On the computer of a local network user who wants to use it for constant messaging on the Internet, the router security system by default closes all incoming and outgoing ports. This is done in order to prevent viruses from entering the devices of local network subscribers along with the applications running on them. To participate in online games with a large number of participants, in addition to receiving a static IP address from the provider, certain ports must be opened. The article should help users to resolve this issue.
Port concept
The port is the digital identifier of the application running on the computer. It is an addition to the IP address of the device on the local network with Internet access. The name of the port on the network is transmitted after the colon (:) character, which separates the local IP address and port number. An example is the record - 192.168.1.5:80. It is written to determine the program that discloses the necessary information. Here you can draw an analogy with the file extension, which defines the programs with which you can open it. The concept of a port does not have a physical component.
Preparatory work
How to open a port on a router? To do this, go to its web interface. Logging in is done by entering the address of the used router (aka a router) in the local network into the browser line, opened on the computer, followed by the login and password of the administrator. Thus, first you need to connect the router to the Internet provider and to the computer (PC), with which the necessary settings will be made. The provider cable is connected to the WAN port of the router. A cable with RJ-45 connectors at the ends is used to connect one of the router's LAN ports to the connector on the PC network card.
The data necessary to open the necessary ports can be obtained by right-clicking on the cable connection symbol between the computer and the router on the connections page in the local network. Having opened the "Status" item, you can find out in its properties the physical address (MAC address) of the computer and its IP address on the local network assigned by the router.
After selecting the "Properties" item in the context menu, it is necessary to check the setting of the automatic receipt of IP addresses and DNS server settings in the TCP / IP column of version 4. If there is a discrepancy, check the boxes in these columns and confirm the changes by pressing the OK key.
The IP address of the router can be found from the information indicated on the label. It is mounted on the bottom of the product. Typically, an address is represented by a combination of 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. It depends on the device model used. The factory default values for the administrator login and password for entering the router interface are also indicated here.
Possible ways to open ports
How to open a port on a router? Ports can be used by TCP and UDP. The first of them uses the means of checking the reliability of the transmitted information. This leads to a decrease in throughput and a decrease in the exchange rate. The second protocol does not guarantee validity. It is broadcast and intended for use in multiplayer online games.
Some programs (utorrent, Skype) are able to open (forward, forward, redirect) necessary ports for their work. They implement the UPnP technology embedded in them. For most game servers to work, you must manually open the port on the router. There are several ways to do this:
- activation of the demilitarized zone function (DMZ);
- Using virtual server settings
- Using the port trigger feature setting.
The indicated methods for resolving the issue - how to forward a port on a router - are used depending on the model of the device used and the menu of its interface.
Using the DMZ Function
How to open ports on a router? To resolve this issue, in the "Network" section of the main menu, select the WAN item and check the settings for connecting to the provider. On its page you need to find and mark cells with markers with the designations NAT and IGMP, including the broadcast protocol UDP on the network. Without this, the necessary ports cannot be opened. This requirement must be met for other port forwarding methods .
After saving the changes, you need to find the item in the menu whose name contains the abbreviation DMZ. After going to his page, it is necessary to write in the appropriate field the IP address of the PC on the local network, determined at the stage of preparatory work, put a “tick” in the “Enable” box and press the “Save” key. Now on the device with the specified address all ports will be open. A permanently enabled firewall of the router will continue to perform the function of protecting the local network.
Virtual server setup
In the router interface menu, you need to find the "Virtual Servers" section and open it. His page, in addition to the service port field and the local IP address of the device, contains graphs that indicate the starting and ending values of the external and internal ports. These data can be found in the description of the program for which port forwarding is performed. All specified fields are required. The entered data must be saved and applied.
Configure Port Trigger
This method is used if there are no items discussed above in the router interface menu. On the Port Trigger page, a rule is created that indicates the range of incoming and outgoing ports, and the type of protocol. This data is provided in the description of the application for which the ports are opened. After successively pressing the "Add" and "Save" keys, the new rule takes effect.
Conclusion
After making settings in the router interface, the ports on the computer may continue to remain closed. The reason may be the rules for blocking unwanted Internet messages by the internal firewall of the computer’s operating system or the third-party antivirus program used on it. In both cases, you need to make changes to their exclusion lists for individual Internet resources.