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Ten Forward lets Linux users ask a NAT-PMP-capable router or VPN gateway to forward a game-server port, making a locally hosted multiplayer game reachable to remote friends. First confirm that your gateway supports NAT-PMP: the app cannot add that capability to a gateway that lacks it.
What Ten Forward does—and what it needs
Ten Forward is a free Linux desktop app by Sosthène Guédon. It requests port mappings from a NAT-PMP gateway; it does not replace or bypass the gateway. You can create several mapping configurations for different games or setups. The developer’s guide describes the goal as making a locally hosted game accessible over the public internet when the necessary conditions are in place.
Before setting up a mapping, check whether NAT-PMP is supported and enabled on the router or VPN gateway you intend to use. Router settings and menus vary by model; Ten Forward’s guide does not provide model-specific router instructions. Flathub lists the app for aarch64 and x86_64 Linux systems and links to its project site, source code, and issue tracker: Ten Forward on Flathub.
Create a mapping in Ten Forward
- Check the game’s network requirements. Find the port on which the game server listens and whether it requires TCP, UDP, or both. Requirements differ by game; do not assume one protocol setting works for every title.
- Create a mapping configuration. In Ten Forward, enter a name, protocol type, public port, and private port. The private port must match the game server’s listening port. The public port is the one remote players will use, and it may differ from the private port.
- Choose the protocol and public port deliberately. The developer’s guide suggests leaving the protocol at the default TCP and UDP if you are unsure, but game requirements vary. It lists Mindustry as TCP and Minecraft Java Edition as TCP and UDP. In the developer’s ProtonVPN example, requesting public port
0can ask the gateway to allocate a public port. That behavior is specific to the described setup, not a guarantee for every NAT-PMP gateway. - Start the mapping. If Ten Forward detects the gateway and the request succeeds, copy the public address and port it displays. Configure the game to host a server on the matching private port, then give remote players the public address and public port shown by the app.
The developer lists Mindustry, Battle for Wesnoth, Stardew Valley, and Minecraft Java Edition as examples of games that can be hosted this way. The correct mapping still depends on the particular game’s networking requirements and your gateway’s behavior.
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If Ten Forward cannot detect the gateway
Gateway detection may fail in some VPN configurations. The developer documents a manual gateway override and gives 10.2.0.1 as the gateway address in a ProtonVPN WireGuard example. Use that value only if it matches the gateway for your own connection; it is not a universal NAT-PMP address. The override procedure and example are documented in the Ten Forward setup guide. The documented example is guidance from the developer, not an independent compatibility test.
Understand the exposure before sharing the endpoint
A working mapping makes a game server reachable through a public IP address and port. According to the developer, this hosting setup generally has no authentication: someone with the endpoint may be able to attempt to join. Share it only with people you intend to invite, and consider what running the game server publicly means for your privacy and security. The developer also warns that the public endpoint can reveal your approximate location.
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Using a VPN gateway can hide your home IP in the described setup, but it does not make the publicly reachable game endpoint private. You still need to decide who receives the address and port.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When Tailscale may be a better fit
If your group wants to avoid exposing the game server to the public internet, the developer points to Tailscale as an alternative. Its tradeoff is setup burden: every player needs to install it. Choose between the approaches based on whether public reachability or a private group connection better fits your players and their willingness to install another tool.
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