# Manual Configuration

If UPnP or NAT-PMP is not available on your router, or if you prefer to configure port forwarding yourself, open the ***Screens Connect*****&#x20;menu** and click **Preferences**. Select the **Advanced** tab and click on **Use public port number** and enter the public port that was previously opened on your router that is pointing to your Mac's IP address and port (5900 for Screen Sharing/VNC, 22 for Remote Login/SSH). Note that *Screens Connect* provides the suggested private IP address and port number that your public port you should forward to.

![](/files/-L9zzNXfFmAS-wPV-TMX)

## **Configuring Your Router and Computer**

If you've already configured port mapping on your router, you may skip the next two steps.

### Step **1: Set a Static IP Address**

* On the Mac you intend to connect to, open **System Preferences.**
* Click **Network**.
* **Select the network** you use for Internet access (in the following screenshot, this is *Highland Park* on Wi-Fi).
* Click&#x20;

  **Advanced.**

  ![](/files/-L9zzNZWiFRXF-SB-Tda)
* Under **Configure IPv4**, select **Using DHCP with manual address.**
* Enter an **IPv4 Address**. (In the following screenshot, *10.0.1.7* is used.)
* Click **OK**.

![](/files/-L9zzN_SLlCYi-CqHdDU)

* Click **Apply** to activate the change.

![](/files/-L9zzNaEcUHQFUDtbcOd)

To learn more about static IP addresses, consult [Port Forward](http://portforward.com/networking/static-Mac10.4.htm).

### Step **2: Manually Configuring Your Router's Port Forwarding Feature**

Below, we'll demonstrate how to use Apple's *AirPort Utility* to manually configure your router's port forwarding feature. This method will differ from one router to another, so we strongly suggest referring to the port forwarding guide at [Port Forward](http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/). This guide includes detailed instructions for many router brands and models. (Once you select your brand and model on the site, look for instructions regarding *VNC (Screen Sharing)* or *SSH (Remote Login) in Step 4 > Application)*.

**If your router is not an Apple Router**

> In this guide, we use an Apple router as an example. If you need port forwarding instructions for your router, please visit the [Port Forward](https://portforward.com/router.htm) website as it contains instructions for thousands of router models.
>
> Simply select your router's brand and model and you should then be redirected to an instructions page. In Step 4 of that page, you'll need to select either "VNC Personal Computer" which is the equivalent of Screen Sharing, or "SSH Personal Computer" if you enabled Secure Connections (SSH) in the Screens Connect settings. The guide will then show you how to create a port forwarding rule, which you'll be able to apply next in **Option A** or **B.**

For the purpose of this example, we will open a public port set to *59107,* but you could use any port allowed by your router. Note that some phone carriers are known to block non-standard ports, so if you experience connectivity issues, try using a commonly used port such as *80*, *443*, *22*, or *8080*.

* Open **Airport Utility**,
* **Select the router** to be configured.
* Click the&#x20;

  **Edit**

  &#x20;button.&#x20;

  ![](/files/-L9zzNdvn30IticZkzMk)
* Select the **Network** tab.
* Next to **Port Settings**, click on the **\[+]** button to add a new mapping.

![](/files/-L9zzNeyl0IASlUNd_DI)

* Under **Description**, select **Screen Sharing - VNC**.
* Set the **Public UDP** and **Public TCP** (also called External Port on some routers) to the desired public port number (in the following screenshot, *59107* is used).
* Enter your computer's **Private IP address** so that the router knows to which computer *Screens* traffic should be forwarded. (In the following screenshot, *10.0.1.7* is used.)
* Unless you've changed the default *Screen Sharing* port number, **Private UDP** and **Private TCP** (also called Internal Port on some routers) should be **set to&#x20;*****5900**.*
* Click&#x20;

  **Save**

  &#x20;when you're done.&#x20;

  ![](/files/-L9zzNiUNDjXHjrTpFb4)

  You should now see your new port setting. Click&#x20;

  **Update**

  &#x20;to apply the changes to your router.

![](/files/-L9zzNism4vMNJTArY7L)

### **Option A: Port Forwarding to&#x20;*****Screen Sharing*****&#x20;(VNC)**

This example assumes that we want to connect directly to the *Screen Sharing* service.

* Under **Use public port number**, enter the public port that was previously opened on your router (in the screenshot below, *59107* is used).
* Under **General**, make sure that **Use Remote Login (SSH Tunneling)** is *disabled*.

![](/files/-L9zzNm1Fg_sO8z26zAM)

### **Option B: Port forwarding to&#x20;*****Remote Login*****&#x20;(SSH)**

If, in ***Screens Connect's*****&#x20;Preferences** settings, you chose to use a secure network connection, the configuration is similar.

* From the **Screens Connect menu**, open the **Preferences** window.
* Click&#x20;

  **General**

  , then select&#x20;

  **Use Remote Login**&#x20;

  **(**

  **SSH Tunneling**

  **)**

  .&#x20;

  ![](/files/-L9zzNpSJ-yzwWtX0zQi)
* Click **Advanced**, then select **Use public port number.**
* Enter the public port that was previously opened on your router. In the following screenshot, *2299* is used, but you can use any port allowed by your router.

Again, note that some phone carriers are known to block non-standard ports, so if you experience connectivity issues, try using a commonly used port such as *80*, *443*, *22*, or *8080*.

![](/files/-L9zzNsHzaFRAJ-9sCos)

* Under **Description**, select **Remote Login - SSH**.
* Set the **Public TCP** (also called External Port on some routers) to the desired public port number (in the following screenshot, *2299* is used).
* Enter your computer's **Private IP address** so that the router knows to which computer *Screens* traffic should be forwarded to (in the following screenshot, *10.0.1.7* is used).
* Unless you've changed the default Remote Login port number, **Private TCP** (also called Internal Port on some routers)should be **set to&#x20;*****22*****.**
* Click&#x20;

  **Save**

  &#x20;when you're done.&#x20;

  ![](/files/-L9zzNwWQIHEc-G0zkf6)

### Forwarding Multiple Ports

If you need to manually configure port forwarding for multiple computers, note that each of those computers requires its own dedicated port number. For example:

* Luana's Mac > Port 59107
* Luc's Mac > Port 59108
* and so on

### Manual Configuration with Older Versions of *Screens Connect*

If you have other Macs running older versions of *Screens Connect*, you'll find specific instructions [here](http://helpdocs.edovia.com/apps/Mac/ScreensConnect/3.0/Help_bundle/en.lproj/mac-advanced.html).


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