Here are the steps to set up port forwarding on a Mac using NAT router (Internet Sharing):
- Go to System Preferences and click on Sharing.
- In the left sidebar, select Internet Sharing.
- In the right-hand panel, select the internet connection you want to share from the “Share your connection from” dropdown. For example, if you want to share your Wi-Fi connection, select Wi-Fi.
- Select the interface to which you want to share the internet connection to. For example, if you want to share the internet connection to a device connected via Ethernet, select Ethernet.
- Click the “Wi-Fi Options” button to configure your wireless network. Set a network name and password and click OK.
- Check the box next to “Internet Sharing” to enable the internet sharing.
- Now, open Terminal and run the following command to forward a specific port:
sudo sysctl -w net.inet.ip.forwarding=1
sudo /sbin/pfctl -f /etc/pf.conf
sudo /sbin/pfctl -e
sudo /sbin/pfctl -t nat -a "nat-anchor" -f /etc/pf.anchors/anchor
echo "rdr pass on en0 inet proto tcp from any to any port [SOURCE PORT] -> [DESTINATION IP] port [DESTINATION PORT]" | sudo tee -a /etc/pf.anchors/anchor
sudo /sbin/pfctl -f /etc/pf.conf
Replace [SOURCE PORT]
with the port you want to forward, [DESTINATION IP]
with the IP address of the device you want to forward the port to, and [DESTINATION PORT]
with the port number on the device you want to forward the port to.
- Repeat step 7 for each additional port you want to forward.
That’s it! You have successfully set up port forwarding on your Mac using NAT router (Internet Sharing).