Port forwarding allows a device to get through your firewall through a specific port. This allows a device outside your network to connect to a device inside your network. For example, by configuring port forwarding you can check on a camera that's connected at home while you are away. You will need to know what ports to open for your device, and that will depend completely on the client device (the camera in this example). Please contact the client device's support team or check their support documentation for this information.
Whether or not you need to configure port forwarding on your network, will depend on the requirements of your client devices (such as cameras, VoIP phones, etc). Find that information in their specific documentation.
How to View Open Ports on AmpliFi
To see a list of current port forwarding configurations on your AmpliFi system, follow steps 1-3 in the instructions below. There is no way to test a port for open state with the AmpliFi app, or seeing the "default" open ports. If a client device requires a port to be open on Amplifi, create a port forwarding rule as explained in the steps below, instead of trying to see what ports are already open.
Note If you have a server or remote desktop behind your AmpliFi network it is suggested you set up port forwarding to ensure their services are reachable from outside of the local network. Find out with their support documentation what ports need to be open.
How to Set Up Port Forwarding
1. Launch the AmpliFi app.
2. Select the AmpliFi router icon.
3. Tap Port Forwarding.
4. Tap + to create a new port forwarding rule.
5. Enter a descriptive name for the rule along with the information requested:
- Enter the IP address of the client device which will be allowed access through this port forwarding rule. Be sure that there is a static lease assigned to your device before port forwarding. See how to create a static lease in this article.
- Enter the appropriate port number in the Source Port field according to the client device's documentation and requirements.
- Enter the appropriate port number in the Destination Port field according to the client device's documentation and requirements.
- Select the appropriate protocol. This is typically TCP (Transmission Control Protocol); however, some services may require UDP (User Data-gram Protocol) or both. You can check the client device's support documentation to verify.
You can also define a range of ports when creating a port forwarding rule, instead of individual ports. In the source and destination port fields, format your port ranges as follows *****-*****, ranges can be set from 1023-65535. In this example ranges are set from 7700-7800.
6. Tap ✓ to save the new port forwarding rule
You will need to create a new, separate rule for each port you wish to open (some devices need more than one port to be open).
Troubleshooting
Bridge Mode: You cannot configure Port Forwarding on AmpliFi if your router is set to Bridge Mode, since it is effectively not acting as a router. However, if the AmpliFi router is connected behind another router, this can cause conflict in port forwarding scenarios, since the port you just opened on AmpliFi would not be open in the second router (or vice versa). Therefore, if you have two routers connected to each other, please enable Bridge Mode on one of them to avoid conflict. The router you select to be on Bridge Mode will not be able to perform port forwarding duties; that will have to be configured on the other router.