When you use RTSP you might need to forward some ports in your router. The purpose of forwarding ports is to make a direct connection from the internet to RTSP.
By default routers do not allow incoming network requests. Forwarding ports can work around this limitation.
Before Forwarding a Port
Before you can forward a port you need to know the following 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.
![NordVPN is the fastest VPN!](/build/images/partner/nordvpn/in-article-large/affiliate-fast-vpn-1500x300.png)
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.
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 RTSP
A smart way to forward your ports is to use Network Utilities. Our Network Utilities software allows you to add port forwards and also remove them when you no longer need them to maximize your network security.
You can also choose to set up port forwards manually. The way to forward a port is:
- You can start by logging in to your router.
- Locate the section in your router that deals with port forwarding.
- Put the IP address of your computer in the proper box in your router.
- Enter the TCP and UDP ports that you need to forward for RTSP in the corresponding boxes in your router.
You probably will need 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 RTSP:
List of Routers - Customized for RTSP
Forwarding Ports for RTSP
The ports that need to be forwarded for RTSP are listed here:
RTSP - PC
- TCP: 554
- UDP: 554
That is the process required to forward ports in your router for RTSP.
Don't forget to sign up for NordVPN's promo deal before it's gone.
![NordVPN birthday deal!](/build/images/partner/nordvpn/in-article-small/affiliate-birthday-campaign.png)
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.