![Team Fortress Classic game artwork](team-fortress-classic-header-small.webp)
You might need to forward some ports in your router when you use Team Fortress Classic Server. The purpose of forwarding ports is to make a direct connection from the internet to Team Fortress Classic Server.
Routers do not generally allow incoming connection requests from the internet. By forwarding ports you can work around this limitation.
Before You Forward a Port
Make sure that you know these things before forwarding a port:
- Your router's IP address.
- The internal IP address of your computer.
- A list of 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.
Find Your Router's IP Address
You can run our free Router Detector software to locate your router's IP address. It is part of our Network Utilities suite of tools and is free for you to use it.
You can also follow our Find Your Router IP Address article.
How To Forward Ports for Team Fortress Classic Server
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 your routers port forwarding section.
- Type your computer's IP address into the correct box in your router.
- Put the TCP and UDP ports for Team Fortress Classic Server in the corresponding boxes in your router.
Some routers need to be rebooted in order for the changes to be saved.
You can choose your router from our list to see exactly how to forward ports for Team Fortress Classic Server:
List of Routers - Customized for Team Fortress Classic Server
Set Up a Port Forward for Team Fortress Classic Server
The ports that need to be forwarded for Team Fortress Classic Server are listed here:
Team Fortress Classic Server - PC
- TCP: 27015
- UDP: 27015
That is the process required to forward ports in your router for Team Fortress Classic Server.
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