How to Open TCP Ports in Windows

Opening TCP ports in Windows is a very important drill, allowing access to some applications and also allowing these applications to run smoothly and fully. Some of the applications we use, such as download managers or gaming managers, cannot operate fully unless specific ports are open. Using windows, you know that some of these operations are performed by the operating system itself; however, in some cases you need to perform these actions manually, in order to ensure full access.


Steps to Open TCP Ports in Windows

How can you open TCP ports in Windows? Here are the steps you need to follow:

  1. Go to Start and then to Network Places. Once the new window opens, go to Network Tasks and click on 'View Network Connections'.
  2. Choose the connection you use to access internet. This is something easy to find, even if you don't know which one is it right away. Right click on the connection and select properties.
  3. Then you will see a new window popping up; go to the advanced Tab and then to settings.
  4. In the case you see settings button not available, then it is most likely that all ports are already open. If they are not you can enter each one of them and open them manually one by one.
  5. If you know already which ports you need to open, then you can open only these ones. If your goal is to open the ports you need for a particular application, then you can open just them; for safety reasons it is recommended to do so.
  6. Click on Add to open a port. Once you do that you will see several fields requiring information. You should fill the information needed.
  7. The description box and the IP address require specific details; you will need to use 127.0.0.1 for IP address; you can use the same for the external port and Internal port as well.
  8. Then you click on TCP and click on OK.

If you follow these steps, you have opened TCP ports in Windows.

Although these steps are enough, in some cases the provided might also restrict access to some applications. In order to overcome this problem you need to enter the administrative panel of your router and follow the instructions of the manufacturer in order to open the ports manually there as well. This is necessary both for download managers and games that are played online.