Why is Linksys Smart WiFi Port Forwarding Not Working?

Your Linksys Smart WiFi port forwarding not working is a cause of headaches.

There are many reasons why this issue happens in the first place and resolving it will require some troubleshooting.

To fix this problem, the main issue with your Linksys Smart WiFi port forwarding is usually your IP address. You’re going to need a static IP address assigned to your device. Most of the time, your router assigns them automatically, so make sure it’s set up correctly.

You either have not set the static IP address properly on your router or don’t have it. The solution is usually simple.

However, if it doesn’t work, we recommend reading through the entire guide to know the other ways to fix this issue.

Why Linksys Smart WiFi Port Forwarding Doesn’t Work

There are a lot of reasons why you want to set up port forwarding. Whether it’s access to video game servers or apps, there are cases why you want to have that option available to you.

Setting it up can be as simple as making sure that your device has a static IP address, logging into your router’s admin settings, and entering the port you want to forward into the “Port Forwarding” section.

The first thing you have to look at is that you have a static IP address. Once you have that, the issue is likely resolved.

However, there are times when you’ll need to go deeper, so let’s look at a few more possibilities.

How to Fix Linksys Smart WiFi Port Forwarding Issues

Let’s take a much closer look at your Linksys Smart WiFi port forwarding issues and find the best ways to fix them.

Solution #1: Setup Static IP on your Computer

The first thing you need to look at is your device settings.

Port forwarding requires devices on your network to have a static IP so you can assign a specific IP address to a port that you’re going to use for port forwarding.

You need to do this on a computer or another device and not on your Linksys Smart WiFi router.

Although, it’s a necessary step, so the port forwarding rules you have set on our router works.

Here’s how you’ll be able to do this on your computer:

1. Access your computer’s network adapter settings so you can manually set its IP address.
2. In the IP Settings, it’s by default set to Automatic (DHCP), select Manual.
3. Enter the IP address that you want for your device, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Server.
4. Click Save to set your computer’s IP address to static.

There should be no need to reboot your computer as the IP address should be set within your existing network.

Solution #2: Check Your Port Forwarding Rules

If setting up a static IP address on your device does not enable port forwarding, you might need to check out the port forwarding rules in your Linksys Smart WiFi router’s local access interface.

Here are the steps on how to access the port forwarding rules in your router’s software:

1. Access your router through a browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
2. Navigate to the port forwarding section by going to Router Settings.
3. Click on the Security tool.
4. Look for the Apps and Gaming tab and click on it.
5. Select Single Port Forwarding and check the rules you have set.
6. Add it by selecting Add a new Single Port Forwarding.
7. Enter the necessary details like the Device IP Address.
8. Make sure that the Enabled checkbox is ticked, then click Save.

That’s it. Port forwarding should be complete and enabled.

Solution #3: Test If Your Ports are Open

Another reason why your port forwarding might not work is that the ports you’ve set might not be open on the client.

This could be due to a firewall setting that’s blocking these connections.

Here’s how you can test it:

1. Test the ports Telnet.
2. Start testing the ports by typing in telnet <Hostname IP Address> <Port to Test>.
3. If the port is open, it will connect. If not, you’ll see a connection failed message.
4. Sometimes ports can be blocked by your firewall, so make sure to double-check that.
5. If a port is closed on your firewall, try disabling it and test again.

Solution #4: Reboot Your Linksys Smart WiFi Router

If none of these still work, you can try rebooting your Linksys Smart WiFi router.

Router software is not the most robust, so giving it a quick refresh might do the trick.

It’s a quick and straightforward process that might get your port forwarding to start working again:

1. Unplug your Linksys Smart WiFi router, and wait at least 30 seconds.
2. Plug it back in, and wait for it to complete its start-up process, which might take a while.
3. Wait for at least 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Check to see if the problem persists.

Solution #5: Reset Your Linksys Smart WiFi Router

Resetting and rebooting might sound similar, but there’s a distinction between these two.

Rebooting won’t change your router’s settings. Instead, it’s simply turning it on and off again to flush out the memory.

However, resetting will revert your router to its original factory settings, so you’ll lose all the changes you’ve made, including your port forwarding rules.

If you’ve made a lot of changes to your router’s configuration, it might be one of the reasons why your port forwarding won’t work.

Resetting might help you start from a clean slate and determine the underlying cause of the issue.

There are two ways you can go about this. One is the hardware reset.

Here’s how to do it:

1. There’s usually a reset button at the back of your Linksys Smart WiFi router. Look for it.
2. Press and hold it for 10 seconds, and then release.
3. Wait for your router to start up.
4. Enter your port forwarding rules and verify if it works.

Another way to do this is via a software reset.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open your browser and go to your Linksys Smart WiFi admin panel.
2. Go to Router Settings and click on Troubleshooting > Diagnostics.
3. You can then click on Reset under Factory Reset.
4. Wait for your router to shut down, reset, and start back up again.
5. Enter your port forwarding rules and check if they now work.

These steps should allow you to reset your router and see if your port forwarding works. You will need to reconfigure your router settings if you have done that in the past.

Solution #6: Update Your Device’s Firmware

One of the reasons why some of your settings, like port forwarding, might stop working on your Linksys Smart WiFi router is because you’re using an older version of its firmware.

Updating router firmware is something you often don’t do since it’s usually hidden deep in the settings.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Login to your Linksys Smart WiFi account via your web browser.
2. Go to Connectivity, and under Router Firmware Update, check the Automatic box.
3. You can also do it manually by clicking the Check for Updates button.

This will check your router’s current firmware, and it will automatically download and install a newer version if there’s a new one available.

Read Next: Why Is Linksys Parental Controls Not Working?

Last Thoughts

To ensure port forwarding works on your Linksys Smart WiFi router, you’ll need to make sure your devices have a static IP address within your network. It’s the quickest way as some of these devices might revert to getting their IP address set automatically.

If that doesn’t work, you can try rebooting your router, which usually does the trick.

These methods will resolve your Linksys Smart WiFi port forwarding, not working issues. It will help you identify the problem and determine the cause so you can start using port forwarding for your devices.

There are cases where the issue persists after performing these fixes. You can contact Linksys customer service for more in-depth technical support.