Port Forwarding allows external devices to pass through your router's firewall for services such as a web server (using Port 80), FTP server (Port 21), gaming or any other designated applications. This article will show you how to set up port forwarding on a Belkin router.
Before proceeding, make sure that you have the following:
- The IP address of the computer or device to port forward. For instructions on checking your computer's IP address, click here.
- The port numbers to be used and whether they are TCP or UDP ports.
- The router connected to the computer using an ethernet cable.
In this example, the following ports for the Xbox® game console will be forwarded:
- TCP 80
- UDP 88
- UDP 3074
- TCP 3074
- UDP 53
- TCP 53
NOTE: The service ports that you need to forward on the router differ on the type of internet service you’d like to access. See your gaming documentation or contact the manufacturer for the service ports of your game.
Step 1:
On your computer, open a web browser such as Internet Explorer® or Safari®.
Step 2:
Step 2:
In the Address bar, enter "192.168.2.1" and press [Enter] on your keyboard. You will then be directed to the router's web-based setup page.

NOTE: If you have changed the your router's IP address, use that instead to access its web-based setup page. If you are not sure, click here for instructions on checking your router’s IP address .
Step 3:
Step 3:
Click Login on the upper right corner.

NOTE: If your router's web-based setup page does not look like this, it must have the Belkin Dashboard. For Port Forwarding instructions using the Belkin Dashboard, click here.
Step 4:
Once prompted to log in, enter your router's Password then click Submit.
Once prompted to log in, enter your router's Password then click Submit.

Step 5:
Under the Firewall section, click Virtual Servers.

Step 6:
Click the Enable box and enter the following information:
• Xbox1 field - Enter "80" on the fields under Inbound port. Set the Type of protocol to TCP. Enter the Xbox console's IP address in the Private IP address field and enter the Private port information in the assigned fields.
• Xbox2 field - Enter "88" on the fields under Inbound port. Set the Type of protocol to UDP. Enter the Xbox console's IP address in the Private IP address field and enter the Private port information in the assigned fields.
• Xbox3 field - Enter "3074" on the fields under Inbound port. Set the Type of protocol to Both since this port is both a TCP and UDP type. Enter the Xbox console's IP address in the Private IP address field and enter the Private port information in the assigned fields.
• Xbox4 field - Enter "53" on the fields under Inbound port. Set the Type of protocol to Both since t1his port is both a TCP and UDP type. Enter the Xbox console's IP address in the Private IP address field and enter the Private port information in the assigned fields.
Your setup should now look like the one in the image below:

NOTE: You may need to assign a static IP address on your device as port forwarding needs to be routed to a specific IP address. Make sure to use an IP address that is within the same range of your Belkin router. For example, if your router's IP address is 192.168.2.1, you can set the static IP address to 192.168.2.50. You can refer to the user manual of your device for detailed instructions on how assign a static IP address.
Step 7:
Click
to save the settings.

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