« FAQ/eMule Mods

How to get High ID in eMule and Open status in qBittorrent using AirVPN port forwarding?

If your ISP does not provide a dedicated (static) IP address, or if you are behind NAT (carrier-grade NAT, router NAT), you will typically get a Low ID in eMule and a firewalled status in qBittorrent. This severely limits your download speeds and connectivity.



AirVPN solves this problem by providing permanent port forwarding through its VPN servers. This gives you a publicly reachable port, resulting in High ID in eMule and Open status in qBittorrent — regardless of your ISP or router configuration.



Why High ID / Open status matters



  • eMule High ID: other clients can connect directly to you, dramatically increasing your download sources and upload slots. Low ID users are deprioritized in the eDonkey network.

  • qBittorrent Open: you become connectable from all peers in the swarm, not just those who initiate connections to you. This is especially important when seeding.



Step 1 — Sign up for AirVPN


Create an account at AirVPN. AirVPN is a privacy-focused VPN operated by activists, with no traffic logs and no protocol discrimination — p2p is fully allowed on all servers.



Step 2 — Forward a port



  1. Log in to the AirVPN website

  2. Go to Client Area → Ports

  3. Click Add port — choose TCP & UDP

  4. Note the port number assigned (e.g. 12345)


This port will remain forwarded as long as your account is active. You only need to do this once.



Step 3 — Connect to AirVPN


Download and install the AirVPN client (Eddie). Enable Network Lock before connecting — this prevents any traffic leaks outside the VPN tunnel.



Step 4 — Configure eMule



  1. Open eMule → Options → Connection

  2. Enter your forwarded port number in both TCP port and UDP port fields

  3. Disable UPnP and NAT-PMP — these can override your port settings

  4. Restart eMule


After reconnecting you should see High ID in the status bar. eMule will now be reachable by all other clients in the network.



Step 5 — Configure qBittorrent



  1. Open qBittorrent → Tools → Options → Connection

  2. Set Port used for incoming connections to your forwarded port number

  3. Uncheck Use UPnP / NAT-PMP port forwarding from my router

  4. Uncheck Use a different port on each startup

  5. Click OK and restart qBittorrent


The status icon in the bottom bar should turn green (Connection status: Open).



Important security note


Do NOT forward the same port on your physical router. This would bypass the VPN tunnel and expose your real IP address. Always use Network Lock in AirVPN to prevent traffic leaks.



Note: The forwarded port works only while connected to AirVPN. When disconnected, eMule will fall back to Low ID and qBittorrent will show Firewalled — this is normal and expected behaviour.