Port Sharing
Internet / Permit Access / Port Sharing (or Port Forwarding)
All of the devices in the home network are protected from unauthorized access from the internet by the FRITZ!Box firewall. For some applications like online games, file sharing programs or server services, however, it is necessary to be reachable from the internet. This means the firewall must be opened at certain places to allow incoming connections to the appropriate ports. This is the reason for configuring port sharing.
Click on the "Apply" button to save your settings. If you leave the page without saving, all of your changes will be discarded.
Click on the "Refresh" button to view the current values.
Ports
The ports serve to make applications and server services distinguishable, and thus addressable, on a network device with only one IP address. Ports are addressed by means of the port number. Port numbers are assigned from the range 0 to 65535.
Port Sharing
Port sharing is always configured for one device and one application or one server service.
Port sharing is defined by the following information:
| Entry | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Application / Server service | The name of the application or the server service to be reachable from the internet. |
| Protocol | The protocol used to run the application or server service. |
| Port to device | The port number to which the application or the server service "listens". A port can be released for sharing only once per device. |
| External port | The number of the port opened in the FRITZ!Box firewall. Incoming connections with this port number are accepted by the FRITZ!Box. A port can be released for sharing only once in the FRITZ!Box firewall. |
Call from the Internet
When an application or server service is released for sharing from the internet, the public IP address of the FRITZ!Box and the "Port Assigned Externally" number are specified. These two items of information are separated by a colon. The public IP address may change if the internet connection is interrupted. Use MyFRITZ! or dynamic DNS so that the FRITZ!Box can always be reached under the same name.
Example: Call with IP address
| Entry | Value |
|---|---|
| Public IP address: | 123.123.123.1 |
| External port: | 50 |
| Call: | 123.123.123.1:50 |
Example: Call with MyFRITZ! name
| Entry | Value |
|---|---|
| MyFRITZ! name: | ab1cd2efghij3klm.myfritz.net |
| External port: | 50 |
| Call: | ab1cd2efghij3klm.myfritz.net:50 |
With default settings in the FRITZ!Box, programs on your computer and LAN cannot be accessed from the internet. For a number of applications like online games and file sharing software, you have to make your computer accessible for other internet users. To do this you must open certain ports for incoming connections. The ports serve to distinguish between different applications on a computer that has only one IP address.
Once you have enabled the relevant ports in FRITZ!Box, other users can access your server at the IP address assigned to FRITZ!Box by the internet service provider. If a connection is active, the IP address is displayed in the "Connections" area on the "Overview" page.
List of Ports with Port Sharing Enabled
The table displays all of the IPv4 and IPv6 ports in the FRITZ!Box which are configured for sharing.
| Column Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Device/Name | The name of the network device for which port sharing was configured. |
| IP Address | The IPv4 and the IPv6 address of the network device in the home network. The IPv6 address is displayed only if IPv6 is enabled in the FRITZ!Box and the network device supports IPv6. |
| Sharing | The name of the application or the server service for which port sharing was configured. The LED indicates whether sharing of the port is enabled or disabled. |
| Port Assigned Externally IPv4 | The number of the port in the FRITZ!Box opened for IPv4. |
| Port Assigned Externally IPv6 | The number of the port in the FRITZ!Box opened for IPv6. |
| Independent Port Sharing | Indicates whether the network device is authorized to configure port sharing via UPnP or PCP independently. If the device is authorized, the number of independently configured port sharing settings is displayed. |
 | Opens the entry window for adding new, or changing or deleting existing port sharing settings. |
 | Deletes the network device from the list of port sharing settings. All of the port sharing settings configured for the network device will be canceled. |
Adding, Editing, or Deleting Port Sharing
| Button | Utilization |
|---|---|
 | Click the "Add Device for Sharing" button if you want to add a network device to the list of devices with port sharing and configure one or more port sharing settings for the device. |
| Click this button for a selected device if you would like to configure additional port sharing for the device, or to edit, enable, disable or delete existing port sharing settings. |
Event Message and Push Service
Whenever a port is enabled or disabled for sharing, a message on this event appears under "System / Event Log".
If the FRITZ!Box "Change notice" push service is enabled under "System / Push Services", then you receive a push service mail whenever a port is enabled for sharing.
Note:When the internet connection is interrupted, port sharing is disabled. Once the internet connection has been restored, port sharing settings will be enabled again. If more than five minutes pass between disabling and enabling, messages on both events will appear under "System / Event Log". When the "Change notice" push service is enabled, then push service mails will be sent whenever port sharing is enabled again.
Disabling Independent Port Sharing
| Button | Utilization |
|---|---|
 | Click this button if you want to delete the authorization for independent port sharing for all devices that have not yet requested port sharing. |