Home Network

Disabling Firewall Settings on a D-Link Router

By Steve McDonnell
Place a single computer outside the firewall with the "demilitarized zone" feature.
i Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images

When you first connect a computer to the Internet, it takes only minutes before it's attacked by a hacker, according to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team. This is why US-CERT recommends a firewall in addition to anti-virus software to protect your computer. If your D-Link's built-in firewalls are causing problems, disabling them may help, but it could also make computers on your network vulnerable unless they have some other firewall protection. D-Link routers have two firewalls -- Network Address Translation and stateful packet inspection. Disable both to turn off the firewall settings on the device.

Step 1

Type the router's IP address in your browser's address bar. For example, type "http://192.168.0.1," which is the default address for D-Link routers. Check the manual for the exact address.

Step 2

Click "Advanced" and choose "Firewall Settings" from the menu in the left column of the page.

Step 3

Click the box labeled "Enable SPI" to uncheck it.

Step 4

Click the radio button labeled "Endpoint Independent" for both UDP and TCP Endpoint Filtering to disable NAT and allow all traffic to pass through the router.

Step 5

Uncheck the "Enable anti-spoof checking" check box.

Step 6

Click "Save Settings" and "Reboot Router" when prompted for the router to reboot without its firewall.

References

Tips

  • To disable the firewall for a single computer by placing it outside the network firewall, set the demilitarized zone, or DMZ, address to the computer's Internet Protocol address and check the box to turn on DMZ.

Warnings

  • Information in this article applies to the D-Link Xtreme N gigabit router. It may vary with other products. Disabling the firewall on a D-Link router creates a security vulnerability for the network if the router is used as an Internet gateway.

Writer Bio

Steve McDonnell's experience running businesses and launching companies complements his technical expertise in information, technology and human resources. He earned a degree in computer science from Dartmouth College, served on the WorldatWork editorial board, blogged for the Spotfire Business Intelligence blog and has published books and book chapters for International Human Resource Information Management and Westlaw.

×