Author Topic: Is Port-Forwarding Necessarily Dangerous?  (Read 1018 times)

Basically whats in the title. I haven't been able to port forward in the past, and now that I have gained the ability to do so but before I go ahead with it, is there anything dangerous/harmful that can happen to my computer if I port-forward?

If you do it wrong, you can get hacked or (D)DoS'd(if you piss off the wrong people), which isn't necessarially too fun.
My suggestions are to install a metric buttload of antimalware onto your computer first and then scan it regularly if you're going to do this, at the very least.

If you do it wrong, you can get hacked or (D)DoS'd(if you piss off the wrong people), which isn't necessarially too fun.
My suggestions are to install a metric buttload of antimalware onto your computer first and then scan it regularly if you're going to do this, at the very least.
Umm what, no. First off, you can only be hacked if you have a vulnerable application responding to packets sent onto a port you opened. This is incredibly unlikely.

Second, you can be ddosed on any port, open or not.

If you do it wrong, you can get hacked or (D)DoS'd(if you piss off the wrong people), which isn't necessarially too fun.
My suggestions are to install a metric buttload of antimalware onto your computer first and then scan it regularly if you're going to do this, at the very least.
lol you have no idea what you are talking about

port forwarding is completely safe. even if you host, you cannot be hacked or given any viruses just by allowing clients to connect. you don't need to port forward in order to be ddosed.

what if you just opened every single port

Not really as long as you have your firewall to stop unwanted stuff.

what if you just opened every single port
I did that once just for curiosity.
Nothing happened after 4 months.

Umm what, no. First off, you can only be hacked if you have a vulnerable application responding to packets sent onto a port you opened. This is incredibly unlikely.

Second, you can be ddosed on any port, open or not.
port forwarding is completely safe. even if you host, you cannot be hacked or given any viruses just by allowing clients to connect. you don't need to port forward in order to be ddosed.
In that case, I have been badly misinformed.
I probably should have noticed that earlier since the person in question kept babbling about how they can 'steal your bank account information' or 'hook you up to a botnet' without any actual proof of that.

I'm just gonna quote Badspot.

I don't know how to say this without being rude, so I'm just going to be rude.  Your dad shovels coal for a living and I am a goddamn professional computer programmer.  I know more about this subject than your dad.  Port forwarding, if done correctly, is completely safe.