Easiest Way to Forward Ports on the Linksys WRT54G Router

The Linksys WRT54G router comes equipped with a basic firewall that protects your home network. A firewall by nature blocks blocks incoming connections. You may need a connection unblocked for a game or application. This is called creating an open port or more commonly a port forward. It is called a port forward because you are forwarding the port straight through the firewall into your home network.

The steps involved in opening a port are:

1. Setup a static IP address on the specific device or computer you are forwarding these ports for.
2. Login to your Linksys WRT54G router.
3. Navigate to the port forwarding section.
   • Select the Security link.
   • Uncheck Block Anonymous Internet Requests.
   • Click the Save Settings button.
   • Select the Applications & Gaming link.
   • Choose the Port Range Forward option.
4. Create a port forward entry.

These steps may seem difficult but don't worry, we will walk you through each one for the Linksys WRT54G router.

We think that forwarding a port should be easy. That's why we created Network Utilities. Our software does everything that you need to forward a port.

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Step 1

It is important to setup a static ip address in the device that you are forwarding a port to. This ensures that your ports will remain open even after your device reboots.

• Recommended - Our free Static IP Setter will set up a static IP address for you.
• Another way to get a permanent IP address is to set up a DHCP reservation.
• Or, manually create a static ip address with our Static IP Guides.

This step is important because you want a permanent IP address in your device. If you do not set up a permanent IP address in your device, then when you device reboots it may get a new IP address.

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.

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.

Step 2

Now you need to login to the Linksys WRT54G router. Before you do this you need to understand that routers use a web interface. This means you need to use a web browser to access the router's settings.

You can open up your favorite web browser such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, or even Firefox. It doesn't matter which one you choose.

After you've opened the web browser of your choice find the address bar. It should look something like this:

Above is an example of what a web browser address bar looks like. Find the address bar in your router and type in your router's IP address.

The default Linksys WRT54G IP Address is: 192.168.1.1

Simply press the enter button on the keyboard after entering the correct IP address. If all went as it should you see the following screen:

In this box you should see a space for a username and password.

• The Default Linksys WRT54G Router Username is: blank
• The Default Linksys WRT54G Router Password is: admin

Go ahead and enter the appropriate username and password in the boxes provided. Then click OK in order to log in to the Linksys WRT54G router.

Linksys Usernames and Passwords

If the username and password did not work then I suggest trying other Linksys passwords. Check out our page called Default Linksys Router Passwords.

If you are still unable to login to the Linksys WRT54G router it may be because you have forgotten your username and password. It might be time to consider a router reset. Doing this will revert all your settings back to factory defaults including the Linksys WRT54G router username and password. Learn how to do this by reading our How to Reset a Router guide.

Step 3

Now that you have logged into the Linksys WRT54G router you need to locate the port forwarding section. Here's how you get there:

First, click the Security link at the top of the page.

On this page, uncheck the box that reads Block Anonymous Internet Requests.

Then, click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page.

Back at the top of the page, click the link labeled Applications & Gaming.

A new menu now appears directly below that link. Choose the new option of Port Range Forward.

Step 4

Here are the ports to forward for Xbox Live:

• TCP Ports: 3074
• UDP Ports: 3074

If you are looking for the ports for a different application you can find it by either:

• Browsing our List of Games
• Check out our our List of Games by Genre
• See our List of all Applications

Don't forget to sign up for NordVPN's promo deal before it's gone.

Put a name for this forward in the Application box so that you can remember why you set this forward up. The name does not matter so pick something that has meaning to you.

If you are forwarding a range of ports separated by a hyphen then enter the lowest number of that range into the Start box and the highest number of that range into the End box. If you are only forwarding a single port number then enter that number into both the Start and the End boxes.

From the Protocol box select the protocol for the ports that you want to forward.

You need to enter the IP address that you are forwarding ports to in the IP Address box. It's possible for this to be either the IP address of your computer or any other IP address on your network that you want ports forwarded to.

In the Enable checkbox put a checkmark.

Once you are finished, click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the screen to apply the changes you have made.

Test if Your Ports are Open

It is always a good idea to test your work. To test if you forwarded the Linksys WRT54G ports correctly you can use our Network Utilities tool, which includes a free Open Port Checker. Our Open Port Checker is the only online port checking tool that has Guaranteed Results.

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Linksys WRT54G you should test to see if your ports are forwarded correctly.

Other Guides You May Be Interested In

• How to Setup Your Router.
• How to Port Forward Behind Two Routers.