How to Fix Slow WiFi on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2: NAT Type, DNS, and 5GHz Connection Fixes

Slow WiFi on a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 almost always shows up the same way: game downloads that should take minutes drag on for hours, online matches feel laggy or drop entirely, or the connection test comes back with NAT Type D or F. The good news is that most of these problems share the same handful of root causes — and every fix on this list takes under five minutes.

Step 1: Run the Built-In Connection Test

Before changing anything, get a baseline reading. On your Switch or Switch 2, go to System Settings › Internet › Test Connection. The console will measure your download speed, upload speed, and NAT type, and display any error codes.

Download speed: Nintendo recommends at least 3 Mbps for online play and 5 Mbps for smooth downloads. For the Switch 2’s larger game files, aim for 25 Mbps or higher.
NAT type: Type A is ideal (full peer-to-peer access). Type B works for most games. Types C, D, and F will cause lobby failures, dropped matches, and inability to host.

Screenshot or note these results so you can compare after each fix.

Step 2: Connect to the 5 GHz Band

The original Nintendo Switch supports 802.11ac (WiFi 5) on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The Switch 2 upgrades to WiFi 6 (802.11ax), which delivers significantly faster throughput on 5 GHz. If your Switch is connecting to the 2.4 GHz band, switching to 5 GHz can double or triple your download speed in the same room.

To switch bands: System Settings › Internet › Internet Settings, then select the 5 GHz version of your network (it usually has “5G” in the name). If your router uses Smart Connect — a single SSID for both bands — log into your router admin page and create a separate 5 GHz SSID so you can connect to it explicitly.

Keep the Switch within 15–20 feet of your router for reliable 5 GHz performance. The 5 GHz band has shorter range than 2.4 GHz, so distance matters more.

Step 3: Change Your DNS Servers

Your ISP’s default DNS servers are often slow, adding 30–80 ms of latency to every connection lookup. Switching to Google or Cloudflare DNS cuts that overhead significantly and often resolves slow lobby join times even when raw download speed looks fine.

To change DNS on Switch: System Settings › Internet › Internet Settings › select your network › Change Settings › DNS Settings › Manual.

Google DNS: Primary 8.8.8.8 / Secondary 8.8.4.4
Cloudflare DNS: Primary 1.1.1.1 / Secondary 1.0.0.1

Save the settings and run the connection test again. Many users see NAT type improve one step just from this change.

Step 4: Fix Your NAT Type

NAT Type A or B is required for reliable online multiplayer. If your test shows C, D, or F, your router is blocking the peer-to-peer traffic Nintendo Switch uses for matchmaking and voice.

Enable UPnP (Easiest Fix)

Log into your router admin page (typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Look for UPnP under Advanced, WAN, or NAT settings and enable it. UPnP lets the Switch automatically open the ports it needs. Save and reboot your router, then run the Switch connection test again.

Port Forwarding (If UPnP Doesn’t Help)

If UPnP is already on or doesn’t change the NAT type, set up a static IP for your Switch and forward UDP ports 1–65535 to that IP. Nintendo does not publish a narrow port list; the Switch negotiates dynamic ports, so a full UDP range is the reliable approach. Assign the static IP via your router’s DHCP reservation using the Switch’s MAC address (found under System Settings › Internet › Internet Settings › select network › Status Information).

Step 5: Adjust MTU Settings

The default MTU of 1500 can cause packet fragmentation on some ISP connections, resulting in slow speeds even when signal strength is good. Setting MTU to 1400 reduces the packet size and often eliminates the problem.

To change MTU: System Settings › Internet › Internet Settings › select your network › Change Settings › MTU › set to 1400. Run the connection test to confirm the change helped.

Step 6: Disable IPv6 on Your Router (Switch 2 Specific)

The Switch 2 has documented compatibility issues with IPv6-enabled routers. Multiple users on Nintendo forums report that disabling IPv6 on the router resolved both connection drops and NAT Type F errors on Switch 2. To disable IPv6, log into your router admin page, navigate to the WAN or Internet settings, and look for an IPv6 or “Internet Protocol Version 6” option — set it to Disabled or Off. This does not affect typical home internet usage since virtually all consumer services still use IPv4.

Step 7: Update Switch System Software

Outdated firmware can include wireless driver bugs that cause slow speeds or authentication failures. Go to System Settings › System › System Update to check for and install the latest software. The Switch 2 in particular received several WiFi stability patches in its early firmware versions.

Quick Checklist

Run connection test and record download speed and NAT type
Connect explicitly to the 5 GHz SSID and stay within 15–20 ft of the router
Set DNS to 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare)
Enable UPnP on your router to improve NAT type
Forward UDP ports 1–65535 if UPnP alone doesn’t fix NAT
Lower MTU to 1400 if speeds are still slow
Disable IPv6 on your router if using a Switch 2
Update Switch system software to the latest version

After working through these fixes, run the built-in connection test one more time. If download speed is still below 5 Mbps and you’re seeing it on multiple devices too, the bottleneck is your internet plan — run a full WiFi speed test to confirm. If only the Switch is slow, check out our guide to the best routers for gaming — a router with proper QoS and UPnP support makes a measurable difference for Nintendo online play.