Cisco Linksys E2500 Port Forwarding Instructions

This page will show you how to setup a port forward on the Cisco Linksys E2500 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.

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.

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Cisco Linksys E2500 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 Cisco Linksys E2500

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To get started forwarding a port you need to login to your Cisco Linksys E2500 router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Cisco Linksys E2500, follow our Cisco Linksys E2500 Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Cisco Linksys E2500 router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Cisco Linksys E2500

router setup — This is the *setup* page from your Cisco Linksys E2500 router.

You begin on the Basic Setup page of the Cisco Linksys-E2500 router. From this page, to setup a port forward, click the option at the top of the page labeled Applications & Gaming.

You are now given new choices in the blue bar, along the top of the page. If you want to setup a single port forward, then click Single Port Forwarding. If you want to setup a range of port forwards, click the choice of Port Range Forwarding.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Cisco Linksys E2500

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

router virtual server screenshot — This is the *virtual server* page from your Cisco Linksys E2500 router.

Single Port Forwarding

Find an empty line, and enter the name of the program you are forwarding this port for in the box labeled Application Name.
In the box labeled External Port, enter the port number you are forwarding. Enter that same number in the box labeled Internal Port.
The Protocol drop down menu is next. Use this menu to choose the type of protocol or transport you want to use while forwarding this port.
Next is the To IP Address box, enter the LAN IP Address of the computer you are forwarding this port to.
Place a check-mark in the small box labeled Enabled.
Click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page.

port forwarding nat screenshot — This is the *port forwarding* page from your Cisco Linksys E2500 router.

Port Range Forwarding

In the first empty row of boxes, enter the name of the program in the box titled Application Name.
Key in the lowest number of the range of ports in the left box of Start~End Port. Enter the highest number of the range in the right box of the Start~End Port.
Then, use the Protocol drop down menu to choose the type of forwarding you want to do.
Next, in the To IP Address box, enter the specific LAN IP address of the computer you want to forward these ports to.
Put a check in the box titled Enabled.
At the bottom of the page, click Save Settings.

That's it, you're finished!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Cisco Linksys E2500 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.