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Guide to Port Forwarding

A port forward is a way of allowing specific traffic to enter your network through your router. It is useful in gaming, torrenting, security cameras, home automation, and many other applications. Any time that you want to connect to something inside your network from the internet, you need a port forward.

Quick Links

Many games and applications require a port forward to operate correctly. A port forward is a way of allowing specific traffic through your router. By default, routers allow traffic to leave your network without any problems. They also act as a firewall and prevent unwanted traffic from coming into your network from the internet. A port forward is a rule in your router that directs specific incoming traffic to a computer or device on your network.

What is a Port Forward?

Forwarding a port is a way to allow a connection from the internet, through your router, to a device on your network. You can think of forwarding a port as putting the device on the outside of your router. Your router blocks all incoming connection requests making it impossible for some services to work correctly. A port forward overcomes this limitation. In order to forward ports, you will need to know the ports that the application uses and the IP address of the device that you are forwarding ports to.

All network traffic has a port number attached to it. You can think of the port number like an inbox in an office. Once the network traffic gets to your computer or device, it is sent to the application that needs it. The port number of the traffic is what takes care of this last step.

For many things, the port number is an industry-standard. Common industry standard port numbers are 80 for web traffic and 443 for secure web traffic. In other cases, the port number is random per installation, which is the case with many torrent clients. In yet other cases, the port number is made up by the application vendor, which is common for independent games and smaller application developers.

Common Port Numbers

Here is a sample of some of the common, industry standard port numbers:

ApplicationPorts
Web servers80 TCP & 443 TCP
CamerasFrequently 8080 TCP
Xbox Live3074 TCP & UDP
Plex Media Server32400 TCP & UDP
SSH22 TCP
OpenVPN1194 TCP & UDP
Remote Desktop (RDP)3389 TCP & UDP

Unreal ports

  • TCP: 28900
  • UDP: 7777-7779, 27900

    • Why You Need a Port Forward

    Some of the most common reasons to forward a port include:

    Anytime a connection to your network needs to be created from the outside, you need a port forward. Surfing the web does not require a port forward because your web browser contacts a web server and starts the communications. This connection originates on the inside of your network, and your router allows it without any additional configuration.

    Which Ports Do You Forward?

    The vast majority of software has a predefined port that you need to forward. Ports are listed as either a list, a range, or a combination of both. A list of ports has commas separating the values, while a range has a hyphen. For instance, the following range:

    TCP: 1000-1003

    This port list can also be written as individual ports:

    TCP: 1000, 1001, 1002, 1003

    Some routers accept a mixed list that includes ranges, while others do not. There are even some poorly designed routers out there that will only take a single port at a time. If you have one of those, we suggest you upgrade.

    NOTE: Network ports are listed as either TCP or UDP. Generally speaking, it's fine to open both. So if your router has an option of TCP, UDP, or BOTH, you can choose BOTH. While troubleshooting port forwards, it is best to open more ports than you think you need. Then, once your application is working, you can go back and pair it down to a shorter list of only the ports that are required.

    An Unreal enthusiast at some point may decide to run a server in their home and run into an issue broadcasting their server due to firewalls or routers. This guide will go over Lan's. WAN's, internal, external IP's and how to forward ports in your router in order to help you broadcast your server to the Unreal world. Before getting started it will help if you had some basic understanding on how a network works.

    IP Addresses

    IP addresses are four sets of numbers separated by periods that allow computers to identify each other. Every computer has at least one ip address, and two computers should never have the same ip address. If they do, neither of them will be able to connect to the internet.

    Dynamic vs Static IPs

    Most routers assign dynamic IP addresses by default. They do this because dynamic ip address networks require no configuration. The end user can simply plug their computer in, and their network will work. When ip addresses are assigned dynamically, the router is the one that assigns them. Every time a computer reboots it asks the router for an ip address.

    The router then hands it an ip address that has not already been handed out to another computer. This is important to note. When you set your computer to a static ip address, the router does not know that a computer is using that ip address. So the very same ip address may be handed to another computer later, and that will prevent both computers from connecting to the internet. So when you asign a static IP addresses, it's important to assign an IP address that will not be handed out to other computers by the dynamic IP address server. The dynamic IP address server is generally refered to as the dhcp server.

    It is very important to setup a static (permanent) ip address, if you are going to use port forwarding. When you have port forwarding setup, your router forwards ports to an ip address that you specify. Forwarding ports with a dynamic ip will probably work when you initially set it up, but after restarting your computer it may get a different ip address. When this happens the ports will no longer be forwarded to your computer's ip address. So the port forwarding configuration will not work.

    Firewall's

    Make sure your Firewall can pass the required Ports. If you are using Windows Firewall, the method for opening ports can be found here:

    If you are using a firewall that is part of a security suite (such as Zone Alarm, Norton, McAfee, etc) then consult your documentation for opening ports in these software firewalls.

    If you are using a router to connect to the internet, then it is likely you will be using the hardware firewall that comes with the router. There are detailed instructions on how to setup port forwarding on your router on the Port Forwarding website. Select your router from the list, then you will be taken to a page that lists most online games that need port forwarding. Select Unreal and follow the procedure given.

    The Network

    LAN's
    A local area network (LAN) supplies networking capability to a group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school, or a home. Generally a home PC or server is connected to the Internet via a router. Your home network would consist of multiple PC's or other devices connected to the router. Every device connected to the router is given an internal IP address and each time a device is connected to your network the router assigns it a unique internal address.

    Local area network addresses are yours. On your LAN, each of your devices will have it's own personalized IP address - typically numbered 192.168.x - 192.168.1.100, 192.168.1.101, etc. LAN IPs are "private" that run behind your router.

    Note that your router usually has 2 IP addresses - one for the uplink out to the Internet, and the second IP is a LAN IP address.

    For successful "remote" viewing or connections, you will need to configure your network (see Port Forwarding) but to do that you will at least need to know what your WAN IP is and what your LAN IP address(es) are.

    WAN's
    A wide area network (WAN) is a computer network that spans a relatively large geographical area. WANs often connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs) or metro area networks (MANs). The largest WAN in existence is the Internet.

    The Wide Area Network (WAN) address is given to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The WAN IP is simply your "Connection" or "Internet" IP address. All of your local network PCs, servers and cameras or any other connected device can "share" the same Internet IP through features built into every router, but only the router itself "holds" or controls the WAN IP address. In most cases you have 1 WAN IP address given by your Internet provider. You can confirm your WAN IP by logging into your router

    ISP's
    Internet Service Provider's or ISP refers to a company that provides Internet services. Your ISP assigns you an external IP address using the DHCP protocol to identify your connection within their WAN. This number ranges from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255 but will not be an IP thats reserved for private networks.

    Below is a diagram that may help you understand the difference between a LAN and a WAN.

     

    Locating your LAN IP

    1. In Windows XP: Click Start ---> Run ---> and type CMD. In Windows Vista/7, click the Windows Button on the bottom left of the desktop and type CMD in the search window.

    or use the "Windows Key" + "R" to get the run bar, then type CMD.

    You'll see a black screen appear, this is your Windows CMD console.

    2. Type IPCONFIG/ALL

    You'll see a lot of information here, but what we're looking for are just a few lines described below. Take down the IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and Name Servers. Make sure to note which is which. We are going to use this information a little bit later. We are only concerned with IPv4 entries, you can ignore the IPv6 information.

    The name server entries are a bit complicated. Name Server is just another name for DNS(domain name server) server. Some router's act as a proxy between the actual name servers and your computer. You will know when this is the case, because the Default Gateway will list the same ip address as the Name Servers entry. We need to have the correct Name Server IP addresses. If we do not, you will not be able to browse the web. There are a couple ways to get these.
    The first way is to log into your router's web interface, and look at your router's status page. On that page you should see an entry for DNS Servers, or Name Servers. Write down the ip adresses of your Name Servers. Another way to get the correct Name Servers to use, is to give your ISP a call. They should know the ip addresses of your Name Servers right off. If they ask you why you need them, you can tell them you are trying to setup a static IP address on your computer. If they try to sell you a static external ip address, don't buy it. That's an entirely different thing that what you are trying to setup.

    *Note - the subnet mask -- basically, because it says 255.255.255, that means the first three sets of numbers must be the same on all devices on your LAN (home network). In my example above , notice that the router is 192.168.1.X, and your own IP is 192.168.1.X...( x being a unique number between 1-254).

    "192.168.1" is your subnet.

    Locating your WAN IP

    There are a few websites you can use, here is a short list:

    1. Google
    2. IPCHICKEN
    3. Whats My IP.ORG
    4. NOAA

    After going to the website and allowing it time to query your address, you should have your (current) external IP address. If your address is static, it should not change and could be memorised if desired. If it is dynamic, it will likely change often (keep an eye on it between sessions and you will see it for yourself.

    Additional Information

    1. Type NCPA.CPL in your "Run" bar to get to your network adapters quickly, in case, for example, you need to change your IP address (IPv4 properties) from "static" to "automatic".
    2. Type IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS from the CMD prompt, IF, you can get to google from the WAN IP above, but not from typing www.google.com
    3. You can access your router's web interface by typing it's address into a web browser address bar. Example above would be -- 192.168.1.1 (you do need to know the user name and password - or will have to "reset" the router and start with the defaults).
    4. When surfing the internet, instead of typing "http://www.cnn.com" in the address bar, simply type cnn and hit "ctrl" and "enter" at the same time ;)

    Port Forwarding

    Port forwarding allows remote computers (for example, computers on the Internet) to connect to a specific computer or service within a private local-area network (LAN).

    When setting up your own server, internet servers can be set up one of two ways. You can put your server in the DMZ with a public IP address, or you can use NAT to forward the traffic to your server. For security considerations, it is safer to use NAT than to put your computer in the DMZ.

    NAT Versus DMZ

    Routers most commonly share a single IP address to an internal network using a method called NAT...Network Address Translation. It hides the network (most commonly using a private IP scheme, like 192.168.1.XXX) from the outside world...all the outside world can see is the WAN IP that the ISP gives the router, like 64.252.13.14. All LAN workstations are hidden and protected because of the NAT.

    There are more than 64,000 ports out there. Each port or range of ports serves a special purpose, such as port 80...websites run on, port 21 is for FTP, port 5631 and 5632 are used by PcAnywhere host mode, Quake 3 uses port 27960, etc etc.

    In NAT...you can forward a particular port or range of ports to only one computer inside the LAN. So if you are running a web server, and you want the outside world to see it, you need to forward port 80 to the private IP address of your web server. Lets say your server has an IP of 192.168.1.11....you'll forward to that IP. Since you only are forwarding one port, port 80, all your other ports on that computer are still protected.

    DMZ...DeMilitarized Zone, means to put an IP completely out in the open....so that EVERY port is open and Not secured.

    Unreal Ports

    Unreal uses the following TCP/IP ports:

    If you are running Unreal as a server behind a Router you need to go to the port forwarding menu on your router and forward Unreal's ports to the internal IP that your server is using.

    How To Set Up a Port Forward

    Setting up a port forward involves a few detailed network terms. Be prepared to write down a few notes as you go through the process.

    There are 4 major steps to setting up a port forward.

    The major steps of port forwarding are:

    1. Assign a static IP address to your computer or device
    2. Log in to your router
    3. Forward ports to your computer or device and create a rule in your computer firewall (not necessary for devices like Xbox, PlayStation, or cameras)
    4. Test that your port is forwarded properly (not always possible with some devices)

    Assigning a Static IP Address

    Step 1:
    Click on the start menu and navigate to the Control Panel, right click on control panel and choose open.

    Static IP Control Panel1

    Step 2:
    Go to Network and Internet and click on View Network Status and Tasks.

    Static IP Control Panel2

    Step 3:
    Single click Change adapter settings on the left side of your screen.

    Static IP Change Adapter Settings

    Step 4:
    You might have more than one Internet connection listed here. You will need to determine which adapter is your connection to the Internet if this is the case. Right click on your network adapter and choose properties to open up the properties window of this internet connection.

    Static IP Change AdapterProperties

    Step 5:
    Click Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) and then the Properties button.

    Static IP LAN Properties

    You will see the following screen:

    Static IP 07

    Step 6:
    Before you make any changes, write down the settings that you see on this page. If something goes wrong you can always change the settings back to what they were! You should see a dot in the Obtain an IP address automatically box. If you do not, your connection is already setup for a static ip. Just close all these windows and you are done.

    Pick an ip address and enter it into the IP Address box. The ip address you choose should be very similar to the router's ip addres. Only the last number of the ip address should be different. If the router's ip address is 192.168.1.1, I might choose 192.168.1.10. The ip address you choose should end with a number between 1 and 254, and should not be the same as the router's ip address. Every device that connects to your network needs to have it's own ip address.

    Put the subnet mask we previously found in the subnet mask section. The default gateway should go into the Default gateway box. Enter the dns servers we prevoiusly found into the two DNS Server boxes. Click okay all the way out of this menu.

    If you find that you can not pull up webpages, the problem is most likely the dns numbers you entered. Give your ISP a call, and they will be able to tell you which dns servers to use. This is a question they answer all of the time. They will be able to tell you what you should use right away.

    That's it you should be done! If you can't connect to the internet go back and change your configuration back to what it originally was.

    Log in to your router

    Now that you have a static IP address (or DHCP reservation) on your device, you are ready to forward a port.

    Configuring Port forwardings

    1. Access the router's setup page by entering its LAN-side IP address in the address field of your web browser. (192.168.1.1, in this example.) The router setup page should appear. You may need to enter an administrator ID and password in order to access the setup page.
    2. Click on the link which opens the Port Forwarding setup page. This page may be located within an "Advanced Setup", "Address Translation", or similarly named page.
    3. Once you have opened the router's Port Forwarding setup page, you should see a number of data fields, such as "Port", "IP address" or "Destination", etc.

      Here you will enter the port numbers of messages you want to be forwarded, and the IP addresses of your network devices which you want those messages forwarded to.. In this example:

      Network Unreal 1
      IP address: 192.168.0.10
      Port: 7777 (used for gameplay)

      Network Unreal 2
      IP address: 192.168.0.10
      Port: 7778 (used for server querying)

      4. Network Unreal 3
      IP address: 192.168.0.10
      Port: 27900 (used for server querying)

    4. Click "Save" or a similarly titled button to save your Port Forwarding settings.
    5. Test your settings.
    To access your server over the internet, enter your router's static WAN IP address followed by the port number for gameplay. In this example if we determined our IP to be 111.222.123.1, by entering:

    111.222.123.1:7777

    In a Unreal browser, you would connect to the game.

    The instructions provided here approximate and explain only the basic concepts and procedures for configuring IP addresses and Port Forwarding. For detailed information, refer to your device's owner's manual or the manufacturer's technical support web site.

    Testing port forwarding

    Before checking your port you must start your server and have an open active listener server running.

    Unreal servers use the UDP/IP protocol for game control on any port (by default, the gaming port is 7777). UDP is a connectionless protocol which means it basically just sends packets out to the specified destination. TCP is connection-oriented which means it establishes a connection to the other end using the "3-way handshake". When testing you need to use a UDP port tester. Testing ports using TCP waits for the server to ping back and Unreal will not do this

    To check and see if your ports are open and you have forwarded them correctly, you should see your server listed in the Unreal browser under the ALL Server tab. If not then your problem may be relate to something other than port forwarding. It could possibly be your firewall program blocking your access to the Internet or an ISP restriction.

    Firewall users need to open a few ports, bidirectional UDP traffic must be allowed for the gameport and query port (default 7777 and 7778) and outgoing UDP traffic must be allowed for ports 27500 to 27900 so your server can send heartbeats to master servers.

    Troubleshootings

    If you have followed all the above steps and still cannot connect remotely. Try these faultfinding steps:

    1. Your hostname could be causing the problem. Try using the external (router) IP address instead. Check your ip by clicking here this will tell you what your external IP address is. Use this address in the console, i.e. use the command: Open xx.xxx.xx.x:7777

    If you are forwarding a port to your computer, then you can use a Port Checker to see if your ports have been successfully forwarded. If you are gaming on a console you will need to check your port forwards by going through the menus of your gaming console and testing your connection.

    2. Firewalls and antivirus software can stop a connection from being made. If you have a router then it will already have a hardware firewall built in, so it is usually quite safe to switch off your other firewalls, such as Windows Firewall, ZoneAlarm, or any of your security suites that may have a firewall bundled. So just try switching them all off and then see if a connection can be made.

    3. Try to ping your external IP address. Go to Start, and in the Run box type cmd to get the DOS-like cmd console up. In here type (using your ip address): ping xx.xxx.xx.x

    If you get a response fine, but if the three attempts all time out then either your router is setup to ignore pings, or your ISP is blocking them. If your router manual provides no info on blocking pings, then try asking your ISP support if they block them.

    4. The most common reason for not connecting has been that the router was not configured correctly to pass the required ports. Please double-check that you have opened the required ports, and their type (TCP&UDP) 100% correctly.



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