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Dlink DIR-826L 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 Dlink DIR-826L 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-826L Guides

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DIR-826L. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Dlink DIR-826L 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-826L

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To get started forwarding a port you need to login to your Dlink DIR-826L router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Dlink DIR-826L, follow our Dlink DIR-826L Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Dlink DIR-826L router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Dlink DIR-826L

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Dlink DIR-826L router.

From the INTERNET CONNECTION page of the Dlink DIR-826L, click the ADVANCED choice at the top of the page. Then, looking to the left, in the sidebar, click PORT FORWARDING.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Dlink DIR-826L

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

port forwarding nat screenshot
This is the port forwarding page from your Dlink DIR-826L router.

You are now on the correct page to create a port forwarding rule or application.

First, place a checkmark in the small box on the left. This enables the forward you are about to create.

Next to that is the Name box. It isn't really important what you enter here, but we suggest the name of the program you are forwarding these port for.

Below that is the IP Address. This is important, and refers to the internal IP address of the computer you are forwarding these ports to. If you are unsure of how to find your computer's internal IP address, What's my IP Address is a great guide on the subject.

Farther to the right are two boxes. One is titled TCP and the other is UDP. Enter the ports you want to forward in both of these boxes. They can be entered as a list, 22,23,24, a range, 80-100, or a mix of both, 22,23,80-100.

Use the Schedule drop down menu to choose Always, and the Inbound Filter to Allow All.

Click the Save Settings button at the top of the page.

That's it!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Dlink DIR-826L 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-826L Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-826L info that you might be interested in.

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DIR-826L. We also have the following guides for the same router: