Most routers including your TP-Link TL-ER5120 router has a firewall to help protect your home network from unwanted Internet access. Your firewall works by blocking all connections to and from your network unless already authorized. In order to authorize a connection (port) for online gaming or other program you need to make a port forward rule that tells the firewall this particular port or group of ports are okay.
In this guide we will be walking you through each of the following port forwarding steps:
- We will show you how to setup a static IP address on the device you are forwarding these ports to.
- We will then show you how to login to the TP-Link TL-ER5120 router.
- Next, we show you how to find the port forwarding section of the router.
- And finally, we will show you what information to enter in your router for the port forward entry.
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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.
You will need this static IP address a little later, so write it down on a piece of paper.
Step 2
It is now time to login to the **TP-Link TL-ER5120 ** router. To do this you need to open a web browser. This can be Google, Internet Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser you want to use.
After you have opened the web browser, look for the address bar. This should be 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 TL-ER5120 IP Address is: 192.168.0.1
If you changed the TP-Link TL-ER5120 router's IP address in the past, then enter that address instead of the one above. If you changed the IP address and don't remember what you changed it to, follow the directions on this How To Find Your Router's IP Address page.
Once you have entered the router's IP address in the address bar, click the Enter key on your keyboard. This should give you a dialogue box if everything went according to plan:
If you are on the right track you should see a box similar to the one above.
- The Default TP-Link TL-ER5120 Router Username is: admin
- The Default TP-Link TL-ER5120 Router Password is: password
Having Trouble?
If you are stuck at this point, don't panic there are a few things you can try:
- First, we recommend trying other TP-Link username/password combinations. Sometimes if you have a different firmware version you also have a different username and password combination. Here is our list of Default TP-Link Router Passwords.
- The second thing we recommend trying is our Find Password App. The number one reason a username and/or password does not work is because it was changed and forgotten. To help you guess use this app. Learn all about it on our Router Password Cracker page.
- Finally if the above two options did not work, it might be time to consider a factory reset. DO NOT reset your router unless you have exhausted all other troubleshooting options first. A factory reset erases everything you or your ISP has changed in the past. If you are a DSL customer you need the DSL username and password before you can reconfigure the router so be aware. If a reset is in your future, learn the basics of resetting a router on this How to Reset a Router page.
Step 3
In this third step we will guide you to the port forwarding section of the TP-Link TL-ER5120 router. Let's begin on the Status page.
- First, click the Advanced option in the left sidebar.
- Then click NAT below that.
You should now see a page like the one above.
- Click the Virtual Server tab at the top of the page.
That takes you to the correct page to create a port 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
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Enter a short description of the application you are forwarding ports for into the Name box. Select your available internet connection from the Interface drop down box. Enter the range of ports to forward in to the Enternal Port boxes, and again in the Internal Port boxes. If you are forwarding only one port enter that port number into all four boxes. If you have more than one range of ports to forward you will need to create more than one Virtual Server entry to get them all forwarded. Select the protocol the application requires for this particular port range with the Protocol drop down box. If you don't know what protocol to select, take a look at our ports page. Enter your computer or device's IP address into the Internal Server IP box. Make sure the Activate radio button is set. Then save this configuration.
Test the Port Forward
Did the port forward go through? It is always a good idea to check if the ports forwarded properly. In order to do this we recommend using our FREE Open Port Checker. There are a lot of port checkers on the Internet but ours does not make any assumptions on what programs you have installed on that computer. Our port checker uses a local application to see if the server is listening on the desired ports. If it is, your ports are open, guaranteed.
Additional Information
Are you having trouble port forwarding on your TP-Link TL-ER5120 ? Here at portforward.com we believe port forwarding should be easy. Our Port Forwarding Software troubleshoots, diagnoses, and fixes all your port forwarding issues. Here at portforward.com we make port forwarding easy.
Don't forget to check out what else we have for you. We have a lot of free guides about networking, gaming, and much more.
Need help setting up your router? setuprouter.com is the best source for setting up your home or business router.
