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Dlink DSL-2540U 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-2540U 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 faster than ever deal!

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-2540U Guides

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DSL-2540U. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Dlink DSL-2540U 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-2540U

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

NordVPN is the fastest VPN 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 DSL-2540U router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Dlink DSL-2540U, follow our Dlink DSL-2540U Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Dlink DSL-2540U router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Dlink DSL-2540U

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Dlink DSL-2540U router.

Starting on the Device Info page of the Dlink DSL-2540U router, click Advanced Setup on the left side of the page.

Some new options now appear. Click the NAT link, then Virtual Servers.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Dlink DSL-2540U

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

port forwarding nat screenshot
This is the port forwarding page from your Dlink DSL-2540U router.

You should now be on a page very similar to the one you see above. Click the button near the top labeled Add.

This directs you to a new Virtual Server page.

Place a dot in the Custom Server radio button.

Enter the name of the program you are forwarding these ports for in the Custom Server box. This is for your future information.

In the Server IP Address box, enter the internal IP address of the computer you are forwarding these ports to. A good guide on how to find your computer's internal IP address is, What is my IP Address.

To forward a single port, enter the port number in the four boxes labeled:

  • External Port Start
  • External Port End
  • Internal Port Start
  • Internal Port End

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

Using the Protocol drop down menu, choose the type of protocol you need to use to forward these ports.

Next, enter 0.0.0.0 in the Remote IP box.

Click the Save button.

That's it, you're finished!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Dlink DSL-2540U 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-2540U Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DSL-2540U info that you might be interested in.

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DSL-2540U. We also have the following guides for the same router: