How to Configure Your Linksys Wireless Router for Port Forwarding

Because most routers have a built-in firewall, it may be necessary to configure port forwarding to gain full access to computer programs and games that require you to connect to a network or peer. Doing so is a straightforward process.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Open a new tab or window in your Internet browser and connect to your Linksys wireless router's admin setup page. Typically, the address is 192.168.1.1. Type your username and password, if necessary.

2. Click the "Applications and Gaming" tab. You may have the choice between single-port forwarding and port-range forwarding. Both are fairly self-explanatory: Single-port forwarding lets you open one port, whereas port-range forwarding can open a range of ports, such as 1000 to 1050. It depends on your application, but most programs will require you to open a range of ports. Applications such as BitTorrent (6881 to 6889) and World of Warcraft (6881 to 6999) are examples of applications using a port range.

3. Click "Port range forward."

4. Enter the first range of numbers in the Start field and the last range of numbers in the End field. Then, using the drop-down menu under Protocol, select "UDP," "TCP" or "Both."

5. Type in the last three digits of your IP address. If you're not sure what your IP address is, press the "Windows" key and "R" to open the Run window. Type "cmd" and hit "Enter" to open the command prompt. Type "ipconfig" and hit "Enter." Your IP address should be listed.

6. Check "Enabled." Scroll down to the bottom of the page and hit "Save Settings." You've successfully configured port forwarding.

Tips & Warnings

• You can typically only enable one IP address at a time for a single port or a port range.

References

• Internet Technology Blog; Port Forwarding in Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router; Siju George