You might need to forward some ports in your router when you use FileMaker Server Advanced 2. The purpose of forwarding ports is to make a direct connection from the internet to FileMaker Server Advanced 2.
Routers generally do not allow incoming connection requests from the internet. By forwarding ports you can work around this limitation.
Before Forwarding a Port
Make sure that you know these things before forwarding a port:
- Your router's internal IP address.
- The IP address of your computer.
- Each of the TCP and UDP ports that you need to forward.
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 is part of our Network Utilities suite of tools and is free for you to use it.
If you do not want to run the software, you can follow our Find Your Router IP Address guide.
Setting Up a Port Forward for FileMaker Server Advanced 2
A smart way to forward your ports is to use Network Utilities. With Network Utilities, you can easily forward ports and also un-forward ports quickly so that you can keep your network up to date with the ports that you need forwarded and maximize your network security.
You can also choose to set up port forwards manually. The way to forward a port is:
- Begin by logging in to your router.
- Locate the section in your router that deals with port forwarding.
- Type the IP address of your computer into the correct box in your router.
- Put the TCP and UDP ports that you are forwarding for FileMaker Server Advanced 2 in the correct boxes in your router.
Frequently you have to reboot your router for the changes to take effect.
You can choose your router from our list to see exactly how to forward ports for FileMaker Server Advanced 2:
List of Routers - Customized for FileMaker Server Advanced 2
Set Up a Port Forward for FileMaker Server Advanced 2
Here is a list of the ports that need to be forwarded for FileMaker Server Advanced 2:
FileMaker Server Advanced 2 - PC
- TCP: 5003
- UDP: 5003
Those are the steps for forwarding ports in your router for FileMaker Server Advanced 2.
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