Sometimes we have to configure some parameters to allow our network to work properly. This can be at the level of the operating system, the applications we use, the router … Something common among users is that they have to open the ports to use a certain tool. In this article we are going to explain how to configure port forwarding in Windows 10 . It is, as we know, the most widely used operating system on desktop computers today.
Configure port forwarding in Windows
It is possible that a certain application or for example a game at a specific moment asks us for something called port forwarding. Without that port forwarding there could be no connection between the app or game and the incoming traffic or data entered on the Internet. We could not use certain functions that a certain software has.
We can solve this problem if we configure port forwarding in Windows 10. It is a simple process and you simply have to carry out a series of steps that we are going to explain.
The first thing we have to do is press the Windows key and write firewall to open Windows Defender Firewall . When we are here you have to click on Entry rules, which is the second option that appears. Port forwarding generally refers to inbound traffic, hence we have to access that feature.
There we should see a list of applications that can be more or less long depending on the time we have been using the equipment and therefore the number of tools we have used. Games and applications that have Internet access may appear. This entire list is the entry rules. All this that appears to us is that they have permission to send data to our team.
We can right-click on any of the rules, for example an application. Later we give Properties. Inside the Protocol and ports box. The protocol will generally be UDP or TCP . We will also see the local port, which is where the connection is allowed. However, the one that interests us the most is Remote Port. This is the port that the client (that game, application, or service) is using to connect.
By default, as we can see in the image below, a remote port is randomly selected. So we can see that it says “All ports” .
What we have to do is create new port rules. We click on “New rule” in the right panel, then in the new window we click on Port. We choose if the connection will use a TCP or UDP protocol (the application that asks us to forward the port must specify the protocol), then we choose the ports that we want to open.
We can allow “All local ports” or specify which ones we want to open. We can also only specify a port or open a wider range. We have to click next and then Allow connection . We have to choose whether the connection should be applied in the domain, private home network or in a public network location and we give that rule a name.
When we have created this rule it will join all those that were already present. We can modify it, make it apply only to certain programs or services, etc.
In short, by following these steps we have mentioned we can forward ports in Windows 10 in case an application or service asks us to do so. As we can see, it is a simple and fast process that we can do through the operating system configuration itself without having to install anything additional.
On the other hand, we want to remember the importance of having security tools. A good antivirus and firewall can prevent threats from entering. In this sense, we have the possibility to use Windows Defender, which is available in the Microsoft operating system for free.
