How to port forward with AirPort Extreme

For reference the following AirPort User Tip will give you the basics for port forwarding.

I cant seem to figure out which IP address the utility needs.

What is required is the IP address of the host device that you want reached from the Internet. In this case it would be the server hosting the Starbound game.

It is highly recommended that you configure your server with a static Private IP address. You can do this using the DHCP Reservation feature of the AirPort Utility. What this does is assign a dedicated address from the pool of addresses that are provided to local network clients. You will then use this address to populate the IP Address field for the port mapping. Note: Port Forwarding and Port Mapping are used interchangeably. Apple uses Port Mapping.

To assign a DHCP Reservation:

• Start the AirPort Utility, select the AirPort Extreme, and then, select Edit.
• Select the Network tab.
• Click on the "+" button under the DHCP Reservations window.
• For "Description," enter Starbound or whatever you want to describe this port mapping.
• Reserve Address By: MAC Address
• MAC Address: (Note: This will be the hardware MAC address of the server's Ethernet or wireless interface.)
• IPv4 Address: [enter the desired IP Address that you want to assign the server. It should be from the available pool of DHCP addresses. By default this pool is: 10.0.1.2 thru 10.0.1.200. For example, you can use 10.0.1.100
• Select Save

Using the reference provided earlier, use the AirPort Utility to define the port mapping that you require. (Note: You should still be on the Network tab.) I filled in the values for you. Note, however; that you may need to change the value for the IP Address field to the address that you set earlier in the DHCP Reservation.

It's not the MAC address of the router, but the game server that you want.

For example, if it is a Win8 box, you would find the MAC Address of the Ethernet interface as follows:

• From the System Tray, right-click on Network icon, and then, select "Open Network and Sharing Center."
• Click on Change adapter settings.
• Right-click on Ethernet adapter, and then, select Status.
• Click on Details. The MAC Address will be listed adjacent to the Physical Address. It should look something like: NN-NN-NN-NN-NN-NN

Sorry, you didn't state what you were running Starbound other than it was a server. I just took a guess figuring it may be a Windows machine and provided an example on how to determine the MAC Address with that operating system.

Also you keep mentioning the MAC Address of the router. You want the MAC Address of the game HOST computer. You don't need the AirPort Utility to find this.

Now that I understand that your using a Mac and that it is connected to the network via Wi-Fi, I can offer more relevant advice.

To find the MAC Address of your Mac's wireless adapter, you will need to use System Preferences, as follows:

• Run System Preferences on your game host Mac.
• Select Network, and then, select Wi-Fi from the list of network connectors.
• Select Advanced ...
• The MAC Address will be listed at the bottom of the window as "Wi-Fi Address."

Tesserax wrote:

It is highly recommended that you configure your server with a static Private IP address. You can do this using the DHCP Reservation feature of the AirPort Utility.

These instructions appear to not work with old Airport Extremes. I have no DHCP Reservation feature. Do you have alternate recommendations?

My Airport Extreme is model A1034 (from 2005-ish), Mac OS 10.8.4, Macbook Pro, Airport Utility 5.6 (installed using Pacifist).

Over at portforward.com, they recommend changing my Mac from using DHCP, to being manual, and I enter my ISP's DNS addresses manually, and give my laptop a static IP address. Does that sound like a good idea? Will it give me problems when I take my laptop to another Wi-Fi?

http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Apple/AirPortExtreme/Myth _Myth_II.htm

(and a stackexchange article implies that if I make my laptop's static IP in the .201-.254 range, at least it will never conflict with any other addresses the Airport wants to handout

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/56955/reserve-a-static-ip-address-on-an -older-airport-extreme-base-station

BTW, if any of that made it sound like I'm a networking expert, I'm not. I'm barely-educated in networking.

These instructions appear to not work with old Airport Extremes. I have no DHCP Reservation feature. Do you have alternate recommendations?

Unfortunately I don't have an 802.11g AirPort Extreme to verify this but using v5.6.1 I found DHCP Reservations on the DHCP tab under Internet. (see image below)

Over at portforward.com, they recommend changing my Mac from using DHCP, to being manual, and I enter my ISP's DNS addresses manually, and give my laptop a static IP address. Does that sound like a good idea? Will it give me problems when I take my laptop to another Wi-Fi?

This would work as well. However, be sure to set the static IP address outside of the DHCP range when using this method so that there aren't any address conflicts. As far as problems, one potential one would be if another Wi-Fi is providing IP addresses in a different network subnet than the one you have the Mac configured manually for it won't be able to communicate on the network.

(and a stackexchange article implies that if I make my laptop's static IP in the .201-.254 range, at least it will never conflict with any other addresses the Airport wants to handout

Yes and that is confirming my reply to the last question to be sure to set the static IP outside of the DHCP range pool so there won't be any address conflicts.

Tesserax wrote:

Unfortunately I don't have an 802.11g AirPort Extreme to verify this but using v5.6.1 I found DHCP Reservations on the DHCP tab under Internet. (see image below)

Whether I run AU 5.6 or 5.6.1, my DHCP screen looks exactly like that screenshot...except no "DHCP Reservations" section at the bottom. Maybe my AE doesn't support that.

Since this is a laptop, the portforward recommendation for making my laptop static would be a problem when going to other networks, so this is what I did instead...does this sound ok?

I left my laptop as it has always been (auto configures self using DHCP). I changed my router to forward the port I need to the first 5 devices on my internal network (.2 through .6). My laptop always goes on first, so it's pretty much always .2, and the rest are in case I reset router or devices during the day and cause the laptop to change. This means my smartphone and PS3 (when it's on) are receiving that port forward, but since they don't respond to it, I figure no harm done.

Sound ok?

Maybe my AE doesn't support that.

To the best of my memory, the A1034 AirPort Extreme did not support DHCP Reservations or Port Mapping....or a hard drive at the USB port for that matter.

These features were added in the "n" version of the AirPort Extreme, which was introduced in 2007.

Whether I run AU 5.6 or 5.6.1, my DHCP screen looks exactly like that screenshot...except no "DHCP Reservations" section at the bottom. Maybe my AE doesn't support that.

It's been awhile but it could be that the DHCP Reservations option was added with the 802.11n base stations.

I changed my router to forward the port I need to the first 5 devices on my internal network (.2 through .6).

Sorry, but port forwarding doesn't work that way. You can map a single or multiple ports to a single IP addresses but not single or multiple ports to multiple IP addresses.

Tesserax wrote:

Sorry, but port forwarding doesn't work that way. You can map a single or multiple ports to a single IP addresses but not single or multiple ports to multiple IP addresses.

LOL, well it's working perfectly 😝 I've been able to setup a game server and host people playing on my computer. A lot of other players can't because either they can't figure-out their router, or because something in their ISP setup prevents it from working.

Hi,

These postings on port forwarding has been very helpful. However, I have bit of a problem understanding the steps to locate the MAC address on the "host" computer. I am presuming that in churromancer's case it the game he/she is trying to set up? Correct me if I'm wrong

I am currently trying to set up a wireless irrigation system, which I would like to access remotely. I've been in touch with the company that sells the product and they have been very helpful, but we still haven't been able to resolve the problem.

Tesserax, you say in an response to churromancer "To find the MAC Address of your Mac's wireless adapter, you will need to use System Preferences, as follows:".

Questions

1/ Do you mean by "Mac's wireless adapter" the HOST (in my case, Irrigation wifi box, in Churromancer's his/her game) or my Airport Extreme?

2/ My irrigation box's wifi is currently linked to my home wifi (airport extreme). I have no way (that I know) to access it, unless I disconnect/unlink it from my home network. Should I disconnect the Irrigation wifi from my home network, find the MAC address, connect the two again and then try to set up the DHPC and Port Mapping? Or is there another way to accessing the irrigation's wifi w/o disconnecting from my home network.

Very much grateful for any answer.

Regards

I have managed to find the solution! No need to answer. Thx!