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Dlink DSL-2542B 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-2542B 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 DSL-2542B Guides

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DSL-2542B. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Configure your Computer to Have a Static IP Address

Port forwarding the Dlink DSL-2542B 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-2542B

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To get started forwarding a port you need to login to your Dlink DSL-2542B router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Dlink DSL-2542B, follow our Dlink DSL-2542B Login Guide.

Forward a Port on the Dlink DSL-2542B router

Find The Port Forwarding Section of the Dlink DSL-2542B

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Dlink DSL-2542B router.

You begin on the Device Info page of the Dlink DSL-2542B router. To forward a port or ports, click the Advanced Setup link on the left side of the page.

A new set of choices now appears below that, pick NAT, then Virtual Servers.

Configure the Port Forwarding section of your Dlink DSL-2542B

Now to forward a port, make the following changes:

port forwarding nat screenshot
This is the port forwarding page from your Dlink DSL-2542B router.

You should now be on a page like the one you see above. On this page, click the button labeled Add.

On this new page, place a dot in the radio button labeled Custom Service. Then enter the name of the program or something similar in the box to the right of that. You can also look for your program in the Service drop down list.

Enter the local IP address of the particular computer you are forwarding these ports to in the Server IP Address box. If you are unsure of how to find your computer's IP address, click the What is my IP Address link.

If you are forwarding a single port, you need to enter that port number in four separate places, enter it in the External Port Start box, the External Port End box, the Internal Port Start box, and finally, the Internal Port End box.

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

Next is the Protocol drop down menu. Use this drop down box to choose the type of protocol you wish to use while forwarding these ports.

In the Remote IP box, enter 0.0.0.0

Lastly, click Save/Apply.

That's it, you did it!

Test if Your Ports are Open

Now that you have forwarded ports on the Dlink DSL-2542B 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-2542B Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DSL-2542B info that you might be interested in.

This is the port forwarding guide for the Dlink DSL-2542B. We also have the following guides for the same router: