You might need to forward some ports in your router when you use FileMaker Server 6. The purpose of forwarding ports is to make a direct connection from the internet to FileMaker Server 6.
Routers do not generally allow incoming connection requests from the internet. A port forward can overcome this limitation.
Before Forwarding a Port Checkoff This To Do List
Before forwarding a port make sure that you know these things:
- Your router's internal IP address.
- The IP address of your computer.
- The TCP and UDP ports that need to be forwarded.
Use a VPN Instead
Have you considered using a VPN instead of forwarding a port? For most users, a VPN is a much simpler and more secure choice than forwarding a port.
We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes forwarding a port no longer necessary for most applications. With NordVPN Meshnet, you can connect to your devices from anywhere in the world, completely secure, over a highly encrypted VPN tunnel.
When shopping for a VPN, make sure that they meet the following criteria:
- Your VPN provider should have a no-logs policy. This means that they do not keep any logs of any kind.
- Make sure that your VPN provider has lots of exit nodes all around the world.
- Check that your VPN will not affect your speed.
- Verify that your VPN provider uses WireGuard as the underlying protocol.
- Many people prefer a VPN provider that is not based in the United States.
This is the list of requirements that we used when we were shopping around for a VPN provider. There are lots of free, shady VPN providers out there that we looked at and dismissed.
Based in Panama, using diskless servers, and with over 6,100 servers in 61 countries, we can safely say that NordVPN satisfies all of these requirements.
Once you've set up your NordVPN account on multiple computers and enabled Meshnet, you can seamlessly access all of your devices as if they were on the same network. You don't even have to log in to your router. It's very simple.
Every time you click on one of our affiliate links, such as NordVPN, we get a little kickback for introducing you to the service. Think of us as your VPN wingman.
Locate Your Router's IP Address
To find your router's IP address the easy way you can use our free Router Detector software. It's a part of the Network Utilities suite of tools and it's completely free to use.
Otherwise, you can follow our guide Find Your Router IP Address.
How To Forward Ports for FileMaker Server 6
The easiest way to forward your ports is to use our Network Utilities software. Network Utilities lets you manage port forwards by putting them in when you need them and also removing the ones that you no longer need which maximized network security.
Alternatively you can do it by hand. The process for forwarding a port is:
- Start by logging in to your router.
- Locate your routers port forwarding section.
- Put your computer's IP address in the proper box in your router.
- It is now time to type the TCP and UDP ports that you are forwarding for FileMaker Server 6 in the correct boxes in your router.
Usually you have to reboot your router in order to save the changes.
You can choose your router from our list to see exactly how to forward ports for FileMaker Server 6:
List of Routers - Customized for FileMaker Server 6
Forwarding Ports for FileMaker Server 6
Here is a list of the ports that need to be forwarded for FileMaker Server 6:
FileMaker Server 6 - PC
- TCP: 5003
- UDP: 5003
That is the process required to forward ports in your router for FileMaker Server 6.
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