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Dlink DSL-2520U 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 DSL-2520U 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 Dlink DSL-2520U Guides

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DSL-2520U. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Dlink DSL-2520U 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 DSL-2520U

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

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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 DSL-2520U router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Dlink DSL-2520U, follow our Dlink DSL-2520U Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Dlink DSL-2520U router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Dlink DSL-2520U

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Dlink DSL-2520U router.

Starting on the Device Info page of the Dlink DSL-2520U router, click Advanced Setup. Then, below that, tick NAT, then Virtual Servers.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Dlink DSL-2520U

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

router virtual server screenshot
This is the virtual server page from your Dlink DSL-2520U router.

On this page, click the button labeled Add.

You are now in the correct place to forward a port. First, put a dot in the radio button labeled Custom Service. Then, enter name of the program you are forwarding these ports for. This is not essential to the process, but is important for your future reference.

Below that is the Server IP Address box. Enter the local IP Address of the specific device you are forwarding these ports to. If you are unsure of how to find an internal IP address on a computer, click this guide for help, What is my IP Address.

If you are forwarding a single port, enter that number into the boxes labeled External Port Start, External Port End, Internal Port Start, and Internal Port End, the same number for all four boxes.

To forward a range of ports, enter the lowest number of the range in the box labeled External Port Start, and Internal Port Start. Then, enter the highest number of the range in the External Port End, and then in Internal Port End.

Next, is the Protocol drop down menu. Choose the type of protocol you want to use when forwarding these ports.

Moving to the right, you should see a box labeled Remote IP. Enter 0.0.0.0 here.

Click the Save button.

Congratulations, you forwarded a port!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Dlink DSL-2520U 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 DSL-2520U Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DSL-2520U info that you might be interested in.

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DSL-2520U. We also have the following guides for the same router: