How to Configure Port Forwarding

Port forwarding can help in getting network-enabled applications, such as online games or chat services that would be otherwise inoperable, up and running. This document contains information specific to Linksys routers but the steps are largely the same. If you have questions that are not answered in this document, we recommend you look in the manual that came with your router.

This article will show you how to set up port forwarding on your router.

Before you begin:

You will need to know the port number required by the application. To get this information, contact the application vendor or look at the documentation included with the program.

You will need to know the IP Address of the computer to forward the port to. To find this, first power on the computer you will use and go to Start » All Programs » Accessories » Command Prompt. When it opens, type in "ipconfig" and use the IP Address or IPv4 Address.

Here's how to set up Port Forwarding:

1. Click on the Start button and choose All Programs.
2. Locate and open the Internet Explorer application from the All Programs menu.
3. In the address bar located at the top of the screen, erase whatever address is in the bar and replace it with "192.168.1.1" without the quotes. Note that some routers use the address "192.168.0.1", so if it does not work right away, try the second option. Consult your router documentation.
   
   
   
   
   
4. When prompted for a username and password, enter "admin" without the quotes for both the username and the password.
   
   Note that some routers differ in their default username and password, check the manual that came with your router for more information on the default username and password.
5. Once logged in, choose the Applications & Gaming tab seen highlighted in the figure below.
   Note that some routers may have these settings on the Firewall or Port Forwarding tab.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Enter the name of the application into the Application field. This is the program for which you want to forward the ports.
7. Enter the Start and End port range for the program. This information should come from the program's documentation.
8. Choose the protocol that should be used for the application; TCP, UDP, or Both. Most of the time Both is fine. Consult the application documentation for more details.
9. Enter the IP Address for the PC that is running the application. You can find this information in the Network Settings for your PC.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Place a check in the box to Enable the forwarding. This gives you the ability to set up several applications and turn them on and off without having to reenter the settings all over again.
11. Click on Save Settings or Apply along the bottom.

That's it! Your ports are now forwarded and you will be able to use the respective applications as normal.