Port Forwarding Explained: Opening Your Network to the World

When someone from the internet tries to connect to your public IP, your router doesn't know which device in your house they want to talk to. Port Forwarding acts as a receptionist.

The Receptionist Analogy

Imagine your Public IP is an apartment building address. The **Port Number** is the specific apartment. Port Forwarding tells the router: "If anyone knocks on Apartment 80, take them directly to the Web Server computer."

Common Ports

• 80/443: Web Traffic (HTTP/HTTPS)
• 22: SSH
• 25565: Minecraft Servers
• 32400: Plex Media Server

Check if your ports are open with our Port Checker Tool.