This Asus RT-AC3100 router has a firewall that helps to protect your home network from unwanted Internet access. The firewall does this by blocking incoming and outgoing connections that have not been authorized. Sometimes when playing a game online or using an online application you need to have some additional connections opened to allow for a better overall experience. This process is called a port forward.
Use this guide to learn how to properly port forward the Asus RT-AC3100 router. We will be walking you through each of the following steps:
- How to create a static IP address on the device you plan on forwarding these ports to.
- How to login to the Asus RT-AC3100 router.
- How to find the port forwarding section of the router.
- Finally, we will be showing you 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
It is now time to login to the Asus RT-AC3100 router. Your router uses a web interface. This means you need to login using a web browser. It really should not matter what browser you decide to use, we recommend simply picking a favorite. Some of the more common options are Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.
Now that you have picked a web browser, open it up and locate the address bar. This is 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 Asus RT-AC3100 IP Address is: 192.168.1.1
If the above IP address did not work or you have changed it in the past then you need to find out what the address is. To do that, follow the instructions on this How To Find Your Router's IP Address page.
Once you have entered the router's IP address, just press the Enter key. This gives you the Login screen:
On this login screen enter the username and password for the Asus RT-AC3100 router. Then press the Sign in button to gain access to the router's setup pages.
- The Default Asus RT-AC3100 Router Username is: admin
- The Default Asus RT-AC3100 Router Password is: password
Having Trouble?
If you find yourself stuck on this step, don't panic there are a few things you can try:
- First, try other Asus passwords. If you have a different firmware version then you could also have a different username and password. Here is our list of Default Asus Router Passwords.
- Next, try guessing what it may have been changed to. If the list of passwords did not work it is because the password and/or username was changed in the past. If you need some help guessing use our Find Password App. It will automate the process of guessing thousands of different possibilities. Learn more on this Router Password Cracker page.
- Finally if you are still locked out of your router setup pages, it might be time to consider a reset. A reset like this one is a big step. All your personal changes are erased. We highly recommend exhausting your other troubleshooting methods first. Learn the basics of how to reset a router on this How to Reset a Router page.
Step 3
In this step, we will show you how to find the port forwarding section of the device. To do this we begin on the Network Map page of the device.
On this page, click the option in the left sidebar labeled WAN. It is over halfway down the page.
Then choose the tab at the top of the page labeled Virtual Server/Port Forwarding.
You should now see a page like the one above. Click the Yes option next to Enable Port Forwarding.
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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Put a name for this forward in the Service Name 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.
In the Port Range box put the ports to forward.
These ports can be entered as a list 23,24,25, a range 500-600, or a combination of both 23,45,500-600.
Enter the IP address that you want to forward these ports to into the Local IP box. Note that 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 instead.
Select the protocol type of the ports you are forwarding from the Protocol box.
When you are all done click the + button.
Don't forget when you are finished to click the Apply button to save your changes.
Testing The Ports
It is always a good idea to check the ports you just finished forwarding. In order to do this we recommend using our Open Port Checker. It is free to use if you get it with our trial version of the Network Utilities. Our Open Port Checker is better than others online because we use a local application to see if the server is listening. Online ports simply make an assumption about which applications you have installed onto your computer. Our Port Checker is GUARANTEED to work.
Additional Information...
Don't forget to check out the other guides we have here at portforward.comWe have everything from gaming guides to networking and software guides.
How about guides written specifically to help you setup your router. Do you need a guide to help setup your wireless network? How about setting up the DNS or changing the radio channel? We have these and more on setuprouter.com.
