Cisco Linksys EA2700 Port Forwarding Instructions

This page will show you how to setup a port forward on the Cisco Linksys EA2700 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 EA2700 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 EA2700

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To get started forwarding a port you need to login to your Cisco Linksys EA2700 router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Cisco Linksys EA2700, follow our Cisco Linksys EA2700 Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Cisco Linksys EA2700 router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Cisco Linksys EA2700

router setup — This is the *setup* page from your Cisco Linksys EA2700 router.

You begin on the Basic Setup page of the Cisco Linksys-EA2700 router. To forward a port, or ports, click the option at the top of the page labeled Applications & Gaming.

A new set of choices appears below that, if you are forwarding a single port, click Single Port Forwarding. If you are forwarding a range of ports, click the choice titled Port Range Forwarding.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Cisco Linksys EA2700

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

router virtual server screenshot — This is the *virtual server* page from your Cisco Linksys EA2700 router.

To forward a Single Port:

Enter the name of the program in the Application Name box. This is not critical to the process, but whatever you enter, it should remind you of why you are forwarding this port.
Key in the port number you want to forward in the box labeled External Port. Enter this same number in the Internal Port box.
Next is the Protocol drop down menu. Use this menu to choose the type of protocol you want to use while forwarding this port.
In the To IP Address box, enter the LAN IP address of the computer you want to forward this port to. For example, if you are forwarding a port to run a program on your main computer, be sure to use that computer's IP Address.
Put a check mark in the Enabled box.
Tick the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page.

port forwarding nat screenshot — This is the *port forwarding* page from your Cisco Linksys EA2700 router.

To forward a Range of Ports:

Type in the name of the program you are forwarding these ports for in the box labeled Application Name.
Enter the lowest number in the range of ports in the left Start~End Port box. Enter the highest number of the range in the right Start~End Port box.
In the Protocol menu, select the type of protocol you want to use while forwarding these ports.
Next is the To IP Address. Type in the LAN IP Address of the specific computer you are forwarding these ports to.
Place a checkmark in the Enabled box on the far right.
Click the Save Settings button.

That's it, you're done!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Cisco Linksys EA2700 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.