Router Virtual Server or Port triggering

[deep1234]

Hi guys, between Virtual Server or Port triggering what is the best practice for home use (ex, bittorrent, online gaming like WOW and console) according to what I know, I believe Port Triggering is safer. As it open the ports upon request dynamically not all the time).

With Port triggering, is there any possible delay in communication compared to Virtual Server. I mean until it open the ports?

Also, I don't know where I have read this but is it true that only one user can have his ports open by Port Trigger at a time? Not two, what about if they are playing the same game? I believe this is not true but I want to make sure.

thanks,

[Bryan R.]

Ports can only be open to one host at a time. However, typically, games do not require ports to be explicitly opened. The only time that would be necessary is if you have an extremely locked down network that doesn't let any traffic through unless it is explicitly allowed.

Torrenting and things like Remote Desktop, on the other hand, do benefit from forwards. And with these applications, you can change the ports the applications listen on to be able to have three computers running uTorrent on three different ports.

[Bryan R.]

In regards to your actual question though:

Port triggering does allow for computers to "take turns" using a port or ports. Say you have uTorrent configured for port 10000 on two computers. When PC1 is using uTorrent, the router accounts for the IP of PC1 and any traffic responding will be routed to port 10000 at PC1. When PC1 is done, and PC2 is now using uTorrent, the router accounts for its IP and does the same. But even still, the port is only opened to one host at a time. You would be better off configuring both PC's uTorrent for different ports.

Now, Virtual Server is different in that it is for services for whose requests aren't generated on the LAN side ie, Remote Desktop and FTP. The first request comes from the WAN. If Port Triggering were used here, the router wouldn't know which PC to forward this to because it hasn't been triggered from the LAN yet.