Port Forwarding

Port forwarding directs external traffic through a router to a specific machine on the local network.

Port forwarding opens a hole in your router's firewall. Only forward what you need.

Port forwarding allows external traffic to reach specific devices on your home network. This is essential for hosting services that others can access from the internet.

Look in router admin panel for:

• Port Forwarding
• Port Range Forwarding
• Virtual Servers
• Port Mapping
• NAT / Port Forwarding

Required fields:

• Service name: Label for your reference (e.g., “web server”)
• External port: Port internet traffic arrives on (e.g., 80, 443)
• Internal port: Port on your server (usually same as external)
• Internal IP: Your server's static IP (e.g., 192.168.1.50)
• Protocol: TCP, UDP, or Both (web services use TCP)
• Enable: Turn on the rule

Common ports for web services:

• HTTP: 80
• HTTPS: 443
• SSH: 22 (consider changing to non-standard port)
• DNS: 53

1. Click Save, Apply, or Enable
2. May need to restart router
3. Test connection after restart

For a web server:

• Service name: web server
• External port: 80
• Internal port: 80
• Internal IP: 192.168.1.50
• Protocol: TCP

Rule not working:

• Verify static IP hasn't changed
• Check firewall on server
• Confirm service is running
• Test with different port

Port already in use:

• Another service may be using the port
• Check router's port forwarding list
• Use a different external port

• How to port forward on your router (beginner's guide)
• Port Forwarding Explained: How It Works, Risks and Setup

• Networking Overview
• Static IP Setup
• Security Considerations

Last updated: 2026-06-19

• Return to hosting