How to Disable a Wireless Router Firewall

A "firewall" can be anything that isolates wireless clients from the outside world. Since the wireless router has only a single IP address and the wireless clients can't be directly connected to it using a process called Network Address Translation (or NAT), the wireless router itself can be referred to as a firewall. Many wireless routers also have application-specific or port-specific firewalling capabilities which can also be referred to as a firewall.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Wireless router

Disable a Wireless Router Firewall Using Windows

1. Disable router firewalls by logging in to the administration interface of your router and looking for a firewall section. The administration interfaces differ depending on the manufacturer and model, so your wireless router might not have a firewall section. If it does, click on that section and turn off the firewall.
2. Forward a port. If the firewall is preventing an external computer from connecting to your internal client, you will need to forward a port to your client.
3. Find your internal IP address.
4. Click on "Start -> Run..." and enter "cmd" into the box. When the command-line pops up, enter "ipconfig" and hit "Enter." Find your IP address in the statistics that are printed out.
5. Refer to your software's documentation to find which port number must be forwarded.
6. Log in to your router's administration interface.
7. Click on "Port Forwarding" or an equivalently named section. The name of the section will differ depending on your router's manufacturer and model.
8. Add, on the correct port, a forward to your IP address. You will have to update this port forward in the future if your IP address changes. If your IP address changes often, ask your network administrator for a static IP address.

Set Up a DMZ

9. Set up a DMZ. A DMZ simply forwards every port to a single client. However, this is generally regarded as a dangerous thing to do from a security perspective, so make sure you have a software firewall as well before attempting this.
10. Find your IP address.
11. Log in to your router's administration interface, using your password and username.
12. Select "Advanced -> Security" from the main menus. For some routers, you will need to use the "WAN Setup Options" page or "Rules" options instead.
13. Check the "Default DMZ Server" box, if applicable (this varies from router to router) and enter the server's IP address.
14. Click "Apply."

Tips & Warnings

• If you're having trouble getting an application to work because of firewalls, first make sure it's not a client firewall that's interfering. Disable your Windows or third-party firewall and try the application again. If it fixes the application, refer to your firewall software documentation for further instructions.
• Once you diagnose the problem, try turning the firewall back on. Leaving firewalls off puts your computers at risk!

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