Set Up Port Forwarding
Learn about port forwarding and what setup options are available on your GFiber network.
Port Forwarding Overview
Port forwarding allows you to expose applications or services that you host on your network (such as HTTP or FTP) to external Internet users. For example, you might implement port forwarding if you host a multi-player game server on your network, or if you have a device such as a security camera in your home that sends its data to a server on your Fiber network. In these cases, your application uses a specific port, and external devices or users know to connect to it.
Typically, a router protects your network from the outside world by limiting external access to your internal network. But some devices and programs like IP cameras and online games need a connection from the outside internet that’s unimpeded by a firewall. In most cases, port forwarding (for IPv4) and port opening (for IPv6) are configured automatically between your Wifi devices and your connected devices using Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). But you don’t want all your devices to have an open connection, because that’s not secure. The solution is port forwarding. Port forwarding tells a router: When a connection request comes through a specific port (that you specify), send that connection to a specific device (of your choosing). Your other devices will remain unaffected by this rule.