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

Dlink DIR-451 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 Dlink DIR-451 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 Dlink DIR-451 Guides

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DIR-451. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Dlink DIR-451 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 Dlink DIR-451

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

NordVPN birthday 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 Dlink DIR-451 router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Dlink DIR-451, follow our Dlink DIR-451 Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Dlink DIR-451 router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Dlink DIR-451

router setup
This is the setup page from your Dlink DIR-451 router.

Begin on the Internet Connection page of the Dlink DIR-451 router. Click the choice at the top of the page labeled Advanced.

A new set of choices now appears in the left sidebar. Pick the Port Forwarding link.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Dlink DIR-451

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

port forwarding nat screenshot
This is the port forwarding page from your Dlink DIR-451 router.

You may notice that we did not have you choose Virtual Server. The Virtual Server page only allows for single port forwards, where the Port Forwarding page allows for single port forwards and ranges.

On the Port Forwarding Rules page, choose an empty row of boxes, and put a check mark in the small box to the far left. This action enables the rule you are about to create.

To the right of that is the Name box. It isn't very important what you enter here, we recommend entering the name of the program you are forwarding ports for.

Beneath that is the IP Address. You need to enter the internal IP address of the computer you are forwarding these ports to. If you aren't sure of how to find the internal IP address of a computer, What is my IP Address is our guide on how to find the computer's IP address.

Now, skip over the Start and End boxes. If you are forwarding a single port, enter that number in both boxes. If you are forwarding a range of ports, enter the lowest number in the Start box, and the highest number in the End box.

Use the Traffic Type drop down menu to choose the type of protocol you need to use to forward these ports.

Set the Schedule to Always.

That's it, you did it!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Dlink DIR-451 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 Dlink DIR-451 Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-451 info that you might be interested in.

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DIR-451. We also have the following guides for the same router: