How to protect your Xbox from DDoS attacks with ExpressVPN

Written byMichael Pedley

Reviewed byAna Jovanovic

Edited bySam Boyd

October 29, 20265 min read

To help protect your Xbox from distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, connect it to ExpressVPN through a VPN-enabled router or a connection shared from your computer. ExpressVPN masks your home network's public IP address, making it harder for attackers to target your connection and knock you offline.

Can ExpressVPN protect your Xbox from DDoS attacks?

ExpressVPN can help protect your home internet connection from some DDoS attacks. When your Xbox connects through an ExpressVPN server, the online services it communicates with see the VPN server's IP address. This means an attacker who obtains that IP address would target the VPN server instead of your home network. And VPN servers are hosted in data centers with more network capacity and stronger DDoS mitigation capabilities than a home internet connection, making them better equipped to withstand such attacks.

However, this protection has limitations. ExpressVPN can't stop attacks targeting an already-exposed home IP address, Xbox services, or individual game servers. These can still disrupt your gameplay even when you're connected to a VPN.

How to protect your Xbox with ExpressVPN

Xbox consoles don’t support the ExpressVPN app directly, but you can still route your console’s traffic through ExpressVPN. The easiest way is through our VPN-enabled Fortify router.

Because this router has ExpressVPN built in, you don’t have to install any additional apps. Once you've set up the router and configured a VPN connection, you can connect your Xbox via Wi-Fi or Ethernet to route its traffic through ExpressVPN.

You can access the ExpressVPN dashboard anytime to manage your connection, control which devices use the VPN, and change VPN locations as needed.

In the Fortify router's ExpressVPN dashboard, make sure your Xbox is included in an active VPN tunnel and that its status shows Connected. Then connect to online game servers to confirm everything works as expected.

If you don’t have a Fortify router, you may still be able to set up ExpressVPN on other compatible routers, though the exact steps vary depending on the make and model of your device. Alternatively, you can share an ExpressVPN connection from a Windows computer by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot and connecting your Xbox to it.

Protect your Xbox with ExpressVPN

What to do if you suspect a DDoS attack on Xbox

First, check whether the problem is affecting only you or other Xbox players. Visit the Xbox Status page to quickly see whether any services are disrupted, or check the game's social media accounts or website.

If no outages are reported, check whether your home internet connection is working. Try connecting other devices to the internet to determine whether the problem is limited to your Xbox or affects your entire network.

If multiple devices are experiencing connection issues, check whether your internet service provider (ISP) has reported an outage. If there are no known issues and you suspect your home connection is being targeted by a DDoS attack, take the following steps:

1. Disconnect temporarily
   Temporarily disconnect your router or modem from the internet. This may provide temporary relief, but the attack could resume when you reconnect.
2. Contact your ISP
   Contact your ISP and explain what's happening. They may investigate, identify suspicious traffic, and help mitigate the attack.
3. Report the incident
   If another Xbox player threatened you or you suspect they were responsible, use Xbox's built-in reporting system to report their profile. You can also report suspected cybercrime to the relevant authorities, such as the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center in the U.S.
4. Connect to ExpressVPN
   Once your internet connection is working again, connect your Xbox to ExpressVPN through a VPN-enabled router or a shared VPN connection. This can help protect against future attacks.

Will using ExpressVPN affect Xbox ping?

Using ExpressVPN can affect ping. Routing your Xbox traffic through VPN servers adds another step in the network path between your console and the relevant game servers. This may increase ping times, though in some cases, such as when your ISP throttles your internet connection, it can decrease them.

Your experience may also vary depending on other factors, such as the location of the server you connect to and the game server. There are steps you can take to limit the negative impact of VPNs on gaming performance, such as:

• Choose a VPN server in your region or country to help minimize latency. If you know where the game's servers are located, try connecting to a nearby VPN server.
• Try different servers and compare your in-game ping at each one if the game displays it. Choose the location that consistently gives you the lowest ping.
• If possible, use a wired connection by connecting your console directly to your router with an Ethernet cable rather than relying on Wi-Fi.