Port forwarding on a ZyXEL ASG1432 router

Teemsan

I just got PIA yesterday and so far so good. I am using it with uTorrent and I set up the proxy and everything works fine except ... with or without the VPN on, the port in uTorrent is not open for incoming. I get the orange triangle in the lower corner of uTorrent telling me I can download but the port is not open. I confirmed this by using the PortForward PFPortCheck Program to check TCP \ UDP. 

So I checked for my modem on the PortForward.com list and it isn't there. I can access the modem through the gateway ip,and get to the correct page under security settings to manually add the info, but it's just a little different than other examples I looked at for similar ZyXEL routers. Other examples I looked at showed it askign for a single IPv4 address. Mine asks for source and destination ip - can I assume that this is the IPv4 address for both? And under protocal it has a drop down offering me TCP/UDP, TCP, UDP, or ICMP. I'm thinking it's the TCP/UDP choice but I'm not sure. The rest is straightforward. This is the first time I've done this, so sorry if the answwers are obvious to you folks in the know. Any help with this appreciated.

Thanks

OmniNegro

What are you trying to forward a port for? And are you aware that the port forward is entirely random? (Meaning you do not get to pick what port to forward.)

rainmakerraw

Just to add a couple of additional points:

• You don't need to forward any port in your router. OpenVPN takes care of that for you by bypassing the router altogether.
• Using a SOCKS5 proxy (as provided by PIA) means you allow the proxy to handle connections for you. You will never be inwardly connectible behind a proxy (i.e. don't expect it to go green, and you can't use a port forward with the proxy either).
• If you want to be connectible, disable the proxy and use only the VPN plus port forward. You'd be advised to enable the killswitch and/or good firewall rules if you do this.
  

HTH.

Teemsan

In uTorrent preferences under Connection, there is the "Port used for incoming connections". You can manually assign a port # (provided it is not in use \ conflict) or select the Random port button which will assign a random port not in use. However, once selected, I thought that port would then remain the same unless you are also checking the box to "Randomize port each start". The difference between a Random port and Randomizing the port. I do not have that checked. Ex -since I selected the port yesterday, it has remained the same despite several Win's restarts. Unless I'm misuderstanding something here. My knowledge of all of this is basic, not great, so I've been reading other posts on the forum here and searcing for info. Which is what led me to this point.

I noticed that in uTorrent the icon in the lower right that should be a green check is an orange exclamation \ warning, telling me that I can still download, but I have no incoming connections. As I said in the op, I downloaded PFPortCheck, entered the assigned port # for incoming connections from uTorrent, checked on both TCP and UDP and it says "Your port is Not Open or not reachable". I am still able to download torrents fine, and my speeds are OK, even with VPN on (unlike others I've read here), but my upload speeds are not what I think they should be - like only often 1 - 5kbps, despite having it set at 200kbps. In other posts I was reading that allowing that port to be open may improve ul speed. So, I don't know, maybe I don't need to worry about it, but I thought I would try to at least the optimize the program I'm using.

Teemsan

OK, I posted before reading your post rainmakerraw. Thanks for that info. Good to know. I did see a reference to the fact that "OpenVPN takes care of that for you by bypassing the router altogether", but I wasn't sure if that applied to VPN only or proxy only, or both. Thanks for clearing that up. So I'll not worry about it then while using the proxy.

And thanks OmniNegro for responding also

OmniNegro

I think I can speak for @rainmakerraw too when I say you are most welcomed. Do not hesitate to ask any other questions you think of. It costs us nothing to help.

rainmakerraw

Indeed @OmniNegro