Question Port forwarding seems to be set up correctly, but port is still closed.

[icarter]

I have port-forwarded before, and as far as I can tell, I have it set up correctly. However when I use https://portforward.com 's port checking utility, it is closed. My ip address is static, and I set a new inbound rule in my computer's firewall, but I see no difference. My router is an eero Pro 6, and I am using an unmanaged ethernet switch. Any help would be greatly appreciated! (My router's firmware is up-to-date)

 

[Ralston18]

Mesh Wifi network - correct?

Do you have access to the eero app?

Reference:

https://support.eero.com/hc/en-us/articles/207908443-How-do-I-configure-port-forwarding-

If the above link does not apply or otherwise resolve the problem then more information will be needed.

Generic network line diagram:

ISP ----> Modem -----> Router -----> Switch (for wired devices) and ~~~ wireless ~~~> eero Pro 6 mesh device(s) [LANport] ---Ethernet cable ----> Your computer.

Edit and correct as necessary.

Overall, I believe that you need to set up the forwarded port on the router. Not the eero Pro 6.

Include make and model information for the other devices in your network.

 

[icarter]

Hey, I appreciate the quick response! I believe my router does support the mesh system, but I am only using one of them, so it behaves as a normal router. I have access to the eero app, as that's where I've set up the port forward. From what I know, the eero pro 6 IS my router. It is connected to a modem.

This is what my connection looks like:
ISP ----> Modem(803g) -----> Router(eero pro 6) -----> Switch(5-port Gigabit unmanaged) -----> Ethernet cable ----> My computer.

For reference, this is my exact unit: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/eero-p....p?skuId=6433424&ref=212&loc=1&extStoreId=208

My modem is a GigaPoint 803g. Information and specs are listed here.

This is my switch.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[bill001g]

So if we assume you set the port forwarding rules up correctly the 2 most common things make a port closed are.

1. The is no program actaully active on the port. You can many times see it with the netstat command.
2. Much more common is you do not have a public ip address. Check that the IP you see on the WAN port of your router is the same IP as a site like whatsmyip. If they are different you do not have a public IP and port forwarding will never work.

Be very sure of the part number of the modem, some of the devices in the document you linked also contain a router. If yours is only a modem then that is good.

 

[icarter]

1. Ok, so when I run the pf.com port-checker while the application using the port is running, I get this message:

"Port could not be checked. Please close any applications that may be using this port and try again."

I get that message while testing with TCP protocol. When I test with UDP protocol, I get the same "Your port is NOT OPEN or not reachable!".

2. I cannot find any ip address anywhere on my router or modem, however when I check my system, my public ip address reads the same as what I get from this website - http://ip4.me
Let me know if I am misunderstanding your second idea.

Thanks!

 

[bill001g]

It does little good to check different web sites to get the public IP. They all will tell you the same thing but you still don't know if there is a ISP router doing NAT between your router and the web site.

Maybe try the DMZ option on your router instead just to make sure it is not a port forwarding configuration issue. DMZ is much easier to setup on many routers.

Still you need to find the IP being assigned to your router. That is "YOUR" ip and it must be not shared by other people.

 

[icarter]

I can't find a DMZ option anywhere in my router's app. Is the "ip assigned to my router" my default gateway?

 

[kanewolf]

I can't find a DMZ option anywhere in my router's app. Is the "ip assigned to my router" my default gateway?

Not on your PC. Only the GUI in your router can show you your WAN IP address. It might be shown on a "STATUS" screen, or a "WAN" screen or even a "CONFIGURATION" screen.
If you WAN IP address is 100.64.x.y or 192.168.x.y or 10.x.y.z then you can't port forward because you don't have a public IP address.

 

[icarter]

In my router's GUI I see an "ip address" and a "router ip" field. Neither of them looks anything like your examples. That is all in a section called "External IP", and then in a subcategory called DHCP. The choice other than DHCP is "static ip". Should I set that to static?

Thanks

 

[kanewolf]

In my router's GUI I see an "ip address" and a "router ip" field. Neither of them looks anything like your examples. That is all in a section called "External IP", and then in a subcategory called DHCP. The choice other than DHCP is "static ip". Should I set that to static?

Thanks

No. That setting tells the router how to interact with the ISP. Don't change that.
Does anything shown in that External IP match what is shown by https://whatsmyip.com/

 

[icarter]

Yes, the ip in the "ip address" field matches.

 

[kanewolf]

Yes, the ip in the "ip address" field matches.

OK. Then you have a public IP address. So port forwarding is not impossible.
Are you trying to run a server that others will be able to join? Or something else? You never identified WHY you are trying to port forward.

 

[icarter]

Yes, I am trying to host a server.

 

[kanewolf]

Yes, I am trying to host a server.

OK. Have you verified that you can access the server from a different PC on your LAN?
If so, then if the server is up, you should be able to use a port checker. It will show down if the software is not up to respond.

 

[icarter]

I haven't checked connecting with another system, I don't really have another device I can check with. When I run the port-checker while the server is online, I get this message:
"Port could not be checked. Please close any applications that may be using this port and try again."

I also know that my server is set up correctly.

Thanks

 

[kanewolf]

I haven't checked connecting with another system, I don't really have another device I can check with. When I run the port-checker while the server is online, I get this message:
"Port could not be checked. Please close any applications that may be using this port and try again."

I also know that my server is set up correctly.

Thanks

You really need to verify that you can remotely connect to your server on the LAN before trying to verify remote connectivity.
Your portchecker problem could be a false failure because you are running on the same host as the server.
Have you gotten any friends to attempt to connect?

 

[icarter]

Yeah, people outside my network can't connect.
I don't really have another device I can use to connect with, is there another way to check?

 

[kanewolf]

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Yeah, people outside my network can't connect.
I don't really have another device I can use to connect with, is there another way to check?

Have somebody bring a laptop to your house? With just one compute, your just don't have enough resources. Looking at the EERO manual, it has an option for "hairpin" NAT. That should allow you to use the port forwarding on the router from the LAN to test.

 

[kanewolf]

Yeah, people outside my network can't connect.
I don't really have another device I can use to connect with, is there another way to check?

One thing you could try is running wireshark on the PC while someone attempts to access it. That will allow you to capture any network traffic that comes in. Don't have any other browsers or other software running that would generate traffic. It will make finding the incoming traffic more difficult.
Wireshark is not trivial to use. It can be rather complicated.

 

[icarter]

Hey, what should I look for in WireShark when having somebody connect to my server?

 

[kanewolf]

Hey, what should I look for in WireShark when having somebody connect to my server?

Traffic going to the port you are expecting. Or traffic originating from your router's LAN IP address.

 

[icarter]

Would that be under info in Wireshark? I can't see ports numbers

 

[kanewolf]

Would that be under info in Wireshark? I can't see ports numbers

You can configure Wireshark to filter only the ports you want to see or the IP you want to see. Port numbers ARE shown. See this page -- https://www.wireshark.org/docs/wsug_html_chunked/ChWorkDisplayFilterSection.html
The ports are listed at the beginning of the "Info" section on the right in figure 6.7

 

[icarter]

Ok I have set up the parameters. When somebody tries to connect, should I be looking for their external ip address under "Source"?

 

[kanewolf]

Ok I have set up the parameters. When somebody tries to connect, should I be looking for their external ip address under "Source"?

With a port forward, I think so.