Easiest Way to Get an Open Port on the TP-Link TL-WR841ND Router

TP-Link TL-WR841ND routers include a basic firewall that helps protect your home network from unwanted Internet access. Your firewall works by blocking incoming connections you may need. Certain games and applications will run much better if you open a port. This process of opening a port is frequently called a port forward, since you are forwarding a port from the internet to your home network.

In this guide I will walk you step-by-step through the port forwarding process on the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router. I will show you how to:

• setup a static IP address on the device you plan on forwarding these ports to.
• login to the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router web interface.
• find the port forwarding page in the router's web interface.
• setup a port forward for the online game or program of your choice.

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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.

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.

Write this static IP address down. You need it later in the process.

Step 2

Now we are going to login to your TP-Link TL-WR841ND router. Your router has a web interface, so you will login to it using your web browser. This can be either Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Edge. It usually does not matter which browser you choose to use.

Open up your web browser and find the address bar. It should look something 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 TL-WR841ND IP Address is: 192.168.1.1

After entering the IP address of your router you can simply press enter. If all goes well you will see the following screen:

You should see a box prompting you for your username and password. If you do not see a login screen like the one. If you do not, then you need to find out what the router's IP address was changed to. I recommend following the directions on my How To Find Your Router's IP Address page.

• The Default TP-Link TL-WR841ND Router Username is: admin
• The Default TP-Link TL-WR841ND Router Password is: password

Enter your username and password, and then click the OK button to log in to your TP-Link TL-WR841ND router.

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 TP-Link default combinations. Here is our list of all known Default TP-Link Router Passwords.
• Second, try and guess what the password/username 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

Now we need to find the port forwarding section in your router. Here's how you do it. Starting from the Status page in your router:

First, click the Forwarding link in the left sidebar.

You should now see a new menu. Select the new option of Virtual Servers.

On this new page, click the option of Add New in the center section of the page.

You are now on the correct page of the router interface.

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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In the Service Port box enter the port to forward.

Enter the IP address of the device that you want to forward ports to into the IP Address box. This can be either the IP address of your computer or the IP address of another device on your network.

Use the Protocol dropdown box to select the protocol type of the ports you are forwarding.

From the Status dropdown box choose Enabled.

When you are all done click the Save button.

Don't forget to click the Save button after your entry.

Your ports should now be open. It is time to test them.

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the TP-Link TL-WR841ND you should test to see if your ports are forwarded correctly.

To test if your port has been properly forwarded, you can use our Network Utilities tool, which includes a free Open Port Checker. Our Open Port Check tool is the only online port checking tool with Guaranteed Results.

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.