Okay, here’s my take on the Destiny 2 error code CAT issue, blog-style!
Alright folks, let’s talk about that dreaded “Destiny 2 error code CAT.” Yeah, that one. It’s popped up for me more times than I care to admit, and it’s always at the WORST possible moment – usually when I’m about to clutch a Gambit round or finally down a raid boss.
So, what is it? Basically, it means your connection to Bungie’s servers took a nosedive. Could be on your end, could be on theirs. The fun part is figuring out WHICH one it is. Here’s what I did, step-by-step, to try and wrestle this beast.
- First things first: The Obvious Stuff. I know, I know, you’ve probably already done this. But did you really do it? I’m talking power cycling everything. Unplugged my modem, my router, my console (PS5, in my case), waited a full minute, and then plugged ’em back in, one by one. Router first, then console. Made sure all the lights came back on nice and happy.
- Internet Speed Check. After the reboot, I hopped onto my laptop and ran a speed test. Made sure I was getting close to what I’m paying for. Sometimes, my ISP just has a bad day, and that’s the culprit. If the speeds were way off, I gave ’em a call (after yelling at the router a bit, of course).
- Wired vs. Wireless. I’m usually on Wi-Fi because, let’s be honest, who wants cables snaking everywhere? But when the CAT error rears its ugly head, I bite the bullet and plug in an Ethernet cable directly to my console. Wired connection is almost always more stable. If the CAT error went away with the wired connection, then I knew my Wi-Fi was the problem.
- Router Settings Shenanigans. This is where it gets a little hairy. Logged into my router (usually by typing something like 192.168.1.1 into my browser – check your router’s manual for the correct address). Then I started digging around for things like:
- UPnP (Universal Plug and Play): Made sure this was enabled. Destiny 2 seems to like it.
- NAT Type: Aiming for “Open” NAT type if possible. “Moderate” might be okay, but “Strict” is almost guaranteed to cause problems. Had to Google my router model and “how to change NAT type” to figure out how to do this. It’s different for every router.
- Firewall: Temporarily disabled the firewall to see if that was the issue. If it fixed the CAT error, then I knew I needed to add exceptions for Destiny 2 to the firewall. (Important: Re-enable your firewall after testing! Don’t leave your network exposed).
- Other Devices. Sometimes, the problem isn’t Destiny, it’s just too much stuff hogging the bandwidth. I made sure nobody else in the house was streaming 4K videos or downloading massive files while I was trying to play.
- Bungie’s Server Status. Before I went completely insane, I checked Bungie’s Twitter (or whatever they’re calling it now) and their help forums. Sometimes, it’s just a server-side issue, and there’s nothing you can do but wait. Sucks, but at least you know you’re not alone.
The Outcome?
Honestly, sometimes it’s a combination of things. More often than not, power cycling everything fixes it. Other times, it was my ISP having a bad day. And once, it actually WAS Bungie’s servers. The wired connection definitely helped narrow things down a few times. Messing with the router settings can be intimidating, but it’s worth learning a little bit about it.
Hope this helps some of you out there! Good luck, Guardians, and may your connections be stable!
