Setup Router logo in white Setup router name logo in white
Get Software

Asus RT-N16 Port Forwarding Instructions

Thumbnail image of Setup Router Staff
Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 3 minutes

This page will show you how to setup a port forward on the Asus RT-N16 router.

Use a VPN Instead

Have you considered using a VPN instead of forwarding a port? For most users, a VPN is a much simpler and more secure choice than forwarding a port.

We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes forwarding a port no longer necessary for most applications. With NordVPN Meshnet, you can connect to your devices from anywhere in the world, completely secure, over a highly encrypted VPN tunnel.

When shopping for a VPN, make sure that they meet the following criteria:

  • Your VPN provider should have a no-logs policy. This means that they do not keep any logs of any kind.
  • Make sure that your VPN provider has lots of exit nodes all around the world.
  • Check that your VPN will not affect your speed.
  • Verify that your VPN provider uses WireGuard as the underlying protocol.
  • Many people prefer a VPN provider that is not based in the United States.

This is the list of requirements that we used when we were shopping around for a VPN provider. There are lots of free, shady VPN providers out there that we looked at and dismissed.

Based in Panama, using diskless servers, and with over 6,100 servers in 61 countries, we can safely say that NordVPN satisfies all of these requirements.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN!

Once you've set up your NordVPN account on multiple computers and enabled Meshnet, you can seamlessly access all of your devices as if they were on the same network. You don't even have to log in to your router. It's very simple.

Every time you click on one of our affiliate links, such as NordVPN, we get a little kickback for introducing you to the service. Think of us as your VPN wingman.

If you are not sure what port forwarding is you can read our What is Port Forwarding guide to help get started.

Other Asus RT-N16 Guides

This is the port forwarding guide for the Asus RT-N16 v1.28 Tomato. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Asus RT-N16 to your computer can be more reliable if you first configure a static IP address on your computer. We have instructions to setup a static IP address for Windows 7, Windows 8, and a variety of other devices on our Static IP Address Settings page.

Please note that while setting up a static IP address on your computer is optional, it is still a very good idea to go ahead and do it. In the long run it will make your port forward much more reliable.

Login To The Asus RT-N16

Don't forget to sign up for NordVPN's promo deal before it's gone.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN deal!

You might notice that most of our site doesn't have ads on it. This is because we use partnerships with companies like NordVPN to keep the site running. Thank you for supporting us by using our referral links.

To get started forwarding a port you need to login to your Asus RT-N16 router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Asus RT-N16, follow our Asus RT-N16 Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Asus RT-N16 router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Asus RT-N16

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Asus RT-N16 router.

Now that you have logged into the Asus RT-N16-Tomato-v1.28 you see the System Status page. On the left side of the screen, click the Port Forwarding link.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Asus RT-N16

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

port forwarding nat screenshot
This is the port forwarding page from your Asus RT-N16 router.

Now, put a check in the box labeled On. Next to this is the drop down menu labeled Proto, use this menu to choose the protocol type you want to use.

Next, under the heading of Ext Ports and Int Port enter the ports to forward in these boxes. If it is a single port enter that number in both, and if you are entering multiple, enter them in a range such as 1000-2000.

In the next box labeled Int Address enter the IP Address that you are forwarding these ports to. If you are forwarding ports to run a program on your computer, be sure to use that computer's IP Address.

In the Description box enter the name of the program, or something that is going to remind you of why you are forwarding these ports.

That's it, you are finished, just don't forget to Save before leaving this page.

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Asus RT-N16 you should test to see if your ports are forwarded correctly.

To test if your ports are forwarded you should use our Open Port Check tool.

Other Asus RT-N16 Info

Don't forget about our other Asus RT-N16 info that you might be interested in.

This is the port forwarding guide for the Asus RT-N16 v1.28 Tomato. We also have the following guides for the same router: