AirPort - Port Mapping Basics using AirPort Utility v5.x

The following instructions provides the basics for setting up the 802.11n AirPort base stations for port mapping/forwarding using v5.x of the AirPort Utility or the AirPort Utility for Windows:

Port Mapping Setup

(Note: These instructions will not work with the 802.11ac versions of the AirPort base stations. They are designed to work with the family of 802.11n AirPort base stations: AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule. You will need v6.x, running on OS X Lion + or iOS to administer the 802.11ac base stations. Port mapping instructions for v6.x can be found here.)

To setup port mapping on an 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn), connect to the base station's wireless network. For either the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) or Time Capsule (TC) you can connect to either the base station's Wi-Fi network or temporarily connect directly, using an Ethernet cable, to one of the base station's LAN (opposing arrows) ports, and then, use the AirPort Utility, in Manual Setup, to make these settings:

1. Reserve a DHCP-provided IP address for the host device.

(Note this is the device that you want to access from a remote location.)

AirPort Utility > Select the base station > Manual Setup > Internet > DHCP tab

• On the DHCP tab, click the "+" (Add) button to enter DHCP Reservations.
• Description: <enter the desired description of the host device>
• Reserve address by: MAC Address
• Click Continue.
• MAC Address: <enter the MAC (what Apple calls Ethernet ID if you are using wired or AirPort ID if wireless) hardware address of the host computer>
• IPv4 Address: <enter the desired Private (LAN-side) IP address that you want to reserve from the DHCP pool of addresses>
• Click Done.

2. Setup Port Mapping on the base station.

AirPort Utility > Select the base station > Manual Setup >Advanced > Port Mapping tab

• Click the "+" (Add) button
• Service: <choose the appropriate service from the Service pop-up menu or skip if you are making a custom port mapping>
• Public UDP Port(s): <enter the appropriate UDP port value(s)>
• Public TCP Port(s): <enter the appropriate TCP port value(s)>
• Private IP Address: <enter the IP address of the host device (from step 1)>
• Private UDP Port(s): <enter the same Public UDP Ports or your choice>
• Private TCP Port(s): <enter the same Public TCP Ports or your choice>
• Click "Continue"

(ref: "Well Known" TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products)