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Port forwarding helps you access the client’s server behind the router or firewalls, NAT or CGNAT. You can open ports and control devices behind any router. This guide explains how to port forward Aol Instant Messenger.
What Ports Does AIM Use?
Historically, AIM clients connected to AOL servers using TCP port 5190 by default for messaging and presence. File transfers and direct connections required additional ports ([turn0search4] [turn0search8]).
- TCP 5190: Core messaging interface (OSCAR protocol).
- UDP 5190: Sometimes used for presence or ancillary tasks.
- Other ports (e.g. TCP 443 or 80) may be used when automatically reconfigured by client settings or corporate NAT ([turn0search2]).
It’s essential to forward exactly what your AIM or Retro AIM setup requires. A classic case reported: “5190 is what AIM client connects to … For file transfers … specify a port in AIM settings” ([turn0search9]).
Requirements to Port Forward Aol Instant Messenger
Just before you begin with the process of port forwarding, make sure you have the following things:
- Downloaded and installed the Aol Instant Messenger server.
- The IP address of your router.
- IP address of your device.
TCP and UDP ports of Aol Instant Messenger for your device as mentioned in the section below.
Step-by-step guide on how to port forward Aol Instant Messenger
Now that you have the above details noted down, you can move to the next stage of Aol Instant Messenger port forwarding:
- On your web browser address bar, type your router’s IP Address/Default Gateway.
- Log in with your router’s credentials (username and password) to view your router’s firmware settings.
- Navigate to the port forwarding section of your router.
- Click on Port Forwarding.
- Enter the IP address of your device in your router in the correct box.
- Put the TCP and UDP ports of the Aol Instant Messenger server in the boxes in your router. The default Aol Instant Messenger port number is 531. And then click the apply button.
- And you’re done. Restart your router to let the changes take effect.
- Once your changes take effect, now you can host a Aol Instant Messenger server and let your friends connect to it as well. To let them connect to it, you need to provide them the hostname you are using, along with the port number. For example, ‘hostname.domain.com:25565’.
Create Forwarding Rules
Example table for forwarding:
| Service | Protocol | External Port | Internal Port | Internal IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIM Messaging (OSCAR) | TCP | 5190 | 5190 | 192.168.1.100 |
| AIM Messaging (OSCAR) | UDP | 5190 (if needed) | 5190 | 192.168.1.100 |
Aol Instant Messenger ports needed to run
To use Aol Instant Messenger online and create a server without any interruptions, you’ll have to allow access to certain ports on your firewall. The default Aol Instant Messenger ports are:
| TCP Port: | 531 |
Router Setup Table
| Step | Setting | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserved Internal IP | 192.168.1.100 |
| 2 | Forward TCP port | 5190 → 5190 |
| 3 | Protocol | TCP (and UDP if enabled) |
| 4 | Rule Name | AIM_Server |
| 5 | External IP used by clients to connect | ISP public IP |
Quickly and safely open ports using PureVPN
Opening a port shouldn’t be complicated. With the Port Forwarding add-on, it’s as simple as 1, 2, and 3!
Ports to forward on devices
Ports to run on PC:
| TCP Port: | 531 |
How to open ports behind CGNAT
What if your ISP performs CGNAT? Most ISPs perform CGNAT (Carrier-grade Network Address Translation) to conserve bandwidth and assign a single IP address to multiple users connected to the same internet network. However, CGNAT makes it difficult for you to open ports on the router.
To get around the CGNAT issue, you can use the Port Forwarding add-on to bypass this problem and port forward routers without hassle.
Here’s more information on how to use PureVPN’s Port Forwarding add-on and bypass CGNAT in a few clicks.
PureVPN’s Port Forwarding Add-on
A secure way to open all ports
To most people, port forwarding is quite a demanding task. For starters, every router has a different console, which often makes it difficult to navigate to specific settings.
Secondly, you won’t always be able to open Aol Instant Messenger ports on your router if your ISP restricts the ports. Yes, you heard that right! ISPs are notorious for blocking ports due to security reasons. If ISP isn’t the reason behind a blocked port, then perhaps it could be your operating system’s firewall.
Well, you can eliminate all these problems on all your desired systems with PureVPN’s Port Forwarding add-on. Through the Port Forwarding add-on, you can allow all ports, disallow all ports, and allow specific ports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Forward TCP port 5190 (and optionally UDP 5190) from your router’s WAN to the internal IP of your AIM server. Assign a static LAN IP first, then configure the forwarding rule. Test connectivity externally. For file transfers, optionally forward additional ports or use client autoconfigure settings. Secure access with firewall rules or VPN tunnels.
Firstly, you need to identify what port the service uses that you want access to. However, in most cases, home routers come with a list of common games and applications. All you have to do is select it from the list and the corresponding ports will be automatically selected.
Yes, it is completely safe to port forward on a PC as long as you have a security firewall or a VPN connection on your computer.
