Member Avatar for g3nX

Hello, I am having trouble forwarding ports. I am using Asus RT-N56U router. Tried to forward many random ports but when I check canyouseeme.org it says "Connection refused". My windows firewall is off. Don't have any other. I also tried forwarding ports on my older router DGL-4100, but no luck. Both routers are updated with the latest firmware too. I don't know what to do. It must be my computer then? I am using nod32 and Malwarebytes, but when I try forwarding I disable them both. Also, my ISP is OOP and the modem model is Motorola SURFboard SBV6220.
Please, I really need help with this !

P.s. I know how to forward ports on both routers.... Currently im on Asus RT-N56U.

Edited by g3nX because: n/a
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Dani AI

Generated

Brief, practical diagnosis and checklist based on the thread (references: , , ).

Most common causes when an external port check returns "connection refused" despite a router forward are: the target host has no service actually listening on that port; the host or security software is blocking inbound connections; the router’s WAN address is not a public IP (double‑NAT or carrier‑grade NAT); or the forwarding entry points at the wrong LAN address. Focus on three areas: confirm the host is listening, confirm the router has a routable WAN address, and eliminate a double‑NAT chain.

Host-side checks (Windows):

  • Confirm a process is listening and note its PID:

    netstat -ano | find "LISTENING"
tasklist /FI "PID eq 1234"

    Match the PID to the service and ensure the service is bound to the LAN interface (not localhost only). Add an inbound rule for the specific program/port in any host firewall or security suite, or temporarily stop that software while testing.

Router/ISP checks:

  • Look at the router’s WAN/Internet IP. If it is in a private range (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16) or the shared CGNAT block (100.64.0.0/10), the ISP or upstream device is NATing traffic and local port forwards won’t reach the Internet. Remedies are: request a public IP from the ISP, put the ISP gateway into bridge mode, place the downstream router in the ISP box’s DMZ, or run a reverse tunnel/VPN to an external host.

Other practical points:

  • Ensure the forwarded rule targets a static LAN IP or a DHCP reservation.
  • Remember NAT loopback limitations: testing the public IP from inside the same LAN can give false negatives; test from another network (mobile tether or remote host).
  • If diagnostics still fail, collect the router WAN IP, the exact forwarding entry, and the host netstat output for a precise next step.

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Member Avatar for rch1231

Have you tried to get to the port locally inside you network to make sure it is available. You can use telnet to connect to a port and see if it is working:

telnet

Would connect you to port 25 on the local system at 192.168.1.3.

Member Avatar for orwell84

Give an example of one of the forwards you tried to configure. People will be better able to help you if you do.

Edited by orwell84 because: n/a
Member Avatar for g3nX

Hi, sorry for not replying for so long !
I tried connecting to telnet but that didn't work.
One of the ports I tried forwarding was 1604 and many more....

Member Avatar for g3nX

Hello ! So I'm back with the same problem, not that it was solved before but I change my ISP to verizon fios and thought now I'd be able to forward ports. But apparently I was wrong... Currently I'm using a verizon fios router MI424WR and asus RT-N56U. Maybe somebody kind enough could connect to my pc via teamviewer and check out whats the problem? I'd be very grateful for the effort!

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