How to Use Port Forwarding with DD-WRT Routers (DD-WRT Tutorial)

What Does a Router Do? An Intro to Port Forwarding

To understand port forwarding, you first have to understand the basics of routers. Every Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns a public IP address to an internet connection. However, every device on a network uses a unique Private IP.

This becomes clear when you check your IP address online. No matter what device you check from, it will always be the same. That is because the internet only sees your public IP address. Your router assigns a completely different, private address to each device on the network so that it can properly function.

While this makes communication between devices on the same network easy, it’s a different story on the open internet. When receiving information, the router does not necessarily know which device to deliver it to.

If you often use torrents, you may notice that you are not “connectable,” which means that you cannot properly connect. And, the reason is that the router only knows a specific port the information is supposed to go to, but that could be for any device on your network. Thankfully, you can use port forwarding to allow your computer to receive all of the information it needs!

Think of Port Forwarding as an office telephone switchboard. Someone can call the office but requires an internal person to transfer to the correct recipient. 

How Do I Set Up Port Forwarding On a Router?

There a few easy steps to set up and use port forwarding on a DD-WRT router. As always, make sure that your router is in working condition and the internet connection is active before changing settings.

You may also want to find the recommended ports for different applications, so you are prepared when you start setting it up. Visit this extensive list on PortForward.com to find the right ports for your applications.

Check out one of our top DD-WRT Routers, which makes port forwarding and a ton of other features available at the tips of your fingers!

Netgear R7000 DD-WRT FlashRouter – Great For Medium Homes / Perfect For 6-10 Devices / Works With All ISPs & Supported VPNs / 1 GHz Dual-Core Broadcom Processor SALE PRICE: $259.99 $299.99 | BUY NOW

#1: Navigate to Router Settings in a Web Browser

If you are using a FlashRouter, the IP address of your router is 192.168.11.1. To determine the IP address of other routers, use this simple step:

• Windows: Use the Run command (Win Key+R), type “cmd”, and hit enter. Then type ipconfig /all & press enter. The router address is under Default Gateway
• For Mac: Enter netstat -nr in the command prompt.
• For Linux: Enter ifconfig wlan0 in the command prompt.

Type the IP address of your router into the URL box of your web browser to open the router’s admin console. A common default address is 192.168.1.1

#2: Type in Your Username and Password

Enter the username and password you chose while you configured the router’s security configuration. If you have a FlashRouter, the default credentials are on the quick start guide included with your FlashRouter.

For other routers, enter the default username and password for dd-wrt which is root and admin. We recommend you never leave the default username and password. Always change it to increase the security for access to your network. Just make sure that your username and password are stored in a secure location.

#3: Navigate to Port Forwarding Settings

Different DD-WRT builds may have a different interface. On the most recent builds, navigate to the NAT/QoS and you will find an array of port-related options including Port Forwarding, Port Range Forwarding, Port Triggering, & UPnP.

#4: Configuring Your Ports

It is recommended to set static IP addresses for any computers you would like to forward ports to. Do this using Static DHCP or by manually configuring IP assignment on your devices. Be sure to set your static IPs outside of your automatic DHCP address pool/range. By default, DHCP assigns address from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.149 (192.168.11.100 to 192.168.11.149 on a FlashRouter).

If you want to configure for a specific port, click the NAT/Qos Tab—> Port Forwarding subtab.

1. Click Add and a new empty row will appear.
2. Enter the name of your Application such as BitTorrent.
3. For Protocol, unless you know otherwise, choose Both.
4. Sourcenet is the IP address or range of WAN IPs that are allowed to be forwarded. If you do not wish to restrict, leave it blank. Unless you have a specific reason for this, leave the Sourcenet field blank.
5. Under Port From, enter the port you’d like to forward.
6. Under IP Address, enter the  private IP of the device you’d like to forward the port to.
7. Under Port To, enter the port you’d like to forward to. Often this is the same port, this action is redirecting the information to go directly to that port but specifically on your machine assigned to expedite the process.
8. Click Save.
9. If you want to add more forwards, click Add. If you are done, click Apply Settings.
10. To complete the Port Forwarding setup, reboot your router. Go to the Administration Tab, scroll to the bottom and click Reboot Router.

How to Troubleshoot Port Forwarding

• If you turn on the Universal Plug n Play (UPnP) option in DD-WRT, it will overwrite static port forwards that you set here. If your static port forwarding is important, turn off UPnP.
• This may sound simple but is often the cause of the confusion. Check your information! Ensure that all the numbers (IP addresses, ports) are correct. Even a single missing or extra digit will cause the application to not work accordingly. Everything should be double-checked to make sure that no error comes up while running the application.
• Each time your computer is turned off, your IP address may change. If this happens, change the information in the admin console and port forwarding. Static IP address assignments are advised in order to prevent such issues as mentioned above.
• Check the DD-WRT Wiki for Port Forwarding Troubleshooting for more helpful tips.

Best Routers For Port Forwarding

Trying to decide on a new router for your home network? We have the best routers to help forward your ports with DD-WRT!

Netgear R7000 DD-WRT FlashRouter

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• Great For Medium Homes
• Perfect For 6-10 Devices

Have a question about DD-WRT? Feel free to reach out!