This FAQ has three major sections:
Section 1 - General Information
Section 2 - Opening Ports Using Predefined Settings for Popular Applications on the Westell 2100/2200
Section 3 - Manually Opening Ports Using Custom Settings

Section 1 - General Overview
The Westell 2100/2200 modems are actually routers and by default blocks ports so some popular games and applications may not work correctly. Changes must be made to the Westell to open certain ports. The screenshots and procedures below are for Westell 2100/2200 modems only. The Westell 6100 has the same capabilities but a different menu structure. Important note: Opening ports exposes you computer directly to the Internet. A firewall of some type is highly recommended.

Many popular applications and games are preconfigured in the firmware and simply require you to enable the service as shown in Section 2. Some newer games or applications are not available and must be configured manually as shown in Section 3. The specific port and protocol information required to set up a custom manual service can be obtained from the vendor or you can click here for a partial list of ports for some of the more popular applications.

An alternative way to enable proper gaming connection is IP Passthrough. More details are available Here.

Section 2 - Opening Ports Using Predefined Settings for Popular Applications
Step 1
Open a browser application and enter 192.168.1.254 in the URL address field to access the Westell interface.

Step 2
Click on Expert Mode from the menu and confirm that you want to enter Expert Mode. Important Information: You will not be able to access Expert Mode if you are using Internet Explorer 7. This is a known issue, however no new firmware is available to correct the problem. Click here for more information.



Step 3
Click on Configure from the menu and then NAT in the sub-menu.

Step 4
The port settings and protocols for many popular applications are already preconfigured. Use the Service Name pull down to highlight and select the application you desire and then click Enable.



Step 5
A pop-up screen will appear with a pull down of all the computers connected to the Westell. Select the correct computer and click Done



Step 6
The NAT screen will show a confirmation listing the service you selected. You can click on Details for specific information about port and protocol settings for each service.



Step 7
Repeat Steps 4 through 6 for every game, service or application you wish to run. If your application is not available in the pull down, you want to manually open ports, or you want to configure a custom service proceed to Step 8.

Section 3 - Manually Opening Ports Using Custom Settings
Step 8
To set up a custom port forwarding configuration click Define Custom Service.



Step 9
Select Port Forwarding Range of Ports and click Next.



Step 10
Important Note: The following required information can be obtained from the application vendor. Enter a name for your custom service in the Service Name field. Enter the proper ports in the Global Port Range field. Enter the proper port in the Base Port field. Select whether the application is TCP or UDP. Click Next.

Example: Service XYZ requires ports 3000-3010. You will enter "1-10" in the Global Port Range and "3000" in the Base Port field.



Step 11
Verify the information for this application is correct and click Close.



Step 12
The custom service you created is now available in the Service Name pull down. Select the new custom service and click Enable. Repeat Steps 8 through 12 for every custom service you require.



Step 13
Verify the application connects and works properly.

Andy Houtz