Port Forwarding Router Directly?

[Lashie130]

Hi My Broadband Readers

So I am aware this is a old topic but relatively new for me in terms of understanding.

I currently use a Linksys WRT 3200ACM Router. I have enable port forwarding for my PlayStation IP address on my router. It works perfectly fine with no issues.

Now from what I understand this allows direct port access to the port range based on the range one has entered into the configuration. I am trying to enable port 1935 TCP access for multiple devices and not just the PlayStation (I already use this Port for Rocket League and Warzone).

The reason is because this is the suggested port for Youtube (Don’t ask why, just know Vodacom is my ISP due to them being the Fibre installer as well)

So from my readings and research the IP address which you enter will allow this range of ports access.

Now what I tried to do is give my router direct access to Port 1935 by entering the router IP, instead of a one specific device. Yet when I do a port check on https://networkappers.com/tools/open-port-checker#.YOb4gi1Hm-o it shows port 1935 as blocked.

Am I doing this wrong? Can you only assign ports to a device IP and not to the router IP itself? Or am I just being stupid about this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

P.S Do you use Port Forwarding for gaming?

 

[syntax]

I think i understand you correctly.
On the inbound direction you can only use 1 port for 1 service.
You could do something like this

Outside Inside
Port 1234 Port 1234
Port 5555 port 1234 Device 2
POrt 6666 port 1234 device 3

You cannot do this
Outside Inside
Port 1234 Port 1234 device 1
Port 1234 Port 1234 device 2

 

[Lashie130]

I think i understand you correctly.
On the inbound direction you can only use 1 port for 1 service.
You could do something like this

Outside Inside
Port 1234 Port 1234
Port 5555 port 1234 Device 2
POrt 6666 port 1234 device 3

You cannot do this
Outside Inside
Port 1234 Port 1234 device 1
Port 1234 Port 1234 device 2

So the above is my current set-up.

I don’t want to enable YouTube Port Fowarwding specifically to a device, I want to forward the Port for all devices which connect to my router but from what I can tell there is no way to do that.

So what I was hoping to do is
Port 1935 - 1935 TCP Device IP (This being the routers IP instead of a specific device)

But this doesn’t seem to work when I test if the port is opened.

 

[Soul Assassin]

UPnP?

 

[Lashie130]

So UPnP is enabled on my router, has been since I started using it.

So correct me if I am wrong. With UPnP enabled if I am Port Forwarding for a specific device, all other devices will use this “Port Forwarding” even though my router has specifically designated that Port Range for that Devices IP.

Port 1935 - 1935 for Device 1
This will not need to be enabled for device 2 as UPnP “auto enable it for other devices”.

Again not greatly knowledgeable in this area so please do correct me if I am wrong.

 

[netstrider]

So UPnP is enabled on my router, has been since I started using it.

So correct me if I am wrong. With UPnP enabled if I am Port Forwarding for a specific device, all other devices will use this “Port Forwarding” even though my router has specifically designated that Port Range for that Devices IP.

Port 1935 - 1935 for Device 1
This will not need to be enabled for device 2 as UPnP “auto enable it for other devices”.

Again not greatly knowledgeable in this area so please do correct me if I am wrong.

No.

@syntax is correct.

Also, you cannot open a port to your router if your router doesn't have a service using that port. For example, if you run a web server on port 8081 and port forward, it will be open, the moment you shut down the web server service (apache or whatever) the port will show closed even though it is forwarded on the router.

So your options are exactly as @syntax has said although I'm not sure why you need to open ports for YouTube? Is that for streaming to YouTube?

 

[Lashie130]

No.

@syntax is correct.

Also, you cannot open a port to your router if your router doesn't have a service using that port. For example, if you run a web server on port 8081 and port forward, it will be open, the moment you shut down the web server service (apache or whatever) the port will show closed even though it is forwarded on the router.

So your options are exactly as @syntax has said although I'm not sure why you need to open ports for YouTube? Is that for streaming to YouTube?

Okay I think I am understanding.

So for example if I am attempting to port forward for Port 1935 it would need to go as below:
1935 - 1935 Device IP (PlayStation Local IP Address)
1935 - 1936 Device IP (Laptop Local IP Address)

I cannot do the below:
1935 - 1935 (Device IP) Routers Actual IP Address

Reason being is actually just simply for streaming Youtube. Youtube on any device(TV, Laptop, PlayStation, Tablet) be it plugged in by LAN or on Wi-Fi, the video buffers at 1080p with my 100/50 line speed. I run a speed test and I get peak speeds. I run a video test and 4K is achievable.

Vodacom is of no help due to my router being my own and not the one they provided me with.

I used a friends log in details for a VPN this morning and Youtube seems to work with no issues whatsoever, that little white line almost runs across the screen. So this issue has me baffled and thinking that Port Forwarding may not be my answer.

For context this issue only started about a month and a half ago and it is only Youtube all other streaming services work perfectly.

 

[netstrider]

Okay I think I am understanding.

So for example if I am attempting to port forward for Port 1935 it would need to go as below:
1935 - 1935 Device IP (PlayStation Local IP Address)
1935 - 1936 Device IP (Laptop Local IP Address)

I cannot do the below:
1935 - 1935 (Device IP) Routers Actual IP Address

Reason being is actually just simply for streaming Youtube. Youtube on any device(TV, Laptop, PlayStation, Tablet) be it plugged in by LAN or on Wi-Fi, the video buffers at 1080p with my 100/50 line speed. I run a speed test and I get peak speeds. I run a video test and 4K is achievable.

Vodacom is of no help due to my router being my own and not the one they provided me with.

I used a friends log in details for a VPN this morning and Youtube seems to work with no issues whatsoever, that little white line almost runs across the screen. So this issue has me baffled and thinking that Port Forwarding may not be my answer.

For context this issue only started about a month and a half ago and it is only Youtube all other streaming services work perfectly.

I have no idea why you need to port forward on your side to access services hosted elsewhere. Port forwarding is usually to open ports on your internal network for access from outside your network (WAN aka the internet).

Anyway, your example above is almost correct. Anything that connects from the outside to your side to access some service needs to use a port. For example if you hosted a website using port 1935 I would need to access it as follows from my browser:

https://yourpublicip:1935

However, if you had another website also on your network I can't use the same port to access it because how would your router distinguish to which web server on your side it needs to route to?

So you can either run the second web server also on port 1935 but specify that the external port to be used must be 1936 so I will connect to https://yourpublicip:1936 (even though the server itself is using port 1935.

Alternatively, you could simply change your port on the secondary server and still use 1936. Example below.

Having said that, your issue cannot be port forwarding.

External port	Internal port	Internal IP
1935​	1935​	192.168.1.100
1936​	1935​	192.168.1.200
OR
1935​	1935​	192.168.1.100
1936​	1936​	192.168.1.200

 

[netstrider]

I would suggest alternatively to check under firewall or QoS if there isn't a throttle on Youtube or something.

You could always check if it works fine with the Vodacom router. If it does then it's a setting on your router. If it doesn't they can fix it and from there you could try emulate their settings onto your router after they have fixed it.

 

[Lashie130]

I have no idea why you need to port forward on your side to access services hosted elsewhere. Port forwarding is usually to open ports on your internal network for access from outside your network (WAN aka the internet).

Anyway, your example above is almost correct. Anything that connects from the outside to your side to access some service needs to use a port. For example if you hosted a website using port 1935 I would need to access it as follows from my browser:

https://yourpublicip:1935

However, if you had another website also on your network I can't use the same port to access it because how would your router distinguish to which web server on your side it needs to route to?

So you can either run the second web server also on port 1935 but specify that the external port to be used must be 1936 so I will connect to https://yourpublicip:1936 (even though the server itself is using port 1935.

Alternatively, you could simply change your port on the secondary server and still use 1936. Example below.

Having said that, your issue cannot be port forwarding.

External port	Internal port	Internal IP
1935​	1935​	192.168.1.100
1936​	1935​	192.168.1.200
OR
1935​	1935​	192.168.1.100
1936​	1936​	192.168.1.200

Well, guess that shows how little I understand about networking.

Thank you for this. Really helped me understand better.

Based on what I read and watched I assumed opening ports to Youtube would possibly help with the issue I am having.

Thanks again for all the replies.