Tech Blog

Getting port forwarding to work with Verizon's router was a bit of a challenge, then I tried something simple, and it fixed everything. This post details how to get SSH to be accessable from outside your Verizon Netowrk.

Preface:
I have Verizon Fios and an Actiontec MI424WR.
I am running laptop A wtih an SSH server (listening on a custom port) and lapto B connects into it.
Laptop B is on a wireless connection.
Laptop A is on an hard wired ethernet connection.

I can SSH into laptop A from laptop B using ssh -p port user@LAN-IP.
I can NOT SSH into laptop A from laptop B if I try ssh -p port user@WAN-IP; I get "Connection Refused"

Both laptops are running Arch Linux.

Steps:
1) Login to the router
2) Copy the IP listed under "Broadband Connection" (on the bottom left) to a notepad
3) Firewall Settings
4) Yes
5) Port forwarding
6) Add
7) Check Specify Public IP
8) Type in the IP you copied and pasted earliet
9) Type your computers hostname in "Networked Computer / Device"
10) Select SSH from the "Protocol" pull down (or add a new one if you are using a custom port)
11) Apply
12) Apply
13) Logout

Now try to login:

ssh [-p port #] user@WAN-IP

(-p port # is only needed if you used a non-standard port or you can set it to 22 if you used a default port)

I found a lot of forums while trying to fix this myslef, but none had an answer; I hope this helps everyone else out too.

Happy Hacking
Pikles