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Troubleshooting

How to Set Up Port Forwarding on Your Router

Port forwarding lets outside traffic reach a device inside your home network — needed for game servers, remote desktop, security cameras and more.

Updated 2026

  1. 1

    Find the device's local IP

    The device you want to forward to needs a fixed local IP. Either set a static IP on the device or create a DHCP reservation in the router for its MAC address.

  2. 2

    Log in to the router

    Open your gateway IP in a browser and sign in with admin credentials.

  3. 3

    Open port forwarding settings

    Look for Port Forwarding, Virtual Server, or NAT in the router menu — the name varies by brand.

  4. 4

    Create the forwarding rule

    Enter the external port (or range), the protocol (TCP/UDP/Both), and the local IP and port of the target device. Save the rule.

  5. 5

    Test the forwarding

    Use a tool like canyouseeme.org to check whether the port is now reachable from the internet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does port forwarding affect security?
Yes — you're opening a direct path from the internet to a device. Only forward ports you need, keep software updated, and use strong passwords on the target device.
What's the difference between TCP and UDP?
TCP is reliable and used by web, email and file transfer. UDP is faster and used by games and video. If unsure, choose Both.