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Create and Manage Port Mapping Rules

A rule tells Port Mapper which local service should be published by your router. Each rule has a name, an internal port, an external port, a protocol, and an enabled or disabled state.

Create a rule

  1. Open Port Mapper.
  2. Click New Rule.
  3. Enter a clear rule name, such as Minecraft Server or Web Server.
  4. Enter the Internal Port. This is the port used by the service running on your Mac.
  5. Enter the External Port. This is the port your router should expose.
  6. Select TCP, UDP, or both.
  7. Click Save.

Port number requirements

Internal and external ports must be whole numbers from 1 to 65535.

If a port number is outside this range, Port Mapper will show an error and ask you to correct it before saving.

Edit a rule

  1. Find the rule in the main window.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Update the name, ports, or protocol.
  4. Click Save.

After you save changes, Port Mapper will update the published mapping automatically.

Disable or enable a rule

Use the switch in the Enabled column to turn a rule on or off.

  • When a rule is enabled, Port Mapper will try to publish it.
  • When a rule is disabled, Port Mapper will not publish it.

Disabling a rule is useful when you want to keep the rule saved but temporarily stop exposing that port.

Delete a rule

  1. Find the rule in the main window.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Click Delete.

Deleting a rule removes it from Port Mapper. If you may need the same mapping again later, disable the rule instead of deleting it.