This Linksys XAC1200 router has a firewall that helps keep your home network safe from any unwanted Internet access. The router firewall does this by blocking incoming and outgoing connections that have not been authorized. All the connections needed to surf the web and check your email are authorized, however some connections that allow for better online gaming or other online programs are not automatically opened. You need to open them by creating a port forward.
On this page I will show you exactly how to port forward on the Linksys XAC1200 router. I will walk you through each of the following steps:
- How to setup a static IP address on the device you plan on forwarding the ports to.
- How to login to the Linksys XAC1200 router interface.
- How to find the port forwarding section of the device.
- What information to enter for the port forward entry.
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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.
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TIP: You need this static IP address a little later in this process, write it down.
Step 2
In order to login to the Linksys XAC1200 router interface you need to open a web browser. It typically doesn't matter what browser you decide to use, I recommend picking the one you are most comfortable with such as Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox.
Once you have opened the web browser, find the address bar. If you don't know what this is, it is located 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 XAC1200 IP Address is: 192.168.1.1
After you enter the Linksys XAC1200 router's IP address, click the Enter key. This should give you a login page similar this:
If a login screen did not appear after you entered the router's IP address in the address bar, you need to find out what the router's IP address has been changed to. I recommend following the directions on the How To Find Your Router's IP Address page.
Go ahead and enter the router's login password.
- The Default Linksys XAC1200 Router Username is: admin
- The Default Linksys XAC1200 Router Password is: password
Click the blue Sign In button to access the router's web interface.
Having Trouble?
This is a pretty common place to get stuck. If you find yourself here, don't panic, there are a few things you can try:
- First, check all the different Linksys default passwords. Here is our list of all known Default Linksys Router Passwords.
- Second, try and guess what the password was changed to. Use our Find Password App to make this step easier.
- Finally, if you still are stuck after trying both of the above options, it may be time to consider a factory reset. Learn more about this option on the How to Reset a Router page.
Step 3
It is now time to find the port forwarding section of the router. To help you with this step, we begin on the Home page.
From the Home page, click the option of Security in the left sidebar.
Now select the option of Apps and Gaming at the top of the page. Then under that select either Single Port Forwarding or Port Range Forwarding below that.
The image you see above is the Single Port Forwarding page.
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
You need to name this entry in the Application Name box. The name does not make any difference in the forward; it's just there so that you can remember later why you setup this forward.
If you are only forwarding a single port number then enter that number into both the Start Port and the End Port boxes. 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.
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.
In the Enabled checkbox put a checkmark.
When you are finished, click the Save button.
Forwarding a Single Port
You need to name this entry in the Application Name box. The name does not make any difference in the forward; it's just there so that you can remember later why you setup this forward.
Enter the same port number to be forwarded into both the External Port and the Internal Port boxes.
Select the protocol type of the ports you are forwarding from the Protocol box.
Enter the IP address to forward these ports to into the Device 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.
Put a checkmark in the Enabled checkbox.
When you are all done click the Save button.
When you are finished click the blue Apply button to save your changes.
Test Your Ports
Are your the ports you just forwarded really open? An easy way to find out is use our free Open Port Checker. It uses a local application to see if the ports are open or not. This guarantees our port checkers accuracy.
More Info...
Check out our other guides here. We have a growing list of free gaming, networking, and software guides here at portforward.com.
Our other site setuprouter.com can help you setup a secure home network with your exact router.
