There have been some recent requests to understand and set up port forwarding. This article will explain what port forwarding is and how to use it on your in-home network.
How Does Port Forwarding Work?
Similar to a wall in your home, your Wireless Gateway keeps out potentially harmful risks from the Internet while opening doors or "ports" for safe Internet traffic.
Some applications require a designated port in order to work properly, and that's where port forwarding comes in handy. Port forwarding is also commonly used for:
What is a port number?
All incoming traffic will include a network port number to identify the type of traffic being sent. To find the port number of the traffic you're looking for, contact the service developer or search online. Common port numbers are Port 80 (web servers) and Port 443 for Secure Socket Layer traffic.
What is an IP address?
Every device connected to your home network is assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Your Wireless Gateway communicates with your network devices by automatically assigning local addresses or IP address, such as 10.0.0.1.
Visit xfinity.com/myxFi or open the Xfinity xFi app and sign in with your Xfinity username and password.
Select Network from the Overview section.
Select Advanced Settings under More Options.
Select Port Forwarding from the menu.
Select Add Port Forward.
Note: If you've previously set up a port forward from your Gateway's Admin Tool (http://10.0.0.1), you should see it listed in the Port Forwarding Settings.
Choose the household device for the port forward you are setting up from the drop-down list of connected devices.
Note: If you don't see the device listed, it may not be connected to your home network.
Choose from the list of common applications to use a recommended, preset configuration (e.g., Xbox or PlayStation) or select Manual Setup to enter specific port numbers, ranges and/or protocols.
Select Apply Changes to complete the setup of the port forward.
The device you set up for this port forward can now use these settings.
Note: If you are unsure what port settings to choose, reference the device manual or the application you are trying to use. Opening unnecessary ports is not recommended, as it may pose a security risk.
We recommend xFi for most subscribers, but more advanced users can alternately use the Gateway’s Admin Tool.
**Note**: Once you access port forwarding, Bedtime Mode or pause/unpause a device through xFi, you will no longer be able to access similar features (port forwarding, block or scheduled block) through the Gateway's Admin Tool (http://10.0.0.1).