right-click Properties > Sharing.
Ensure "Allow other network users to connect..." is checked and the correct output (the cable or Wi-Fi going to the Xbox) is selected.
Quick Tip for the Hotel 172 IP:
That 172.x.x.x IP confirms you are behind a local private network. This often causes a "Double NAT" issue. If the DNS fix above doesn't work, try turning off the "Obfuscated Servers" setting briefly just to see if the DNS resolves then—sometimes Obfuscation adds a layer of encryption that the hotel's 172-gateway simply doesn't know how to route.
Give the manual DNS (8.8.8.8) a shot first—it's usually the winner!
hootiehome
New Rookie
1 month ago
Hello Again Fox.
1. Manually Set DNS on the Xbox
This is one of the first things EA_Aljo had me try. But that was with the LAN cable connected. Tried it here through the laptop with Nord on = no joy.
2. Use NordVPN’s Dedicated DNS
Tried this = no joy.
3. Switch to OpenVPN (TCP)
This seems similar to what we tried in the past, but I tried it again = no joy.
4. Disable "Threat Protection" (CyberSec)
I did not find a setting with this exact title, but everything is turned off. See HF9.
5. Verify the "Shared" Adapter
This was giving me errors when I tried to select it. Am I in the correct area? See HF8.

Also, can you help my troubleshooting brain as to why Halo works so well with online matchmaking, but not NHL26?
FoxHoundTiger
New Veteran
1 month ago
I think the issue is the hotel's network stability. NHL is way more sensitive to jitter and packet loss than games like Halo. I've exhausted all troubleshooting steps, so I'm convinced there’s nothing more that can be done.
I’m sorry about this, but I think the hotel network just can't handle this specific game. I've tried everything on my end, so I believe there's nothing more that can be done.
hootiehome
New Rookie
1 month ago
Understood. Thanks for all of the tips and tricks Fox!!
FoxHoundTiger
New Veteran
1 month ago
And thanks to you

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