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Routers Port Lists Software Help Center Sitemap Add to cart Add to cart Search Routers List of Routers How To Port Forward How To Find Router IP Address How To Login to Your Router Router Passwords Router Screenshots Double Router Forwarding How to Open a Port How to Check for Open Ports Port Lists List of Ports Port Forward - Games Port Forward - Apps (VNC, Remote Desktop) Port Forward - Internet of Things (SmartHome, MQTT) Port Forward - Media Servers (Plex, Emby, Jellyfin) Port Forward - File Sharing (Torrent, DC++) Port Forward - Security Cameras Port Forward - Gaming Platforms Port Forward - Game Servers (Minecraft, Rust) Port Forward - DVR Port Forward - NAS Port Forward - VOIP Port Forward Games Port Forward Two Xboxes Setup a Static IP Address Game Walkthroughs Software Network Utilities Why Choose Port Forward Product Tour How Network Utilities Works Software Features Software Screenshots Customer Testimonials Help Center Help Center - More links How To Port Forward DHCP Reservation Configuring a Static IP Address How To Login to Your Router Find your router’s IP Address in Windows 11 Find your router’s IP Address in Windows 10 Find your computer’s IP Address in Windows 11 Default router usernames and passwords What’s my External IP Address How to check for open ports How to set up your router How to port forward games NAT Types Defined How to port forward two Xboxes How to port forward Minecraft Server How to use uTorrent Understanding DHCP Sitemap Search Games All Ports Game WalkthroughsSitemap Router Configuration Tools Network Utilities Solutions to Forward Ports Everything You Need to Troubleshoot, Diagnose, and Fix Port Forwarding Issues. Networking Software Router Guides Port Lists Networking Help Center Home Guides How To Forward a Port How To Forward a Port Port Forward Staff July 18, 2017 (Last Updated: November 14, 2022 ) | Reading Time: 7 minutes A port forward is a way of making a computer on your home or business network accessible to computers on the internet, even though they are behind a router or firewall. It is commonly used in gaming, security cameras, home automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Port forwards are setup in your router. A forwarded port is also known as open . After you have forwarded a port you have an open port . The easiest way to forward a port is to use the tools in our Network Utilities software. Port forwarding with Network Utilities : Run Router Detector . Create a permanent IP address either with DHCP reservations or use Static IP Setter . Run PFConfig which logs into your router and configures port forwards automatically. Test that your ports are forwarded correctly with Port Checker . Get Started Now If you are trying to change your NAT Type be sure to read our NAT Types Defined guide. This is the most comprehensive definition of gaming console NAT Types on the internet. Most people get NAT Type Open by using Network Utilities . Understanding Port Forwarding What is port forwarding? Port forwarding is a way of allowing people from the internet to connect to you . A port forward puts a device outside of your router, as if it was directly connected to the internet. This is needed for security cameras, torrenting, and optimal gaming experience. Port forwarding directs your router to send any incoming data from the internet to a specified device on your network. A port forward maps data that is bound to a designated port number to the device or app that you want it to go to. After forwarding a port in your router, incoming data on that port is sent to the destination device that you have chosen. What is a port? In the context of port forwarding, a port has nothing to do with the physical ports on the back of your router. Any device on your network can receive a port forward no matter which physical port it is plugged into, or even over WiFi. A port in port forwarding is simply a number, much like a phone number. You might be asking if it is safe to forward ports on your router. The answer is yes as long as you follow a few simple rules. Never forward ports to a PC that does not have a firewall running. Always make sure that you understand why you are forwarding a port. To learn more about the safety of port forwarding, visit Is Port Forwarding Safe? Port forwarding is a way to make a device on your network accessible from the internet. Port Forwarding with Network Utilities Step 1: Run the Router Detector tool to locate your router on your network and ensure that you only have one router. Step 2: Next, create a permanent IP address for the device that you want to forward ports to. You can either use DHCP reservations in your router or set a static IP address in the device. The Static IP Setter ensures that your PC has a static IP address. This is helpful in diagnosing open port issues because some routers refuse to forward a port to a dynamic IP address. Step 3: The next step is to use PFConfig to forward ports in your router. PFConfig logs into your router and configures it automatically. Step 4: After you have set up port forwarding, it can be useful to check if your ports are forwarded correctly. In the case of forwarding ports to a gaming console or security camera, it is generally easiest to see if you can connect to them. If you are forwarding ports to a PC you can use our Port Checker tool to test if your ports are open. Our Port Checker tool will request an incoming connection from our servers and verify that data is able to make it from our server to your computer. This type of port check guarantees that you have forwarded your ports correctly, opened your firewall as required, and are able to access your network from the internet. Our Port Checker is the only port checker that can test both TCP and UDP ports and give guaranteed results. You can find the Port Checker tool in our Network Utilities software. Other types of port checks done through a web browser are not as thorough and can only report if the router is rejecting incoming requests, and only work with the TCP protocol. Port Forwarding Help If you are new to port forwarding please read our Ultimate Guide To Port Forwarding . We have detailed port forwarding instructions customized for every router. To get started, visit our List of Routers and pick your router from the list. Then follow the steps in the guide and you should have an open port. To learn how to log in to your router visit our Router Login guide. Visit our Networking Help Center to find the answers to your port forwarding and networking questions. Port Forwarding Guides For detailed instructions on how to set up port forwarding in your specific router, visit our List of Routers . Choose your router from the list and then follow the steps in the guide to set up port forwarding. You can also forward ports automatically with Network Utilities . Port Forwarding IoT Devices for Remote Access and Viewing To access your Internet of Things devices from outside your network you need to set up a port forward. More Info Access Your Media Server From Anywhere with Port Forwarding Our detailed guides show you how to port forward your media server so that you can access your media over the internet. More Info Port Forwarding NAS for Remote Access In order to access your Network Attached Storage from outside your network you need to set up a port forward. More Info Port Forwarding to a Game Server Port forwarding for hosting an online game server allows other players to connect to your server. Our guides show you how to forward ports in your router to game servers. More Info Port Forwarding Games Port forwarding is needed for some games in order to improve your network connection. For example, if you want to be the lobby host in Call of Duty you will need to set up port forwarding. Port forwarding can also reduce lag and increase your K/D ratio since it is more likely that your signal gets through before your opponents’ that may not be forwarding ports. Port Forward...