Your Linksys EA6100 router has a firewall that helps protect your home network from unwanted Internet access. Your firewall blocks all connections except a few. In order to open these connections for a program or game to run more smoothly you need to make a port forward.
In this guide we walk you through each of the following steps:
- Step 1 How to setup a static IP address on the device you plan on forwarding these ports to.
- Step 2 How to login to the Linksys EA6100 router.
- Step 3 How to navigate to the port forwarding section of the router.
- Step 4 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
Your Linksys EA6100 router uses a web interface so you need to use a web browser to access the router menu. It should not matter what browser you decide to use simply pick a favorite. Some of the more common options are: Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Firefox.
After picking a browser, open it up and find the address bar. The address bar is normally 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 Linksys EA6100 router IP address is: 192.168.1.1
Press the Enter key after you have finished and you should be shown a LOGIN screen like this:
On this screen you need to enter the email address you used when setting up the router the first time. You also need to enter the password you created in the initial setup.
If you have forgotten these values then you can always click the Forgot your password? link.
Another option is using our Find Password App. This automates the process of trying thousands of different username/password combinations. If you are interested in this option, learn more about it on our Router Password Cracker page.
Step 3
In this third step we will guide you to the port forwarding section of the router. We begin on the Home page of the Linksys EA6100 router.
First, click the option in the left sidebar labeled Security. It should be at the very bottom.
Now, check out the three tabs at the top of the page. Select the one labeled Apps and Gaming.
In the smaller menu under the tabs choose the option of Single Port Forwarding if you are forwarding only one port or several that are not in order, such as 22,28,56,78. Choose the option of Port Range Forwarding if you are forwarding a range of ports such as 55-58.
The screenshot above is the Single Port Forwarding option. This or the Port Range Forwarding page is the correct page to be on in order to make a port forward.
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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Forwarding a Port Range
Create a name for this forward and put it in the Application Name box. The name is only used as a reminder and has no effect on the port forward.
If you are forwarding a range of ports separated by a hyphen then enter the lowest number of that range into the Start Port box and the highest number of that range into the End Port box. If you are only forwarding a single port number then enter that number into both the Start Port and the End Port boxes.
In the Protocol box select the protocol that you want to forward these ports over.
Enter the IP address that you are forwarding ports to in the Device IP# box. This is either the IP address of a computer or the IP address of another device on your network.
Verify that you have the Enabled checkbox checked.
When you are done click the Save button.
Forwarding a Single Port
Put a name for this forward in the Application 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.
Enter the port to forward into the External Port and the Internal Port boxes.
In the Protocol box select the protocol that you want to forward these ports over.
You need to enter the IP address that you are forwarding ports to in the Device IP# box. It's possible for this to be either the IP address of your computer or any other IP address on your network that you want ports forwarded to.
Verify that you have the Enabled checkbox checked.
When you are all done click the Save button.
Test Your Ports
It is now time to test the ports you just forwarded. One way to find out if the ports actually forwarded is to use our Open Port Checker. This is part of our FREE trial version of the Network Utilities. Our open port checker uses local applications to see if the ports are open or not. This guarantees you will get a true yes or no answer.
Additional Info
We have more guides for you here.
Also check out setuprouter.com for router setup guides.
