If we recently signed up for a Fastweb subscription for the fixed line, the operator will offer us his Fastgate modem to be able to surf immediately and without too many configurations. This modem is very simple to use and configure, but it also offers some advanced options for those who manage their home network in a more professional way. For example, one of the most common advanced operations is port forwarding, which allows you to access certain services and computers configured for remote access via the Internet. If we do not know how to do this, just continue reading the following guide, where we will show you all the steps to carry out port mapping on Fastweb, so as to open the necessary ports. Although the operation itself is very simple, we will have to carry out a preliminary check before we can correctly open the doors on the Fastgate .
READ ALSO: Guide to access the Fastweb modem (Fastgate)
Get a public IP
The Fastweb network is very different from that provided by the other operators: normally all users are connected to a network with shared IPs, therefore it is not possible to open a specific port and be reachable from the outside, since we are present within a untangled and complex network (remote services would not know which modem to point to).In order to proceed with the correct forwarding of the ports, we will have to request assistance, asking to obtain a public IP of Fastweb (i.e. an address assigned only to us and accessible from the outside as already explained in another post).
The simplest method to obtain this IP is to call the telephone number 192193 (from Fastweb fixed line or from Fastweb SIM), follow the commands of the voice guide and speak with an operator, so that the request can be made. If we don't have a static phone or a Fastweb SIM, we can contact support through the official channels on Facebook and Twitter.
On Facebook, simply open the operator page, log in with any social account and then click the Get Assistance button. The bot of the page will reply to us, which can respond to some simple requests, but it certainly cannot provide us with help in our case, so it is better to bypass it and ask (when requested by the bot) to speak with an operator. As soon as the chat with an operator is started, we ask to obtain a static IP for our line.
If instead we want to use Twitter, we open the official operator page, log in with a social account and click on the Contact button, present under the official logo, and insert our request via private message; we will immediately be put in contact with an available operator, who can provide us with the necessary help to obtain the static IP.
When we contact social support, we advise you to keep your customer code handy, which we can find in the Fastweb Customer Area or on one of the bills received by email or via paper mail. After making the request, it may take up to 48 hours for the static IP to be activated (usually accompanied by a few minutes of modem disconnection).
Check if the IP is public
How to check the type of network owned and if the IP is really public "> What is my IP and DomainTools. We open the first site and copy the displayed IP address, then modify the link of the second site as seen below://whois.domaintools.com/MIOIP
When opening the page, we confirm the CAPTCHA and, among the information on our IP (and on our network), we check the voice netname, which could be of various types when we use the Fastweb network:
- NAT-Pool : you have no public IP
- FASTWEB-PAT : you have no public IP
- FASTWEB-VULA_Statico : you have a public IP
- FASTWEB-Static : you have the public IP
In this way we can immediately realize if our public IP request has been made or we will have to contact the assistance for further information.
Remember that public and private IP is different from static and dynamic IP : by the nature of the Fastweb network practically all IPs are static, but only a few are assigned as directly reachable from the outside (i.e. all customers who do not make a specific request have Static and private IP). By obtaining a static and public IP we will be able to open the doors of any router without problems, including the Fastgate.
How to open the doors of the Fastgate
Provided to obtain the public IP address, it is time to show you how to open the doors on the Fastgate, the modem provided in the Fastweb offers for some years.
We open a browser on any PC connected to the Fastgate (via cable or via Wi-Fi) and type in the address bar 192.168.1.254 ; the login screen will open, where you can enter the username and password of the configuration panel.
If it is the first time that we access this screen, we will be asked to choose a new password, which is also valid for future access. If we have already chosen a password in the past but do not remember it, the only way to reset it is to reset the Fastgate, using a small needle in the slot above the power connector (on the back of the modem) and keeping the internal button pressed to 10 seconds.
Once you have accessed the Fastgate configuration screen, click on the Advanced menu at the top and then on the Manual port configuration item, then go to the Port mapping field.
To add a new port, click on Associate new port mapping and insert, in the various fields, all the required information: name, IP of the device where to point the port, protocol, external port and internal port (normally they must coincide).
Once all the data have been filled in, we click Add to add the rule to the list and, in the previous screen, we immediately click Save changes . Now that the door is open, we recommend setting a static local IP address for the connected device to which the door has been diverted: if for example we opened the BitTorrent port on our desktop PC, we set an IP address for it fixed room, so it doesn't change when we restart or shut it down.
In the same configuration screen as the Fastgate, we click Advanced, let's go to LAN Settings then click Add DHCP Association .
Select the computer (or any other device) from those available in the list and click Add .
The IP assigned to the device will not be changed even in case of reboot or shutdown.
Check if the door is open
After carrying out the port mapping on the Fastgate, we check that the door is open using the YouGetSignal website.
Enter the port number to be tested in the Port Number field, then click Check ; if the result is positive, we will get a green flag and the writing Port XXXXX is open, if instead the door is still closed we will get a red flag and the writing Port XXXXX is closed .
Remember that opening too many ports on the modem could jeopardize the security of our network, since they can also be exploited by hackers and attackers to spy on us and to infect our computers. We therefore open only those strictly necessary for the operation of some services, always choosing random ports if possible (we avoid using the ports already associated with some famous services, since they are the most "scanned" by hackers).
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