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We will take you through the process of port forwarding your router in detailed steps. By the end of this guide, you will know what ports are, what port forwarding is, preparing your router for port forwarding, simple solutions to forward ports, and much more.
My dear reader! Let’s explore this fantastic technology together.
Ports are like a digital door that enables communication between your device and the vast internet. It helps different applications send and receive information smoothly, ensuring data flows to the right place and the suitable activity. So, the next time you hear “port,” think of it as a door connecting your device to the digital world around you.
Learn more: What is Port Forwarding?
I will not get into the technical terms of port forwarding; instead, I will explain in simpler terms. When someone tries to access a service on your network, like a game server or a web camera feed, their request arrives at your router. With port forwarding in place, your router knows which device or service should receive that request, and it redirects the incoming data to the right door (port) on the suitable device. This is how port forwarding works.
Port forwarding enhances gaming experiences by reducing lag and improving response times. It ensures that game server traffic directly reaches your gaming console or computer, bypassing unnecessary detours.
To let some applications work properly there are certain ports which need to be forwarded. For that you must know the port prior to forwarding them.
If you have understood the process by now and know port forwarding, there are a few things you should consider before configuring your router:
First, it is essential to know that your port forwarding rules would not apply if you assign them to devices which use dynamic IPs. Why? Because if you create a port forwarding rule saying your game server is on a particular IP address, and then your router gives it a new IP, other players cannot connect to it.
To avoid that, you must assign a static IP address to every device you’re trying to port forward to. This can be done through the router’s settings, but if you feel the process might be tiring, you can always subscribe to PureVPN’s Dedicated IP add-on.
Now, you know your static IP, it’s now time to know your public Ip address. It can be found in the IP Lookup Tool when connected to the network.
RELATED: How to Find Your IP Address on Any Device?
Now your port forwarding is set through the router by using a VPN, the next important thing to consider is looking at your computer’s firewall settings. Mind you, we encountered many frustrated users asking about port forwarding not working for them while writing this article.
For their solution we have carefully crafted the guide covering all the problems commonly faced while forwarding ports.
RELATED: Common port forwarding problems and fixes
Now your device is assigned with a static IP address and you know your public IP address. You can access your router and set up port forwarding. The process will vary slightly depending on the brand of router you’re using.
Learn how to find your router’s IP address
The problem with most of us is that we are too lazy to perform such manual processes, also some of us are non-techy and do not understand simple configurations. Is there a solution?
The Port forwarding add-on by PureVPN is the answer. Opening ports become simple even for a common Internet presence like you and me.Eeither it could be PC, Xbox, PS5, or anything else for any purpose you can port forward in just 3 easy steps:
Different routers may have varying configurations, but they function the same way. You can find detailed guides about most of the routers here. Some of the routers are port forwarded through cascading. Here’s how you port forward cascading routers:
To port forward on Google Nest WiFi, connect an additional router to your main Nest WiFi router. Access the settings of the other router by entering its IP address in a web browser.
Look for the port forwarding section and create a new rule, providing the name, internal IP address of the device to which you want to forward the ports, and the specific port or range. Save the settings, and you’re done! Remember, the additional router handles the port forwarding, not the Nest WiFi itself.
Not sure about the manual way? Check this guide.
Apple routers such as AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule have different processes to configure ports. You can find the detailed guide here.
You need a dedicated IP to host servers on your network, allow incoming requests from your friends or co-workers, or get your IP allowed to an external server. You can only open ports on multiple routers with our add-on without getting a dedicated IP.
Get Dedicated IP + Port Forwarding
UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is a networking protocol that helps devices on a local network automatically discover and configure themselves. When we talk about port forwarding, UPnP allows better port forwarding compatibility without much manual effort. Here’s why:
Source: AVG
Source: HkCert
What do you get with UPnP on your device?
DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a feature in routers that allows you to designate a specific device on your network to be exposed directly to the internet. In port forwarding, DMZ routes incoming traffic on particular ports directly to the selected device without the need for manual port forwarding configurations. Here’s how:
Source: Google
Source: IUVO
Security concerns
It is important to note that placing a device in the DMZ exposes it directly to the internet, bypassing the protective measures of your router’s firewall. This increases the device’s vulnerability to potential security risks, so it’s crucial to ensure the device has its security measures in place, such as updated software and strong passwords, and, most importantly, a reliable VPN.
Port forwarding and port triggering are two different concepts. Both are used to address the same problems but in other vicinity. While port starting dynamically opens ports based on outbound traffic, port forwarding sets up static rules to permanently open specific ports. Port forwarding resolves certain limitations of port beginning in the following ways:
Port forwarding is your solution to many problems but can expose you to certain risks such as cyber threats, including DDoS attacks, and phishing. Also, you are vulnerable to many malicious threats when opening ports. Here are some of the tips to follow to keep risks at side.
Port forwarding your router can be an excellent choice to explore fast gaming experience, better video calls, easy remote access and much more. So, if you have not experienced the technique yet, you should once, and there will be no coming back. It is also very important to be cautious while forwarding ports and use the best security tools as a backup.
Port forwarding typically requires a router’s access for it to work. But if you want to do it automatically, one easy way is to use PureVPN, which allows you to port forward without your router’s setup page. Here’s how:
Launch the PureVPN app.
Choose the Port Forwarding option.
Select which ports to enable.
Enter the ports that you wish to open.
Click the Apply button.
Here’ how you can port forward on Windows network connections:
Open the Windows Start menu and search for “Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.” Open the application.
In the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security window, click on “Inbound Rules” in the left pane.
Click on “New Rule” in the right pane to create a new inbound rule.
Select “Port” as the rule type and click “Next.”
Choose whether to apply the rule to TCP or UDP traffic and specify the specific port number(s) you want to forward. Click “Next.”
Select “Allow the connection” and click “Next.”
Choose when the rule should apply (domain, private, public networks). You can typically select all options for port forwarding purposes. Click “Next.”
Provide a name and optional description for the rule, then click “Finish” to create the rule.
Repeat the process for any additional ports or protocols you want to forward.
The process is the same as mentioned above in the guide. However, for a hassle -free process , use PureVPN.
To set up port forwarding on your Asus router, all you have to do is follow the steps mentioned in this guide on how to port forward on Asus.
If you want to set up port forwarding on your Belkin router, follow the steps mentioned in this guide on how to port forward on Belkin.
To set up port forwarding on your TP-Link router, all you have to do is follow the steps mentioned in this guide on how to port forward on TP-Link.
To set up port forwarding on the Netgear router, follow the steps mentioned in this guide to port forward on Netgear.