TP-Link TD-W8960N routers all include a basic firewall that helps protect your local home network from any unwanted Internet access. This firewall protects your network by blocking connections to and from the Internet. However, some games and applications need additional ports open in order to run more smoothly. This process of opening a port is called a port forward because you are forwarding a port from the Internet directly to a device on your network.
In this guide, we will walk you through each and every step in the port forwarding process for the TP-Link TD-W8960N router.
We will show you how to:
- Setup a static IP address on your computer or device that you want to forward a port to.
- Login to your TP-Link TD-W8960N router.
- Find to the port forwarding section.
- Click Advanced Setup
- Click NAT
- Click Virtual Servers
- What data to enter in order to create a port forward.
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.
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.
- 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
This step involves logging into the **TP-Link TD-W8960N **. Did you know your router uses a web interface to make setting changes? What this means is you need to open up a web browser in order to login to the router.
Simply pick your favorite web browser. (You used it to find this web page.)
Web browser examples:
- Chrome
- Internet Explorer
- Firefox
- Safari
- Edge
Once you have opened the web browser, find the address bar. This is typically at the top of the page 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 TP-Link TD-W8960N IP Address is: 192.168.1.1
After typing in the router's IP Address simply press the Enter key on your keyboard. This opens up the following box or page:
This new box that appeared on your screen is asking for a username and password. Unless you changed them the defaults are as follows:
- The Default TP-Link TD-W8960N Router Username is: admin
- The Default TP-Link TD-W8960N Router Password is: admin
Press the OK button in the box after you have entered the username and password.
Troubleshooting Ideas:
- First, try other common TP-Link passwords. This often solves the issue. If your router version is just slightly different the username and password may also be different. Here is our list of Default TP-Link Router Passwords.
- Second, we recommend trying to figure out what the password is. If the defaults didn't work, it is probably because you or someone else changed the username and password. We have a Find Password App that automates the process for you. It is completely safe to use, read more about it on this Router Password Cracker page.
- If you have tried both of the above options and neither helped, it may be time to consider a reset. A factory reset is a big step and should not be taken lightly. It erases all personal configurations and a full reconfiguration will need to be done afterwards. Learn more on this How to Reset a Router page.
Step 3
Let's find the port forwarding section of the router. To do that let us start on the first page:
First, click the Advanced Setup option in the left sidebar.
Now select the new option of NAT, then Virtual Servers.
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
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Put a dot into the Custom Server radio button.
Put a name for this forward in the Custom Server 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.
Enter the IP address that you are forwarding ports to in the Server IP Address box. This is either the IP address of a computer or the IP address of another device on your network.
If you are only forwarding a single port then you can enter that same port number into the External Port Start, External Port End, Internal Port Start and Internal Port End boxes. If you are forwarding a range of ports then you need to enter the lowest number of the range into the External Port Start and Internal Port Start boxes and the highest number of the range into the External Port End and Internal Port End boxes.
Select the protocol type of the ports you are forwarding from the Protocol box.
Once you have finished, click the Save/Apply button.
Test for Open Ports
How do you know the ports actually forwarded? To test them use our free Open Port Checker located in our trial version of the Network Utilities tool. This Open Port Checker is not only free but it is guaranteed to work.
More Resources
Hopefully this guide has helped you get your ports open for the TP-Link TD-W8960N router. Here are more guides you may be interested in:
- Here's a long list of Game Walkthroughs.
- What are some possible Alternatives to Port Forwarding?
- Learn how to port forward behind 2 routers.
- Here are some common Networking Terms.
