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Cradlepoint CTR500 Port Forwarding Instructions

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

This page will show you how to setup a port forward on the Cradlepoint CTR500 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.

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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 Cradlepoint CTR500 Guides

This is the port forwarding guide for the Cradlepoint CTR500. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Cradlepoint CTR500 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 Cradlepoint CTR500

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To get started forwarding a port you need to login to your Cradlepoint CTR500 router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Cradlepoint CTR500, follow our Cradlepoint CTR500 Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Cradlepoint CTR500 router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Cradlepoint CTR500

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Cradlepoint CTR500 router.

This guide begins on the DEVICE INFORMATION page of the Cradlepoint CTR-500 router. First, click the option in the red bar at the top of the page labeled Advanced.

At this point a new set of choices appears on the left side of the page. Pick the one labeled GAMING.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Cradlepoint CTR500

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

port forwarding nat screenshot
This is the port forwarding page from your Cradlepoint CTR500 router.

You should now be on a page like the one you see here.

  • Place a check mark in the box labeled Enable.
  • Use the Name box, to enter in the name of the program you are forwarding these ports for.
  • Every computer in your network has it's own LAN IP address, so in the IP Address box, enter the LAN IP address of the computer you are forwarding these ports to.
  • In the TCP Ports and UDP Ports box, enter the port numbers you are forwarding. These can be entered in a range form, like 80-100, or a list form, like 200,25,96. It can even be entered as a combination, such as 25,365,80-100.
  • Use the Schedule drop down menu to choose Always.
  • The Inbound Filter needs to be at Allow All.
  • Click the Save button.

Congratulations, you're done!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Cradlepoint CTR500 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 Cradlepoint CTR500 Info

Don't forget about our other Cradlepoint CTR500 info that you might be interested in.

This is the port forwarding guide for the Cradlepoint CTR500. We also have the following guides for the same router: