Networking

The Networking Guide

If you are experiencing issues with connectivity in-game, such as de-sync and disconnects, it may be worth setting up a port forward to allow the game to communicate more directly with Elite:Dangerous servers. You should only need to follow these steps if you are already experiencing these issues. If your game is working as expected, you do not need to perform these steps.

If you are experiencing issues, however, you will need permission/access to change your home router settings. Specifically, you will need to enable a port forward to allow a direct connection from Frontier servers to your computer on the network. This also requires setting a static DHCP lease or static IP in the router, meaning the local IP address of computer will remain the same, and the port forward will continue to point to your computer.

This page from Frontier does a great job of covering the basics: https://customersupport.frontier.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/4405945325970-Network-Options-Configuration

These steps vary from one router to the next, so try to see if there is a guide for your device here first: https://portforward.com

If you're unable to figure it out, and you have already gained permission from the owner of the network, reach out to CMDR OTACON239 and I can work with you.

TL;DR

• You will need access and permission to change router settings
• Static DHCP lease or Static IP for your computer playing Elite
• First enable Port Forwarding in Elite
  • Main Menu > Options > Network
    • Port Forwarding: On
    • Mapped Port Number: Any option in this list works (as long as it doesn't overlap with another port forward)
  • The game will require a restart after applying
• Port forward settings for your router:
  • Source IP/Port: "Any"/"All" or 1024-65535
  • Destination IP: Your computer's IPv4 address
  • Destination Port: The port chosen in Elite Dangerous
  • Protocol: UDP
  • Make sure to choose the Apply option if there is one, as many routers do not save automatically