Accessing computers and files on your home or business network from a remote location is a popular feature of Windows Home Server. To enable remote access, you need to configure your router to open certain ports so network traffic will flow properly.
Important: Verify Your Settings!
You should verify any settings in this document to ensure your router is properly directing and filtering Internet traffic as desired.
The following is a diagram of a typical home or small business network.
A typical home or small business network consists of the following:
Setting up a network means configuring settings on a variety of devices. Some familiarity with networking is recommended.
If the terms ping, static IP address, DHCP, firewall ports, and UPnP are a foreign language for you, consider having a friend or consultant help you set up your network.
The following links provide information on home networking:
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/tcpip/TCPIP_Transmission_Control_Protocol_Internet_Protocol
Before setting up your router, you need to set up your network. There are three steps for you to complete.
The first step in configuring your network is to determine the IP addresses of your Windows Home Server and your router (gateway).
In this example, the following information is highlighted:
Next, determine if your Windows Home Server and router can communicate.
If your router and home server can communicate, you should see results like the following:
If you are not able to determine your IP addresses, or if you are not able to determine or correct network communication issues, now’s the time to find a friend or consultant to assist you.
The final step in configuring your network is to verify that your Windows Home Server has a static IP address. Typical home routers have DHCP enabled. Your home server receives its IP address from the router and, because it is a dynamic IP address, the home server IP address can change. A changing IP address will break router firewall settings you set up as directed later in this article. A static IP address for your home server will ensure that firewall settings will continue to work and network traffic will continue to reach your home server.
There are two ways to set a static IP address for your home server.
Once you have determined IP addresses, verified communication, and set Windows Home Server to a static IP address, you are ready to configure your router to allow remote access.
Many broadband routers designed for home use support Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) – a standard that simplifies router setup. Check your product documentation for UPnP support. If UPnP is supported, Windows Home Server may be able to automatically configure your broadband router.
If your router supports UPnP, check to see if UPnP is enabled.
If your router does not support UPnP, you must manually configure your router to forward the following ports to the IP address of your Windows Home Server:
A typical router-configuration page includes a table that looks similar to the following one, assuming the IP address of your home server is 192.168.1.3:
Port forwarding rules
Model: BEFSR41 Version: 4.1 Firmware: 1.04.09 http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/wireless/lbc/BEFSR41?referrer=www.linksysbycisco.com
Follow the first two steps in the General Directions to verify your network is properly configured. Then, configure your home server with a static IP address.
To set a static IP address for Windows Home Server
See the following links for directions:
The Linksys BEFSR41 broadband router supports UPnP – a standard that simplifies router setup. If you enable UPnP in the Linksys BEFSR41, Windows Home Server may be able to automatically configure your remote access settings.
With UPnP enabled, open the Windows Home Server Console, click Settings, click Remote Access, and then click Repair. Windows Home Server will attempt to automatically configure the Linksys router to forward Web site requests to your home server.
If you prefer to not use UPnP, you must manually configure your router to forward the following ports to the IP address of your Windows Home Server:
To manually configure your router
With port forwarding manually configured, open the Windows Home Server Console, click Settings, click Remote Access, and then click Repair. Windows Home Server will run the configuration test to verify network settings.
Model: RP614 Version: 4 Firmware: 1.0.2_06.29 http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/WiredRouters/RP614.aspx
There are two ways to set a static IP address for your home server: reserve an IP address on the Netgear RP614 router, or set the IP address of the home server to be a static IP address.
To reserve an IP address
The Netgear RP614v4 broadband router supports UPnP – a standard that simplifies router setup. If you enable UPnP in the Netgear RP614v4, Windows Home Server may be able to automatically configure your remote access settings.
Model: TZ170 Version: Standard Firmware: SonicOS Standard 3.1.6.3-4s http://www.sonicwall.com/us/support/3134.html
There are two ways to set a static IP address for your home server: reserve an IP address on the Sonicwall TZ170 router, or set the IP address of the home server to be a static IP address.
http://wiki.wegotserved.com/index.php?title=Set_up_Static_IP_for_Windows_Home_Server
The Sonicwall TZ170 broadband router does not support UPnP.
You must manually configure your router to forward the following ports to the IP address of your Windows Home Server:
Model: TZ100 wireless-N Firmware: SonicOS Enhanced 5.5.1.0-5o http://www.sonicwall.com/us/support/13528.html
There are two ways to set a static IP address for your home server: reserve an IP address on the Sonicwall TZ100 router, or set the IP address of the home server to be a static IP address.
The Sonicwall TZ100 broadband router does not support UPnP.
Model: DIR-825 Hardware Version: B1 Firmware Version: 2.02NA http://www.dlink.com/products/?tab=3&pid=DIR-825&rev=DIR-825_revB
There are two ways to set a static IP address for your home server: reserve an IP address on the D-Link DIR-825 router, or set the IP address of the home server to be a static IP address.
The D-Link DIR-825 broadband router supports UPnP. However, initial tests using UPnP to configure the router were not successful. You should use manual configuration.
Model: WRT160N Hardware Version: V3 Firmware Version: 3.0.02 http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/wireless/lbc/WRT160N
There are two ways to set a static IP address for your home server: reserve an IP address on the Linksys WRT160N router, or set the IP address of the home server to be a static IP address.
The Linksys WRT160N broadband router supports UPnP – a standard that simplifies router setup. If you enable UPnP in the Linksys WRT160N , Windows Home Server may be able to automatically configure your remote access settings.
Model: WRT54GL Version: 1.1 Firmware: v4.30.11 http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/wireless/lbc/WRT54GL
The Linksys WRT54GL broadband router supports UPnP – a standard that simplifies router setup. If you enable UPnP in the Linksys WRT54GL, Windows Home Server may be able to automatically configure your remote access settings.
Model: X20e Firmware: 10.2.12 http://www.watchguard.com/products/edge-e/overview.asp?t=main
There are two ways to set a static IP address for your home server: reserve an IP address on the Firebox X20e router, or set the IP address of the home server to be a static IP address.
The Firebox X20e broadband router does not support UPnP.