Port Forward Minecraft: How to Open Ports on Routers Behind CGNAT  

  • 23 January 2025
  • 6 mins read

Table of Content

Table of Contents

Minecraft is a popular sandbox game that lets you build, explore, and survive in a blocky, creative world filled with endless challenges. When hosting a Minecraft server, you require stable connections and zero ping headaches. With this easy guide, you can enable smooth gameplay by learning how to port forward Minecraft behind CGNAT.

What is Port Forwarding? 

Port forwarding is a networking method that connects remote devices to specific services on your private network. You can direct specific traffic to a particular device by opening ports on your router. Mainly, gamers who create a private game server for Minecraft or COD must enable port forwarding on routers. 

Before You Forward a Port 

You need to know the following before opening ports for any game and application: 

  • The IP address of your router 
  • The IP address of your device (computer or console)
  • Port numbers (UDP and TCP)

Default Ports for Minecraft 

To optimize the performance of Minecraft, you need to open specific ports on your router. These ports are:

  • Java Edition: 25565 
  • Bedrock Edition: 19132-19133 (TCP and UDP)

How to Port Forward Minecraft

You can follow these steps to port forward Minecraft on your router:

  1. Select any browser [such as Google Chrome] and insert your router's default gateway IP in the address bar.
  2. Insert the username and password to log in to your router page (username is "admin," and the password is "password" if you haven't changed it).
  3. Select Advanced and navigate to the Port Forwarding option.
  4. Select the "Add Service" or "Add Rule" button.
  5. Enter a name for the new port forwarding rule [Minecraft].
  6. Select the protocol [TCP or UDP].
  7. Insert the port number you want to forward. 
  8. Use the same port number for Internal and External Port Numbers.
  9. Insert the static IP address of the device to which you wish to forward the port.
  10. Click "Apply" or "Save."
  11. Restart your router.
  12. You can share your hostname and port number (hostname.domain.com:25565) with your friends to connect to your Minecraft server.

Why is opening ports behind CGNAT an issue? 

Most ISPs (internet service providers) perform CGNAT to assign multiple users the same public IP address to prevent IPV4 exhaustion. However, CGNAT can cause issues if you wish to open ports on a router. Even if you try to port forward a router behind CGNAT, chances are your IP address can get blacklisted or blocked. 

How to Open Ports on Routers Behind CGNAT

With PureVPN's Port Forwarding add-on and a dedicated IP, you can easily bypass CGNAT and port forward multiple routers (Xfinity, AT&T, Verizon) for games like Minecraft, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant:

  1. Login to the PureVPN member area.
  2. Click the Subscription tab.
  3. Click Configure.
  4. Apply your desired port settings.
  5. Click Apply settings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • Can I port forward Minecraft on a mobile hotspot?

    Plus

    Port forwarding on a mobile hotspot can be challenging and often requires additional tools, as many ISPs use CGNAT.

  • How do I find my router's IP address for port forwarding?

    Plus

    Your router's IP address is in your network settings, usually listed as the "Default Gateway."

  • Can I test if my Minecraft port forwarding is working?

    Plus

    Yes, you can type Port Checker to check if your ports are forwarded and whether or not your IP address is changed.

  • Does port forwarding affect my internet speed?

    Plus

    Port forwarding does not impact your internet speed but could slightly increase the load on your network if many players connect.

In Summary

Level up your MMO games and enjoy Minecraft with PureVPN's port forwarding add-on and a dedicated IP. Reach out to one of our support representatives via Live Chat to learn how to open ports on routers.