Port forwarding is a router or firewall process that sends the right data to the right port. Different types of data are assigned a port number, and forwarding allows the correct data to be sent to the correct location. Port forwarding also helps keep computers safe by limiting outside access.
Port forwarding is the process a router or firewall uses to order the right kind of network data to the right port. Computers and routers use ports to organize network data. Different types of data, such as websites, file downloads, and online games, are assigned a port number. Your router or firewall uses forwarding to send the correct data to the correct location.
A firewall protects a computer by blocking unauthorized information, but if a firewall blocked all incoming and outgoing data, the computer would not be able to access the Internet. When a computer user wants some data to pass through the firewall and send it to a specific location, she can set up port forwarding. This gives the firewall instructions on what types of data are allowed and how they should be routed.
Internet information is associated with a port. For example, web pages are typically assigned port 80. File Transfer Protocol (FTP), often used to download and upload files, typically uses port 21. Online games can use a number of different port numbers , but often choose numbers in the thousands .
Someone who has multiple networked computers will likely find that not everyone needs all the data coming into the network. Port forwarding allows the user to send the relevant data to the computer that will use it. If one web server hosts a website and a second computer hosts an online game, this process will ensure that each computer gets the data it needs without getting bogged down with data meant for the other computer.
In this situation, a person would be using port forwarding to tell the router which computer is the destination for which data. The instructions will send all incoming requests for web pages to the web server. This data would arrive at the router at port 80 and the forwarding instructions would route that data to the web server.
Your online game server may be set to use port 5500. Any data coming into the network on port 5500 should come from people trying to play the game online using your computer as the host. The forwarding information in the router will route all incoming data using port 5500 to the computer hosting the online game.
Using port forwarding also serves as another way to keep computers safe. People outside your network will only have access to your router or firewall, which, in turn, will control what types of data reach your computers. Any data that does not arrive at the router with the correct port will not be passed to computers within the network.
Not only does this keep data flowing in to the right computer, but it also helps secure a network by limiting and controlling outside access. Whether a network includes a web server, FTP server, or game server, or runs other services that require external access, this process will help keep the network safe and functioning.
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