🚢 PortForwardingManager

Integrate the qBittorrent BitTorrent client with the Private Internet Access (PIA) virtual private network service.

Features

• Automatically set the qBittorrent listening port to the PIA forwarded port any time it changes.
  • This makes NAT traversal work and avoids getting blocked from connecting to as many peers as possible, leading to likely faster transfer speeds.
• Automatically fix the random Failed to listen on IP. IP: "1.2.3.4". Port: "TCP/12345". Reason: "The requested address is not valid in its context" qBittorrent errors.
  • This error occurs intermittently and blocks all transfers until you restart qBittorrent or change the listening port.

Requirements

• Windows
• .NET Framework 4.8 or later (installed by default in Windows 10 v1903, Server 2022, and later)
• qBittorrent
• Private Internet Access desktop client

Installation

1. Download PortForwardingManager.zip from the latest release.
2. Extract the ZIP file to a directory such as C:\Program Files\PortForwardingManager\.
3. In an elevated PowerShell terminal, run

   New-Service -Name "PortForwardingManager" -BinaryPathName "C:\Program Files\PortForwardingManager\PortFowardingManager.exe" -DisplayName "Port Forwarding Manager" -Description "Automatically update the qBittorrent listening port to be the Private Internet Access forwarded port whenever it changes."

   replacing the installation directory if you chose a different one in step 2.
4. Run services.msc.
5. Select the Port Fowarding Manager service.
6. Go to Properties › Log On, choose This account, and type in your Windows username and password.
   • This allows the service to edit the qBittorrent.ini configuration file in your user profile directory, which is used to set the listening port when qBittorrent is not running.
7. Start the service.

Configuration

1. Enable VPN port forwarding.
   • In the Private Internet Access desktop client, connect to a VPN server that allows port forwarding (does not have an ⇍ icon in the server list).
   • Enable Settings › Network › Request Port Forwarding.
2. Open qBittorrent › Tools › Options.
   • Disable Connection › Use UPnP / NAT-PMP port forwarding from my router.
   • Set Advanced › qBittorrent Section › Network Interface to the PIA virtual network interface.
     • If you're not sure which one it is, open ncpa.cpl and rename the connection that uses the Private Internet Access Network Adapter to a recognizable name like "PIA".
   • Enable Web UI › Web User Interface.
   • Set Web UI › Port to 8080.
   • Enable Web UI › Bypass authentication for clients on localhost.
   • Disable Web UI › Use UPnP / NAT-PMP to forward the port from my router.
   • Disable Web UI > Use HTTPS instead of HTTP.