How do I set Port Forwarding on my router to bypass Orb stream servers?

Users who installed Orb on a PC that connects directly to their cable modem (i.e., without a router) and users who connect through a router with UPnP enabled enjoy a much better streaming experience: their Orb streams are using their full bandwidth and are not limited to the maximum speed set when going through Orb servers.

Your streams go through Orb servers either when you have a router that does not support UPnP or when UPnP is not enabled or is malfunctioning on your router. In this case, you still can enjoy DirectStream by setting up port forwarding on your router. Simply put, direct streaming basically consists in by-passing Orb servers by establishing a direct communication between your Orb PC and your Orb client device, thus allowing the full use of your available bandwidth when streaming Orb media.

The following shows how to set port forwarding on your Orb PC:

1.  From your Windows desktop, click Start > Run > type cmd in the "Open:" box and click OK.

2.  At the command prompt, type ipconfig /all, and then press Enter.

3.  Write down the following information which you will need in Step 2 below:

a. IP Address - (something like 192.168.0.2)

b. Subnet Mask - (something like 255.255.255.0)

c. Default Gateway - this is your router's IP address: (something like 192.168.0.1)

d. DNS Servers - also, your router's IP address: (usually same as in c. above, i.e., 192.168.0.1)

4.  Close the command prompt window

1.   From your Windows desktop, click Start > Control Panel > double-click Network Connections

2.   Double-click Local Area Connection. If you have more than one local area connection, make sure you select the one you use to connect to the Internet: if you are not sure which one it is, right-click it, then select Disable, then launch your browser and see if you can access the Internet.

3.   On the General tab, click Properties

4.   Again, on the General tab, double-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). You should have both following options selected:

Obtain an IP address automatically

Obtain DNS server address automatically

If you don't, make sure you write down all the information on this screen for backup before proceeding to the next step below.

5.   Click Use the following IP address, then type in the spaces provided:

a. IP Address - as noted in 3.a. above

b. Subnet Mask - as noted in 3.b. above

c. Default Gateway - as noted in 3.c. above

6.   Click Use the following DNS server addresses, then type as "Preferred DNS server" the DNS Server address as noted in 3.d. above. Leave the "Alternate DNS server" address blank.

7.   Click OK and close all windows.

(Note:  for a step-by-step guide with screenshots, there are many online resources you can consult, like How to set up a static IP address on a Windows XP computer on PortForward.com web site).

OK, we're almost there. You now need to access your router's configuration menu to set port forwarding. Each router is different, but information on how to access your router configuration should be provided in your router's user guide, and you should also be able to find it fairly easily on your router manufacturer's web site.

TIP:   check the router guide list for Orb page from PortForward.com for step-by-step instructions on how to set port forwarding on your router.

1.   Access your router's configuration menu. This can be done by typing your router's IP address in your browser's address bar. The default address, username and password for the specified routers is provided below as an example:

Router	Address	Default Login	Default Password
Netgear WGR614	http://192.168.0.1	admin	password
Dlink DSL-G604T	http://192.168.1.1	admin	admin
Linksys WRT54GX	http://192.168.1.1	(blank)	admin

(Note : On some routers, the default login and password are also printed on the router's label at the bottom of the router itself)

2.   Find and access Port Forwarding in the menu (on some routers it is in the "Advanced" section, on others it is called Port Range Forwarding and it is in the "Applications & Gaming" section, etc.)

3.   Add a new Service (or Application on some routers) and enter the following information:

Service Name (or Application)	Start Port	End Port	Server IP Address
Orb-TCPWin	80*	80*	IP Address - as noted in Step 1. (3.a.) above
Orb-TCPReal-3GP	554	554	IP Address - as noted in Step 1. (3.a.) above
Orb-UDPReal-3GP	13398	13401	IP Address - as noted in Step 1. (3.a.) above

^*     If TCP Port 80 is already used by another application (e.g., you have Skype running on your Orb PC, or you are hosting a Web server on your LAN, etc.) change this value to 81 and make sure to also change your Windows Media port to that same value in the DirectStream section of Orb tray icon > Configuration > Advanced (or More info, on older Orb versions).

Note :  when you change the Windows Media port from this standard port, you may be prevented from streaming media to a device that is part of a restrictive corporate LAN that refuses connections on any other port than port 80. If you have Skype running on your Orb PC, you can prevent it from locking TCP port 80 on your Orb PC if Skype is running on your Orb PC, you may want to prevent it from locking your TCP port 80 as follows: open Skype, navigate to Tools > Options… > Connection and uncheck Use port 80 and 443 as alternatives for incoming connections.

4.  Save your changes. You’re done!

You should now be able to enjoy direct streaming from your Orb PC to your client device. This can be verified by looking at the source info in File > Properties of your media player while streaming through Orb: it should indicate your Orb PC public IP address and port, as you set it up for that media type.