The most common way of connecting to the internet is via a router. One might use a router to connect one or multiple computers to the internet. It is convenient and especially useful. However, as useful as they might be, you should expect to encounter some issues here and there. More often than not, hardware issues are inevitable. One of such issues is port forwarding not working. This is a common issue across different router brands and we would be highlighting some common causes and best fixes in this article.
Common Causes of Port Forwarding Not Working On Linksys, Netgear, Spectrum & TP-Link
One of the possible reasons why your port forwarding is not working could be that you have an IP address from a private subnet rather than a public one on the router’s WAN interface. If you are facing this issue, this should be the first thing you check.
Verify that the IP address on your router’s WAN is a public one and that just might fix it. If it doesn’t, then keep reading for some other causes and the best fixes tailored to specific networks.
If you are facing the issue of your port forwarding not working, there are some very common causes listed below that might give you answers and help fix the issue.
- First, your port forwarding might not be enabled.
- You might’ve incorrectly configured the port forwarding rule.
- Your provider might be using hidden NAT.
- Forwarding the same port too many times.
- The use of internet protection on your computer. For example, using a firewall.
- You might be trying to access your router’s WAN interface from the local network rather than the internet.
- The port status might be seen as ‘closed’ because the service where the port forwarding is executed is not started.
How to Fix Port Forwarding Not Working on Linksys
Is your Linksys port forwarding not working? To fix this, you should first confirm that your port forwarding is enabled and configured correctly. You can also try to reset your router or disable UPnP in the router. Linksys routers are the most common picks for many homes, they are easy to get and install. Although they provide useful services, one might run into a few issues sometimes.
If none of the fixes stated above prove useful, there are a few more things to try:
- Confirm that you are accessing the internet with your router’s WAN IP address
- Briefly turn off any firewall you might be using on your computer and then check if the port forwarding works
- If all else fails, you could close the port and add a new one
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How to Fix Port Forwarding Not Working on Netgear
To fix port forwarding not working on Netgear, check that you have one port forward for TCP and another for UDP, this could get it working properly. If it doesn’t then you can try checking your firewall settings to ensure that it isn’t obstructing the incoming router traffic.
However, this is reported to be one of the most common issues faced by Netgear users. Some other fixes include:
- Ensure port forwarding is enabled and configuration is properly done
- Check that you can access the servers, if you can’t, then examine the server settings
- If you are having issues with accessing the server locally, you can try accessing it using the server’s LAN IP address from another system on your LAN
- Disable UPnP and then enable it again
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How to Fix Port Forwarding Not Working on Spectrum
Using outdated routers might be the reason for the hassle, update your router and see if it works. You should also confirm that it supports port forwarding. You’d also want to ensure the port status is in slave mode rather than master
Here are some other fixes to try for Spectrum:
- Crosscheck the configuration and ensure it is done correctly
- Check that your IP address is static
- If you have forwarded the same port multiple times, then you have to remove one rule to get it working
- Try to externally access the device with the web IP address rather than locally
- Return the router to factory settings, then add the rule again
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How to Fix Port Forwarding Not Working On TP-Link
To fix port forwarding not working on TP-link, crosscheck the IP settings ensuring that they are accurate. We recommend obtaining the IP directly from the router using DHCP because it automatically receives the required addresses and the IP address of the router will be the same as the default gateway.
If you still have the port forwarding not working issue after this, then you can try these other fixes:
- Crosscheck the port number and IP address of the server before adjusting the port forwarding settings
- Try accessing the server from the internal network, if you can’t then check your server’s settings
- Check the router for the port forwarding settings
- Check through firewall settings to make sure it isn’t blocking the connection. If it is, then set it to allow the port you need
- Verify that the router has a public IP address and not private
- Check the connection type and make sure the correct one is selected
- You can try switching the package provided by your ISP
- If your router has the ‘External IP address’ field, enter ‘0.0.0.0’
- Turn off DMZ and then try again
- Lastly, try a hard reset
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