Fastest Way to Forward Ports on the Linksys WRT54GS Router

This is the port forwarding guide for the Linksys WRT54GS v4.We also have port forwarding guides for the following related routers:

Pick the guide that most closely matches your router.

Thumbnail image of Port Forward Staff
Port Forward Staff
October 03, 2017 (Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 4 minutes

Linksys WRT54GS routers include a very basic firewall that helps protect your home network from unwanted access from the internet. Since this firewall blocks incoming connections you may need open a port through it for certain games and applications. This process of opening a port is frequently called a port forward, since you are forwarding a port from the internet to your home network.

In this guide I will walk you step-by-step through the port forwarding process on the **Linksys WRT54GS ** router. I will show you how to:

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.

Get Started Now!

When you use Network Utilities you get your port forwarded right now!

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.

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.

NordVPN faster than ever deal!

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 we are going to login to your Linksys WRT54GS router. Your router has a web interface, so you will login to it using your web browser. This can be either Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Edge. It usually does not matter which browser you choose to use.

Open up your web browser and find the address bar. It should look something like this:

Image of a browser address bar
Browser address bar

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 WRT54GS IP Address is: 192.168.1.1

After entering the IP address of your router you can simply press enter. If all goes well you will see the following screen:

Linksys WRT54GSv4
Screenshot of Linksys WRT54GSv4.

You should see a box prompting you for your username and password. If you do not see a box similar to the one above, find out what your router's IP address is by following the directions on our How To Find Your Router's IP Address page.

Enter your username and password, and then click the Login button to log in to your Linksys WRT54GS router.

Having Trouble?

This is a pretty common place to get stuck. If you find yourself here, don't panic, there are a few things you can try:

  • First, check all the different Linksys default combinations. Here is our list of all known Default Linksys Router Passwords.
  • Second, try and guess what the password/username was changed to. Use our Find Password App to make this step easier.
  • Finally, if you still are stuck after trying both of the above options, it may be time to consider a factory reset. Learn more about this option on the How to Reset a Router page.

Step 3

Now we need to find the port forwarding section in your router. Here's how you do it. Starting from the first page in your router:

Linksys WRT54GSv4
Screenshot of Linksys WRT54GSv4.

Click the Applications & Gaming link at the top of the page.

Linksys WRT54GSv4
Screenshot of Linksys WRT54GSv4.

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:

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

NordVPN faster than ever deal!

You might notice that most of our site doesn't have ads on it. This is because we use partnerships with companies like NordVPN to keep the site running. Thank you for supporting us by using our referral links.

You need to name this entry in the Application box. The name does not make any difference in the forward; it's just there so that you can remember later why you setup this forward.

If you are forwarding a single port, enter that port number into the Start and the End boxes. If you are forwarding a range of ports, enter the lowest number of that range into the Start box. Then enter the highest number of that range into the End box.

The protocol that you want to forward is selected from the Protocol box.

Enter the IP address to forward these ports to into the IP Address box. If you are forwarding ports so you can run a program on a device other than your computer then you can enter your device's IP address into that box.

Verify that you have the Enable checkbox checked.

When you're finished, click Save Settings at the bottom of the screen to save your changes.

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Linksys WRT54GS you should test to see if your ports are forwarded correctly.

To test if your port has been properly forwarded, you can use our Network Utilities tool, which includes a free Open Port Checker. Our Open Port Check tool is the only online port checking tool with Guaranteed Results.

More Info...

Check out our other guides here. We have a growing list of free gaming, networking, and software guides here at portforward.com.

Our other site setuprouter.com can help you setup a secure home network with your exact router.

More From Portforward