Automatic firewall configuration

A method comprising:

• discovering, by a gateway router, a server in a local area network, wherein the gateway router discovers the server by sending a universal plug and play (UPnP) message identifying the gateway router as a gateway router with access configurable by the server;
• receiving, by the gateway router, a response from the server, wherein the response identifies the server as a server that desires to establish external access;
• determining, by the gateway router, whether the server is a trustworthy server, wherein determining comprises comparing information received by the server with a stored list of trustworthy servers;
• configuring, by the gateway router, a logical port to forward incoming connection requests to the server;
• and
• forwarding, by the gateway router, incoming connection requests to the server;
• wherein the gateway router and the server are integrated in a single device, and the list of trustworthy servers comprises only an identifier associated with the server.

A method comprising:

• discovering, by a gateway router, a server in a local area network, wherein the gateway router discovers the server by sending a message through a dedicated physical server port, and wherein the message comprises an identifier associated with the gateway router, wherein the gateway router sends the message only through the dedicated physical server port;
• receiving, by the gateway router, a response from the server, wherein the response comprises an identifier associated with the server;
• determining, by the gateway router, whether the server is a trustworthy server, wherein determining comprises comparing information received by the server with a stored information;
• configuring, by the gateway router, a port to forward incoming connection requests to the server;
• and
• forwarding, by the gateway router, incoming connection requests to the server via the configured port.

A method comprising:

• discovering, by a gateway router, a server in a local area network, wherein the gateway router discovers the server by sending a broadcast message with identification information about the gateway router, wherein the gateway router sends the broadcast message through a dedicated physical server port on the gateway router;
• receiving, by the gateway router, a response from the server, wherein the response comprises identification information about the server;
• determining, by the gateway router, whether the server is a trustworthy server, wherein determining comprises comparing the identification information about the server with a stored information;
• configuring, by the gateway router, a port to forward incoming connection requests to the server;
• and
• forwarding, by the gateway router, incoming connection requests to the server.