How Do You Open A Port In Your Router?

Question

Ever since I have installed my router on my computer, the download speeds on my bittorent client have been very slow compared to when I did not have it. It usually says that a "firewall/router" is limiting my connection. I know it's not my firewall, because I have windows XP firewall on and it never slows down the download speed, before. Also my Bittorent Client would say to open up a port for my clients in my router. I have a "Belkin D-Link" Wireless router, a DSL Modem, and Windows XP. I know my routers ip address by typing "cmd" in "run" then typing in "ipconfig". On every website I have been to it says to type your routers ip address in your web browser which is "Mozilla Firefox". Then it brings me to all the settings for my router. Then all the sites would tell me to look at the top left corner where it will have the option "Advanced Setup">"Port Forwarding". The major problem is that I don't see that! So, Please can anyone show me the process in opening ports in my router!? thx

Answer 1

Yea, typically networks like bittorrent regulate your download speeds based on how much speed your are contributing to others (your upload speed) With a router firewall (no forwarding), bittorent cannot share your material and thus you get slower speeds. Setting up port forwarding is easy -- first find out what ports Bittorent uses (google for the info) and then find out your computers IP address (the one using bittorent) by typing start->run cmd ipconfig /all
you should see something like 192.168.1. x where x is some number --- note this number and goto your router control panel http://192.168.1.1 -- go to the port forwarding area and add port forwarding for the desired range or ports to the address you found above -- 192.168.1.x
Now everything should work.

Note: You may want to set your IP as static on your computer rather than using DHCP -- otherwise you might get a new IP and lose the forwarding.

Answer 2

1. Find out the port numbers that you need to open.
2. You can go to http://www.portforward.com to learn how to open these ports.