Port Forwarding and Triggering

Configure port forwarding and port triggering for proxy and modem access.

Learn how to configure port forwarding on your router so external devices can access your Proxidize server, local dashboard, and generated proxies.

What Is Port Forwarding?

Port forwarding is a router setting that allows traffic from the internet to reach a specific device inside your local network.

Most routers block incoming internet traffic by default. This protects your local devices, but it also means external users cannot reach services running on your Proxidize server unless the correct ports are forwarded.

For Proxidize, port forwarding may be needed when:

• You want to access the local Proxidize dashboard from outside the network.

• You want to use generated proxies from outside the local network.

• You want SSH access to the Proxidize server from outside the local network.

• Your Proxy Builder setup is configured to run locally instead of through the Cloud Dashboard.

Port forwarding

Port forwarding exposes selected services to the internet.

Only forward the ports you actually need. Forwarding unnecessary ports can increase security risk and may expose internal services to unauthorized access attempts.

If you are not sure which ports are required for your setup, contact Proxidize Support before opening them.

Port Forwarding vs Port Triggering

Feature	What It Does	Recommended for Proxidize?
Port forwarding	Permanently forwards a public port to a specific local device and port.	Yes
Port triggering	Temporarily opens a port after outbound traffic triggers it.	No

For Proxidize, use port forwarding because the router must consistently send traffic to the Proxidize server.

Before You Start

Before creating port forwarding rules, make sure you have:

• Access to the router settings page.

• The Proxidize server's reserved local IP address.

• The public IP address or DDNS hostname users will connect to.

• The dashboard, SSH, or proxy ports you want to expose.

• Confirmation that your ISP allows inbound traffic on those ports.

We strongly recommend reserving the Proxidize server's local IP before setting up port forwarding. See Local IP Reservation (DHCP).

Understand the Connection Path

Without port forwarding, external traffic reaches your router and stops there.

With port forwarding, the router sends traffic from a public port to the Proxidize server's private IP and internal port.

Example:

Connection Part	Example
Public IP / host	87.73.14.5
Public proxy port	2001
Proxidize server local IP	192.168.1.25
Internal proxy port	2001

In this example, a remote proxy user connects to:

87.73.14.5:2001

The router forwards that traffic to:

192.168.1.25:2001

Common Proxidize Ports

Service	Default Port	When to Forward It
Local Proxidize dashboard / web interface	80	Forward if you need dashboard access from outside the local network.
SSH / terminal access	22	Forward only if you need remote terminal access.
HTTP Proxies	2001 to 200x	Forward if locally generated proxies must be usable from outside the local network.
SOCKS5 Proxies	3001 to 300x

The generated proxy port range depends on the number of proxies.

For example:

• If you have 1 generated proxy, you may need port 2001 for HTTP Proxy and port 3001 for SOCKS5 Proxy.

• If you have 5 generated proxies, you may need ports 2001-2005 for HTTP Proxies and 3001-3005 for SOCKS5 Proxies.

• If you have 20 generated proxies, you may need ports 2001-2020 for HTTP Proxies and 3001-3020 for SOCKS5 Proxies.

Confirm the actual proxy ports shown in your Proxidize dashboard before creating rules.

Create Port Forwarding Rules

The exact router menu depends on the router model, but the general process is similar.

1

Log in to your router settings page.

2

Find the port forwarding section.

Depending on the router, this may be called:

• Port Forwarding

• Virtual Servers

• NAT Forwarding

• Advanced NAT

• Applications & Gaming

3

Add a new rule.

4

Enter the rule details.

Field	What to Enter
Service name	A clear name, such as Proxidize Dashboard
External port	The public port users will connect to
Internal IP	The reserved local IP of the Proxidize server
Internal port	The Proxidize service port on the server
Protocol	TCP, or Both if your router requires a combined option
Status	Enabled

5

Save or apply the rule.

6

Repeat the process for each required port or port range.

💡Note: Some routers allow you to specify a port range to be forwarded. For example, you could forward ports 2001-2005 in one rule.

TP-Link Example

On many TP-Link routers, port forwarding is located under:

Advanced > NAT Forwarding > Virtual Servers

From there:

1. Click Add.

2. Enter a service name.

3. Enter the external port.

4. Enter the Proxidize server's reserved local IP.

5. Enter the internal port.

6. Select the protocol.

7. Enable the rule.

8. Save the configuration.

Router Settings TP-Link

Example Rules

Use these examples as a starting point. Replace the internal IP with your Proxidize server's reserved local IP.

Purpose	External Port	Internal IP	Internal Port	Protocol
Dashboard access	80	192.168.1.25	80	TCP
SSH access	22	192.168.1.25	22	TCP
Proxy 1	2001	192.168.1.25	2001	TCP
Proxy 2	2002	192.168.1.25	2002	TCP
Proxy 3	2003	192.168.1.25	2003	TCP

💡Note: If your router supports port ranges, you may be able to forward the proxy range in one rule.

Example:

Purpose	External Port Range	Internal IP	Internal Port Range	Protocol
Proxy range	2001-2020	192.168.1.25	2001-2020	TCP

Use the Correct Host for Remote Access

After forwarding ports, external users should connect using your public IP address or DDNS hostname.

For dashboard access:

http://87.73.14.5

or:

http://mydomain.ddns.net

For generated proxies:

Proxy Field	Example
Host	87.73.14.5 or mydomain.ddns.net
Port	2001

💡Note: Do not use the Proxidize server's private IP, such as 192.168.1.25, when connecting from outside the local network.

Test Port Forwarding

After saving the rules:

1. Disconnect your test device from the local network, or use a device on a different internet connection.

2. Test the dashboard, proxy, or SSH connection using the public IP or DDNS hostname.

3. Confirm the service responds.

⚠️Warning: Testing from inside the same network using the public IP may not always work because some routers do not support NAT loopback.

ISP and Network Limitations

Port forwarding may not work if:

• Your ISP blocks inbound traffic on the selected ports.

• Your ISP uses CGNAT.

• Your router is behind another router.

• Your public IP changed and you are connecting to the old address.

• The forwarding rule points to the wrong internal IP.

If your router WAN IP does not match your public IP lookup, check for CGNAT or double NAT before troubleshooting the rules further.

For more details, see Dynamic Public/WAN Addresses.

Troubleshooting

Issue	What to Check
Dashboard does not open remotely	Confirm port 80 is forwarded to the Proxidize server's reserved local IP.
Generated proxy does not connect remotely	Confirm the specific proxy port is forwarded to the Proxidize server.
SSH does not connect remotely	Confirm port 22 is forwarded and SSH is installed and enabled on the server.
Forwarding worked before but stopped	Check whether the server local IP or public IP changed.
Router rule looks correct but port is closed	Check for ISP blocking, CGNAT, double NAT, or firewall rules.
Public IP works locally but not externally	Test from a different network and check whether the router supports NAT loopback.

Related Articles

• Understanding Public IPs, Private IPs, and Your Router IP Address

• Local IP Reservation (DHCP)

• Dynamic Public/WAN Addresses

Need Help?

If you have any questions, concerns, or need further clarification, feel free to reach out to us via live chat or email us directly at [e-mail].