If you've used one of the best VPNs (or poked about on a VPN provider site), you might've encountered the term port forwarding and wondered what it is, what it does, and whether you'll ever need to use it.
Port forwarding, in a nutshell, helps you access a device that's connected to your home network when you're out and about. So, if you want to check in on your security camera or use a remote desktop to grab files from your PC, port forwarding can help you out.
Still, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Keep reading, and I'll walk you through how PureVPN takes this techy VPN concept and turns it into a handy feature that everyone, regardless of skill level, can use.
What is port forwarding?
Port forwarding lets devices and remote servers connect to other devices on a private network. It's a technique that passes traffic from network node to network node, more directly, and typically needs to be configured manually.
So, when you set up port forwarding, you'll need to assign traffic to a certain port, and the traffic will then be routed to that port and bypass some security protocols. Seeing as this shortens the length of the overall journey the traffic must take, it can help boost your browsing speeds, but there are a few hangups to keep in mind before you go ahead with port forwarding.
Opening up extra ports to the internet carries a risk—and that's because bad actors (like cybercriminals and hackers) can use these freshly opened ports to try and steal identifiable information. This is why I recommend using a VPN's port forwarding offering rather than going it alone with manual router configuration.
How does port forwarding work with PureVPN?
To understand how port forwarding works, it helps to think about the process as though it's a relay race—with different participants taking up the baton sequentially. Only, instead of a metal baton and athletes, we're talking about web traffic being forwarded between network nodes.
One of the most important team members in this race is your router's NAT firewall. Whenever a device sends a request to join the network, the NAT firewall joins the connections to the device that sent the request—and ensures that anything that shouldn't connect, doesn't.
This is happening all the time, automatically, and usually doesn't require manual interference, but you'll need to set up port forwarding yourself if you want to allow connections between remote and local devices.
This is where you start opening router ports—and a typical router has more than 60,000. 1,000 of these are already spoken for and mapped to functions, but you can do whatever you like with the others, and assign them to specific devices or programs. That means that the next time a device attempts to connect to your router, it'll create a direct connection automatically.
The NAT firewall, as a result, won't discard the connection request, and will pass the traffic along exactly where you told it to go. It's like reminding a runner in a race which team member they're supposed to pass the baton on to (which I don't think happens in the Olympics, but you get the idea).
There are three types of port forwarding:
- Local port forwarding: allows users to connect a computer to a server via a secure tunnel. This is a great way to get past firewalls and restrictions that'd otherwise keep you locked out of specific sites and services, or connect your PC to a game server.
- Remote port forwarding: if you want to connect to your laptop remotely, or host a server or service, you'll want to set up remote port forwarding. You might need to do this to access a host company server, for instance.
- Dynamic port forwarding: like a proxy, this port forwarding lets you create your own tunnel that you can use to connect remotely to a server or device. As the name suggests, this kind of port forwarding doesn't require you to choose the port number beforehand.
Why use port forwarding with PureVPN?
So, now that you have a better idea of how port forwarding works, your next question is probably: "why is it useful?" PureVPN’s port forwarding add-on is a versatile tool you can use to expand your online experience, and here are just a few common use cases:
Tap into your home network
If you're away from home and need to create a connection between whichever gadget you have with you and your home network, port forwarding is the way to do it. Through this connection, you'll be able to access your laptop's webcam or the footage from a security camera, use remote desktop software, and dial into IoT devices you have dotted around your home.
Remote hosting
For folks who are hosting services on a private network, and want to invite other internet-dwelling people to check it out, port forwarding makes it possible.
Enhanced online gaming
If you've invested in a firewall, or use a gaming VPN, you might find that they prevent you from hosting game servers—which isn't what you want when you're trying to team up with friends. Port forwarding lets you bypass these firewalls, and can also help you squash lag and improve latency by creating a direct line of communication between your device and the game server.
Seamless P2P file sharing
Port forwarding is an essential piece of kit for folks running a P2P application. Even decent torrenting VPNs often reject incoming P2P connections, slowing your downloads to a crawl and putting a stop to any seeding you plan on doing. With port forwarding, you can help route data packets to your P2P app and connect to user clients to seed downloads, too, and massively speed up your file sharing.
FAQs
Is port forwarding safe?
Opening router ports can be risky, leaving you vulnerable to snoopers, cybercriminals, and other bad actors who may try and take advantage of a newly opened port. This is why I recommend being especially careful when using port forwarding, and using PureVPN's dedicated add-on to reduce the inherent risk of manual configuration.
Port forwarding vs. port triggering?
Port forwarding and port triggering get mixed up all the time, but they're different functions. Pick a port to trigger and it'll stay closed until communication from a device comes knocking—the port only opens when absolutely necessary. Port forwarding, on the other hand, keeps ports open indefinitely, so traffic gets routed constantly to pre-defined devices.
It's also worth noting that port triggering requires an ever-changing dynamic IP address, whereas port forwarding needs a static internal IP address.
Does port forwarding improve speed?
Port forwarding can't accelerate your internet speeds, but it can help cut latency. How? Well, port forwarding routes traffic from specific ports directly to a specified device instead of sending it through a router (where it'll need to be sorted).
