Application Example: Make a Local Web Server Public
If you host a web server on your local network, you can use port forwarding to allow web requests from
anyone on the Internet to reach your web server.
To make a local web server public:
1. Assign your web server either a fixed IP address or a dynamic IP address using DHCP address
reservation.
In this example, your router always gives your web server an IP address of 192.168.1.33.
2. On the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering page, configure the router to forward the HTTP service to the
local address of your web server at 192.168.1.33.
HTTP (port 80) is the standard protocol for web servers.
3. (Optional) Register a host name with a Dynamic DNS service and specify that name on the Dynamic
DNS page of the router.
Dynamic DNS makes it much easier to access a server from the Internet because you can type the
name in the Internet browser. Otherwise, you must know the IP address that the ISP assigned, which
typically changes.
How the Router Implements the Port Forwarding Rule
The following sequence shows the effects of a port forwarding rule:
1. When you type the URL www.example.com in your browser, the browser sends a web page request
message with the following destination information:
• Destination address.The IP address of www.example.com, which is the address of your router.
• Destination port number. 80, which is the standard port number for a web server process.
2. Your router receives the message and finds your port forwarding rule for incoming port 80 traffic.
3. The router changes the destination in the message to IP address 192.168.1.123 and sends the message
to that computer.
4. Your web server at IP address 192.168.1.123 receives the request and sends a reply message to your
router.
5. Your router performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on the source IP address and sends the reply
through the Internet to the computer or WiFi device that sent the web page request.
Port Triggering
Port triggering is a dynamic extension of port forwarding that is useful in these cases:
• An application must use port forwarding to more than one local computer (but not simultaneously).
• An application must open incoming ports that are different from the outgoing port.
Customize Internet Traffic Rules for Ports
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Nighthawk X10 AD7200 Smart WiFi Router
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