---
title: "Port Forwarding"
date: 2024-12-30T10:14:29-03:00
draft: false
weight: 50
summary: Everything you need to know about configuring and using a VPN with YAMS
---

Port forwarding helps you get better download speeds by allowing incoming connections to your torrent client. YAMS enables port forwarding by default, but setup varies by VPN provider.

## ProtonVPN Users 🚀
ProtonVPN makes port forwarding easy! Just follow these steps:

> 🆕 ProtonVPN now supports **WireGuard with port forwarding**! If you want faster VPN performance, check out our [Switching Gluetun to WireGuard](/advanced/wireguard/) guide.

1. Create a script to update qBittorrent's port. Make sure you change `/your/install/location`:
```bash
mkdir -p /your/install/location/scripts
nano /your/install/location/scripts/update-port.sh
```

2. Add this code to the script: https://gitlab.com/-/snippets/4788387. Make sure you edit this to match your own configuration:
```bash
QBITTORRENT_USER=admin            # qbittorrent username
QBITTORRENT_PASS=adminadmin       # qbittorrent password
```

3. Make the script executable:
```bash
chmod +x /your/install/location/scripts/update-port.sh
```

4. Run it to verify it's working:
```bash
./your/install/location/scripts/update-port.sh
```

You should see an output similar to this:
```bash
2024-12-30 08:21:58 | VPN container gluetun in healthy state!
2024-12-30 08:21:58 | qBittorrent Cookie invalid, getting new SessionID
2024-12-30 08:21:58 | Public IP: 111.111.111.111
2024-12-30 08:21:58 | Configured Port: 61009
2024-12-30 08:21:58 | Active Port: 61009
2024-12-30 08:21:58 | Port OK (Act: 61009 Cfg: 61009)
```

5. Set up automatic port updates (runs every 5 minutes):
```bash
(crontab -l 2>/dev/null; echo "*/5 * * * * /your/install/location/scripts/update-port.sh") | crontab -
```

## Other VPN Providers 🌐
For other VPN providers, port forwarding configuration varies.

> 💡 Some providers support WireGuard too! See [Switching Gluetun to WireGuard](/advanced/wireguard/) for details.

For detailed provider-specific instructions, check the [Gluetun Port Forwarding Documentation](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun-wiki/blob/main/setup/advanced/vpn-port-forwarding.md).

## Verifying Port Forwarding ✅
To check if port forwarding is working:

1. Run `curl http://localhost:8003/v1/openvpn/portforwarded` to see your current port
2. Visit [Open Port Check Tool](https://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/) and test your port by using your public VPN IP and the active port
3. Check qBittorrent's connection status - it should show "Connection Status: Connected"

[![conection-status](/pics/advanced-port-forwarding-1.png)](/pics/advanced-port-forwarding-1.png)

## Troubleshooting 🔧

1. **No port shown:**
   ```bash
   docker logs gluetun | grep "\[port forwarding\]"
   ```
   Look for any error messages

2. **Port not updating:**
   - Check if the script has execute permissions
   - Verify crontab is running: `crontab -l`
   - Check script logs: `tail -f /var/log/syslog | grep update-port`

Need help? Visit our [Common Issues](/faqs/common-errors/) page or join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/Gwae3tNMST) or [Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#yams-space:rogs.me) chat!