Question: I keep getting disconnected or ending up in empty lobbies in Max Payne 3 when I am trying to play Multiplayer.  Sometimes it freezes on going into a game for everyone in the session.  Other times I have a hard time getting in because it says "Game Services Unavailable. Please Try Again Later." How do I avoid this?  When I play, other players' life bars go all the way down but they don't die, and they seem to warp around a lot.  But from the perspective of all the other players, I'm the one who appears to be glitching. 

Answer: This is often related to some connection types conflicting with other players.  Some of the affected have had success by changing their NAT setting to OPEN or connecting the console directly to their modems using a wired connection, bypassing the router entirely.  

Note: In Max Payne 3 you can see your NAT Type in the lower left corner of the Multiplayer lobby Interface.
 
Xbox 360: 
The problem you describe may be related to your connection settings conflicting with other players. You can test your connection through the following option in the dashboard:

• My Xbox > System Settings > Network Settings > Test Xbox LIVE Connection
• Selecting "more info" after the test has completed will tell you if you have open, moderate or strict NAT type:

• OPEN; Can play games with any other NAT type.
• MODERATE; Can play games with open or moderate NAT types.
• STRICT; Can only play against open NAT types.

If you have moderate or strict NAT, the problem you describe is most likely caused by a conflict with another player using an incompatible NAT type. Consult your network hardware manual to set up an open NAT for your 360 and you will no longer see this problem.

PS3: 
The problem you describe may be related to your connection settings conflicting with other players. You can test your connection through the following option in the XMB:

• Settings > Network Settings > Internet Connection Test
• This will inform you of your NAT type:

• Type 1; The most open of NAT types: connected directly to the internet without a router.
• Type 2; Similar connectivity as Type 1, except connected to the internet via a router.
• Type 3; The least open of the NAT types.

If you have a less open NAT type, the problem you describe is most likely caused by a conflict with another player using an incompatible NAT type. Consult your network hardware manual to set up a more open NAT type for your PS3 and you should no longer see this problem.

PS3, 360, PC:

Some players have found the following website useful for configuring ports with a static IP to attain a more open NAT type with many different router models:

portforward.com

PC Ports: The ports to open are:

Matchmaking: UDP port 27900

NAT negotiation: UDP port 27901

Activation: Port 443

http://portforward.com/

Other ports to open if still having issues -- may not be needed:

• 6667
• 3783 
• 27900 
• 28900 
• 29900 
• 29901 
• 13139 
• 6515 
• 6500 

Also try:

1. Make sure your router's firmware is upgraded the latest version (very important). 

2. Unplug your router for 10 minutes and plug it back in. Some older routers degrade in performance over time until it is rebooted, similar to a PC. 

3. Disable any firewall or other network filtering for the game. 

4. Enable or disable uPnP (universal plug and play) on your router or the console settings.. 

5. If you don't care about security, enable DMZ (de-militarized zone) on your router for your PC's address. This turns off all of your router's firewall features for that specific PC. 

6. Contact your ISP and ask them what your DNS settings should be.

7. If you have a combination modem/router unit or ADSL, try setting the unit to "Bridge Mode" to bypass the router part of the hardware.  If this fixes the issue, then you may be able to connect a second router betwen the combination unit and the console to dial the PPPoE connection.

8. Max Payne 3 uses some Gamespy features. For further tips, please see: http://www.gamespyarcade.com/support/firewalls.shtml

9. If you use an ADSL connection, see if dialing a PPPoEconnection from the console or computer improves the NAT Type.  Contact your hardware manufacturer manual or ISP for detailed instructions.

10. Try flushing your DNS cache in case it has become corrupted.

• Click the Microsoft Vista Start logo in the bottom left corner of the screen
• Click All Programs
• Click Accessories
• RIGHT-click on Command Prompt
• Select Run As Administrator
• In the command window type the following and then hit enter: ipconfig /flushdns

You will see the following confirmation:

Windows IP Configuration Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

11. Make sure Windows root certificates are up to date.  For some versions of Windows, such as XP, this may require downloads from support.microsoft.com.  For others, it may be included in regular Windows updates, so we recommend downloading all available Windows updates.