Your TP-Link Archer C8 router uses a firewall to help protect your home network from potential malicious threats from the Internet. Your firewall does this by blocking all connections to and from the Internet unless specified otherwise. When a game or program isn't running well, such as lag or crashing, you may need to open a few of the blocked ports in order for the program to run normally. This process of opening ports or connections is called a port forward.
In this guide we will be walking you through each of the following steps:
- How to setup a static IP Address on the exact device you plan on forwarding these ports to.
- How to login to the TP-Link Archer C8 router.
- How to find the port forwarding section of the router.
- Finally, how to 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.
Step 2
After creating a static IP address on the device you want ports forwarded to, you need to login. This router uses a web interface which means you need to login using a web browser. It doesn't matter which browser you decide to use, simply pick your favorite. Some common options are: Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Firefox.
Once you have opened the web browser of your choice, you need to find the address bar. This is normally found 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 Archer C8 IP Address is: 192.168.0.1
After entering the IP address into the address bar, click the Enter key on your keyboard. This should open a login box or page like this:
Enter your username and password here. Then click the blue Login button.
- The Default TP-Link Archer C8 Router Username is: admin
- The Default TP-Link Archer C8 Router Password is: password
Username and Password Trouble
This is a very common place to get stuck. If you find yourself here, there are several things you can try:
- First, we recommend trying other TP-Link usernames and passwords. If you have a different version you may also have a different username and password. Here is our list of Default TP-Link Router Passwords.
- If you tried other TP-Link passwords and are still stuck it is because you changed the username and password and have since forgotten. We recommend trying to guess what you changed it to. If you need help with this step, use our Find Password App. It guesses thousands of passwords for you until it finds out what you changed it to. Learn more about this on our Router Password Cracker page.
- If you are still stuck, it might be time to start considering a factory reset. This will erase all your personal data on the router. If you think you need to reset your TP-Link Archer C8 router, learn how in this How to Reset a Router guide.
Step 3
Once you have finished logging into the TP-Link Archer C8 router it is time to find the port forwarding section of your router. We begin on the Basic Network Map page.
First of all, click the tab at the top of the page labeled Advanced.
On this new page, click the link in the left sidebar labeled NAT Forwarding.
This opens up a sub-menu. Pick the option of Virtual Servers.
You should now be on the page you see above. Click the link in the center section of the page labeled +Add.
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.
Put a name for this forward in the Service Type box so that you can remember why you set this forward up. The name does not matter so pick something that has meaning to you.
Put the same port number into both the External Port and the Internal Port boxes.
Enter the IP address to forward these ports to into the Internal IP box. If you are forwarding ports so you can run a program on a device other than your computer then you can enter your device's IP address into that box.
In the Protocol box select the protocol that you want to forward these ports over.
Enable the Enable This Entry checkbox by putting a check in it.
Click the Ok button when you are finished.
After you have completed each entry be sure to click the blue OK button.
Check Your Ports
It is always a good idea to check if the ports are actually open after you have finished forwarding them. We recommend using our Open Port Checker. If you get our trial version of the Network Utilities it is completely FREE. Our port checker is different than others you find on the Internet because our port checker uses a local application to see if the ports are listening. Most port checkers assume you have a certain program and if you don't have that program the results could be skewed.
Additional Info...
Here at portforward.com we have a large selection of networking guides, game walkthroughs and much more.
If you are looking for more router setup guides such as WiFi guides, router manuals, or even how to change your wireless channel, check out setuprouter.com.
