Your TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router has basic firewall that helps to protect your home network from any unwanted Internet access. Your firewall blocks incoming connections you may want open for a game or other application. This process of opening ports is called a port forward.
We will walk you through each of the following steps in order to get your ports forwarded for the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router. We will show you how to:
- Setup a static IP address on the exact device or console you want these port forwarded to.
- Login to your TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router.
- Navigate to the port forwarding section.
- Create a port forward entry.
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.
NOTE: Write this static IP address down for later in this process.
Step 2
Now let's login to the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router. To do that you need to use your computer and open up a web browser. It usually doesn't matter what browser you decide to use. We recommend just using the one you are the most comfortable with such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, or Firefox.
Open up your web browser and find the address bar. It looks something 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-WR1043ND router IP address (computer's default gateway) is: 192.168.1.1
Did the default IP address not work? Did you change the router's IP address in the past and don't recall what you changed it to? To find out what the current router IP address is follow the instructions on this How To Find Your Router's IP Address page.
After entering the IP address of your router you can simply press Enter. If you entered the correct IP address you will see a screen similar to the following image:
You should see a box prompting you for your username and password.
- The Default TP-Link TL-WR1043ND Router Username is: admin
- The Default TP-Link TL-WR1043ND Router Password is: password
Enter your username and password, and then click the Login button to log in to your TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router.
Having Trouble?
If the above username and password did not work, here are a few things you can try:
- Other TP-Link usernames and passwords. If your TP-Link is a different firmware version you could also have a different username and password combination. Here is our list of Default TP-Link Router Passwords.
- Our Find Password App to help you figure out what you changed the username and password to. Learn more about that on this Router Password Cracker page.
- As an absolute last resort, you could perform a factory reset on the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router. This will erase everything you have ever changed on the router including the username and password. We DO NOT recommend doing a reset unless you have exhausted your other options first. A full router reconfiguration will need to be done afterwards. Learn the basics of resetting a router on this How to Reset a Router page.
Step 3
Time to find the port forwarding section of the router. To do that we will be starting on the Status page:
First, click the Forwarding option in the left sidebar.
You should now see a new menu. Click the new option of Virtual Servers.
Now click Add New in the center section of the page.
You are now on the correct page to enter the port forwarding data.
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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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.
In the Service Port box put the port to forward.
Enter the IP address that you are forwarding ports to in the IP Address box. This is either the IP address of a computer or the IP address of another device on your network.
Select the required protocol for these ports from the Protocol dropdown box.
Select Enabled from the Status dropdown box.
Click the Save button when you are all done.
Don't forget to save after each entry.
Test if Your Ports are Open
Now that you have forwarded ports on the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND 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. This Open Port Check tool is the only online port checking tool with Guaranteed Results.
More Info...
If you are struggling with the port forward, we recommend using our Port Forward Software. We believe port forwarding should be easy and with our software it is. We will troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix any port forwarding issues you are having.
Don't forget to check out our full list of guides here. We have networking, gaming, and software guides. portforward.com is your computer information source.
Check out the different guides we have for setting up your router here at setuprouter.com.
