Yes, PrivateVPN supports port forwarding. The provider offers both static and dynamic port forwarding, allowing you to choose the option that best serves your needs.
But PrivateVPN doesn’t allow to open a specific port and instead provides random port numbers via its client.
Keep reading to learn more about PrivateVPN port forwarding and how to set it up on your torrent client.
Static Port Forwarding vs. Dynamic Port Forwarding
While Static port forwarding is more convenient, reliable, and stable, it has a few security risks. For instance, it makes it possible for another user to expose your real IP when connected to the same VPN server through a forwarded port.
If you’re keen on anonymity, you certainly don’t want that.
Luckily, PrivateVPN also offers dynamic port forwarding.
Through its dedicated servers, the VPN service allows port forwarding on all open ports.
This safeguards your privacy and eliminates the need to reconfigure your torrent client whenever you reconnect to the VPN.
That said, PrivateVPN recently took measures to fix the static port forward security issues, server by server.
Click here for an up-to-date list of the secure servers for static port forwarding.
How to Set up Port Forwarding With PrivateVPN?
As I mentioned earlier, PrivateVPN supports both dynamic and static port forwarding. And although both differ significantly, the setup process is largely similar.
How to Set up Static PrivateVPN Port Forwarding?
Here are the steps you should follow to set up a specific static port forwarding with PrivateVPN:
- Sign up for PrivateVPN.
- Download and install the PrivateVPN app.
- Launch the VPN app and log in with your account credentials.
- On the home screen, click “Change” to access the server list.
- Select the “All Servers” category and connect to your preferred server.
- Click Advanced View > Dashboard and note the port number next to “Port Forwarding.”
- Use the PrivateVPN port number as the listening port on the application that’s using port forwarding.
Voila! You successfully set up port forwarding with PrivateVPN.
With this method, you can now forward to a specific port.
Remember, PrivateVPN doesn’t allow you to choose the port and instead assigns all ports automatically.
Also, remember that you might need to reconfigure your listening application’s port every time you reconnect to PrivateVPN. That’s because the VPN provider may assign you a different port.
How to Set up PrivateVPN Dynamic Port Forwarding?
Understandably, reconfiguring your torrent client whenever you reconnect to the VPN can be tiresome.
Fortunately, PrivateVPN allows you to forward on all open ports, essentially circumventing the need to configure your torrent client manually.
Here are the steps you should follow to set up port forwarding with PrivateVPN and allow all ports automatically:
- Launch the VPN app.
- Navigate to the server list menu and select the “Dedicated IP” section.
- Connect to your preferred server to activate port forwarding.
- Confirm that the forwarded port indicates “All.”
And that’s it. You don’t have to set up a port manually on your torrent client.
Is Port Forwarding Necessary to Torrent With PrivateVPN?
While port forwarding isn’t required for downloading torrents, it significantly improves your speeds by enabling you to directly connect to more peers in a torrent swarm.
Also, without port forwarding, seeding torrents may not be possible.
As such, port forwarding is highly recommended, especially on private trackers.
Also, if you’re looking to seed torrents, then port forwarding is necessary to torrent with PrivateVPN.
Using PrivateVPN or any other VPN with port forwarding, you can bypass NAT firewalls and initiate a peer-to-peer connection
How to Configure PrivateVPN Port Forwarding for Torrenting?
So, how do you use port forwarding for torrenting? Here are the steps you should follow to set up PrivateVPN port forwarding with qBittorrent:
- Connect to a PrivateVPN server and mark the assigned port forwarding port number.
- Launch qBittorent, and under “Tools,” select “Options.”
- Select the “Connections” tab and enter the port number assigned by PrivateVPN.
- On the same window, disable “Use UPnP / NAT-PMP port forwarding from my router.”
- Click “Apply” and “OK” to enable port forwarding.
- With qBittorent running, go to CanYouSeeMe.org to verify the open port. If the port opened successfully, you should see a message that says “Success.”
Alternatively, you can connect to a PrivateVPN dedicated IP address server and do away with the need to set up the port manually.
This is a more straightforward method for enabling port forwarding, and I recommend it for beginners.
PrivateVPN Port Forwarding Blocked?
PrivateVPN’s port forward works fine, but some ISPs might block some of the provider’s ports.
PrivateVPN allows you to open multiple ports with dedicated IP servers but also provides random port numbers when connected to standard servers.
To check if your PrivateVPN port forwarding is blocked, visit CanYouSeeMe.Org or PortCheckTool.Com and enter the PrivateVPN port number you’re using.
A response of “connection refused” indicates a potential firewall problem.
I recommend using ports 40000 to 65000 and avoiding ports 6881 to 6889 (standard BitTorrent ports) since they typically get blocked by most ISPs.
qBittorent Not Seeding When Using PrivateVPN Port Forwarding
Suppose qBittorrent isn’t seeding when using PrivateVPN port forwarding.
In that case, it could be due to an unsuccessful connection or your qBittorent settings.
Here are a few quick troubleshooting tips:
1. Check if PrivateVPN Port Forwarding Is Working With qBitorrent
Go to View > Log > Show and check the execution log to see if it says “Successfully listening on” your PrivateVPN IP and open port.
2. Check qBittorent Upload Speed Limit
Go to Tools > Options > Speeds to check your qBittorent upload speed limit.
If the upload speed limit is 0 Mbps, your torrents won’t seed.
3. Check qBittorent Upload Connection Limits
Navigate to Tools > Options > BitTorrent and confirm the “maximum active uploads” number covers all your seeding torrents.
PrivateVPN Port Forwarding Best Practices?
Port forwarding is never 100% safe, but there are measures you can take to minimize any security risks:
- Don’t provide remote access to more than you need
- Use a strong device password
As mentioned earlier, you should opt for dynamic port forwarding for maximum anonymity. PrivateVPN’s dynamic port forwarding allows all ports, making it harder for copyright trolls to nail your IP.
If you want to improve torrenting speeds even further when using PrivateVPN port forwarding, I recommend using L2TP. Although it’s less secure, it offers much faster connections than OpenVPN.
FAQs
Is PrivateVPN's Port Forwarding Safe?
Yes, PrivateVPN’s port forwarding is safe. However, to guarantee your safety, you should connect to servers with dynamic public IPs with all ports forwarded.
That’s because PrivateVPN static port forwarding servers are affected by the same security flaws that affect all other VPN service providers.
But on the bright side, PrivateVPN is taking measures to fix any vulnerabilities on a server by servers basis. You can check their website for the up-to-date list of secure servers for safe static port forwarding.
Can PrivateVPN's Port Forwarding Improve Torrent Speeds?
Yes, PrivateVPN’s port forwarding can significantly improve torrent speeds.
It does so by allowing you to connect with more peers than you would without port forwarding enabled.
Does PrivateVPN Port Forwarding Work With OpenVPN?
Yes, PrivateVPN port forwarding works with OpenVPN.
The VPN offers 3 OpenVPN configurations to choose from — OpenVPN (TUN+UDP+1194), OpenVPN (TUN+TCP+443), and OpenVPN (UDP+TCP).
I recommend using the default OpenVPN (TUN+UDP+1194) because it works best with port forwarding.
Does PrivateVPN Port Forwarding Work With Black Ops 4?
Yes, PrivateVPN port forwarding works with Blacks Ops 4.
However, PrivateVPN doesn’t allow you to request a specific port.
You’ll need to try your luck with the VPN’s dedicated IP servers, which will enable multiple ports automatically.
Below are the recommended Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 ports:
| Platform | UDP | TCP |
| PC | 3478, 4379-4380, 27000-27031, 27036 | 3074, 27014-27050 |
| PlayStation | 3478-3479 | 80, 443, 1935, 3478-3480 |
| Xbox | 53, 88, 500, 3074, 3075, 3544, 4500 | 53, 80, 3074 |
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to improve your torrenting, host online games, or remotely access your computer, PrivateVPN is an ideal VPN.
It supports static and dynamic port forwarding and is easy to set up and use.
What are you waiting for? Grab our exclusive PrivateVPN deal and improve your torrenting speeds!
