Routing And Switching Questions Long
Port forwarding is a technique used in computer networking that allows external access to devices on a private network. It involves the redirection of network traffic from one IP address and port number combination to another IP address and port number combination.
The process of port forwarding typically involves the following steps:
1. Configuring the router: Port forwarding is usually done at the router level. To begin, you need to access the router's configuration settings. This can be done by entering the router's IP address in a web browser and logging in with the appropriate credentials.
2. Identifying the device and port: Once inside the router's configuration settings, you need to identify the specific device on the private network that you want to allow external access to. This is typically done by specifying the device's IP address and the port number associated with the service or application you want to access.
3. Creating a port forwarding rule: After identifying the device and port, you need to create a port forwarding rule. This rule tells the router to redirect incoming traffic on a specific port to the internal IP address of the device on the private network.
4. Specifying the external port: In addition to specifying the internal IP address and port, you also need to specify the external port number. This is the port number that external devices will use to access the device on the private network. The router will then map this external port to the internal port of the device.
5. Enabling the port forwarding rule: Once the port forwarding rule is created, you need to enable it. This allows the router to start redirecting incoming traffic to the specified device on the private network.
6. Testing the port forwarding: After enabling the port forwarding rule, it is important to test whether external access to the device on the private network is working as intended. This can be done by attempting to access the device from an external network using the specified external IP address and port number.
By following these steps, port forwarding allows external devices to establish connections with devices on a private network. It essentially acts as a bridge between the private network and the external network, enabling communication between the two. This is particularly useful for accessing services or applications hosted on devices within a private network, such as web servers, remote desktop connections, or file sharing services.