If you have been around for a while, you might have heard of port forwarding. People, with their unique set of connectivity problems, eventually arrive at the same conclusion: to port forward. The thing about the Cisco RV180 router is its firewall. Though it assists with protecting a general home network, it too blocks connection requests from servers on the internet. Now that is a problem right there!
This comprehensive guide for port forwarding Cisco RV180 is to address all your problems when it comes to lag, connectivity, and the like. Learn about how you can efficiently open up ports in Cisco RV180 routers to aid better connection for your applications, games, and more.
Port Forwarding Cisco RV180: What is Port Forwarding?
Port forwarding Cisco RV180 or port forwarding, in general, allows external devices such as gaming servers to access your computer present in a local network. It works by assisting in directing traffic to certain specific ports.
Generally, routers are pre configured in a manner that permits you to access the internet. This is due to certain ports that are open, by default, for the purpose. However, for many applications, you would need to open up new ports to help with data transfer and easier access. That is Port forwarding for you.
What exactly are ports?
Think about how a regular port functions; computer ports are not that far off. Basically, they are defined as communication endpoints. To put it simply, ports assist computers in differentiating between traffic over the same internet connection. There is a specific service associated with each port.
When it comes to networks, Ports are always addressed as a sequence of numbers that makes absolutely no sense. This number is known as the port number, and it helps to uniquely identify a network transaction and an associated service.
What is port forwarding used for?
There are countless excellent ways in which port forwarding is being used today. From professionals to newbies, Port forwarding assists all in their network endeavors.
- Hosting a VPN server: This application allows individuals to access their network from far away.
- File transfers: Port forwarding allows the transfer of data from the external network.
- Gaming servers: Port forwarding for games is a reliable technique to improve the gaming experience and reduce lag.
- Torrent Applications: It allows for faster data transfer and hence assists to quickly downloading files
- Remote protocols: Assists in accessing a computer remotely.
Steps for Port Forwarding Cisco RV180
Now for Cisco RV180 port forwarding, we have a sequence of fairly straightforward instructions. It is necessary to set up a static IP for the device towards which the ports are being forwarded to. You can easily do so by navigating to the DHCP reservations panel in your router.
These steps will allow you to open up ports on your Cisco RV180 router with ease. Let us begin!
- Open a web browser.
- Write your Cisco RV180 router’s IP address in the URL bar.
- Now enter the credentials (i.e., username and password) to log into your Cisco RV180 router.
- Locate “Firewall” on the left panel.
- Then select Firewall > Advanced settings.
- In advanced settings, select Custom Services.
- Click Add in the Custom services tab.
- Enter any name that works for you. It is better to keep it relevant for future reference.
- In Type, select a protocol.
- In the Start and Finish ports, enter the lowest and highest port numbers in the range that you are forwarding. In case of a single port, enter the same in both.
- Click Save.
- Select Port Forwarding in the Firewall section present in the left panel.
- Click Add.
- In the Action drop down, select Always Allow.
- In the Service field, select the created service.
- In the IP dropdown, select Any. There can be a single address for which a single port number is used for both fields or there can be a range with a specific starting and ending port.
- In the Destination IP box, enter the IP address that these ports are being forwarded to.
- Enter a port number to which the traffic is funneled in the Internal Port field, if applicable.
- For the Forward from and Forward to port dropdowns, choose the same as an incoming port.
- Click Save.
And so, we have successfully opened ports on our Cisco RV180 router for much more improved communication and data transfer.
Want to learn more about port forwarding for other routers? Check out our router specific guides to assist you at every step!