What Is A Network Port?

What Is A Network Backbone

Date First Published: 14th March 2022

Topic: Computer Networking

Subtopic: Network Identifiers

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

Learn more about what a network port is in this article.

A network port is a unique 16-bit unsigned number that identifies a specific process or type of network service. Ports can range from 1 to 65535 and can be known as communication endpoints. All network connections have a start and end port, which are managed by the operating system of a computer and enable different processes and services to be differentiated. Certain protocols have reserved ports. For example, port 20 and 21 are reserved by FTP and port 110 is reserved by POP3. UDP and TCP can be used as transport protocols, which are used for sending data from one device to another. Port 0 is a reserved port and should not be used in TCP or UDP messages.

All networking devices and processes use a unique port for transferring and receiving data. This means it waits for incoming packets with that port number as their destination port and/or sends outgoing packets with that port number as their source port. Multiple network ports may be used by processes for the purpose of receiving and transferring data.

In addition, firewalls can block specific ports for blocking certain types of traffic, since attackers can send malicious traffic to random ports in the hope that the ports have been left open, meaning that they are able to receive traffic. Because of this fact, firewalls should be set up to put a restriction on network traffic at most available ports as there is no reason for all ports to be left completely open at the same time to receive traffic. A security system that filters incoming traffic and sets the allowed and denied web activity in a network is known as a firewall.

Port Categories

Port numbers are maintained by IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) and are categorised. IANA maintains a full list of all port numbers. The three categories of port numbers include:

  • 0 - 1023 - Well-known ports. These port numbers are reserved for specific applications. These are used by protocols that make use of TCP and UDP for the purposes of data transmission.
Port Number Protocol Service Name
0 TCP, UDP Reserved
1 TCP, UDP TCP Port Service Multiplexer
5 TCP, UDP Remote Job Entry
7 TCP ECHO
9 TCP Discard - RFC 4340 & 4960
12 TCP Dark Ages of Camelot game
13 TCP, UDP Daytime - RFC 867
17 TCP, UDP Quote of the day
18 TCP, UDP MSP (Message Send Protocol)
20, 21 TCP, UDP FTP
23 TCP, UDP Telnet
25 TCP, UDP SMTP
26 TCP RSFTP
33 TCP, UDP DSP (Display Support Protocol)
38 TCP, UDP RAC (Remote Access Protocol)
39 UDP RLP (Resource Location Protocol)
53 TCP DNS (Domain Name System)
80 TCP HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
81 TCP HTTP
92 TCP, UDP NPP (Network Printing Protocol)
110 TCP, UDP POP3 (Post Office Protocol)
123 UDP NTP (Network Time Protocol)
143 TCP, UDP IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
161 TCP, UDP SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
179 TCP, UDP BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
264 TCP, UDP BGMP (Border Gateway Multicast Protocol)
406 TCP, UDP IMSP (Interactive Mail Support Protocol)
413 TCP, UDP SMSP (Storage Management Services Protocol)
427 TCP, UDP SLP (Service Location Protocol)
443 TCP, UDP HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
444 TCP, UDP SNPP (Simple Network Paging Protocol)
465 TCP, UDP SMTP protocol over TLS/SSL
520 TCP RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
554 TCP, UDP RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)
587 TCP SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
  • 1024 - 49151 - Registered ports that have been assigned by IANA. These are less common ports which anyone can use for their servers.
Port Number Protocol Service Name
1025 TCP ShopPro accounting software, IIS, NFS
1026 TCP, UDP Calendar Access Control
1027 TCP ICQ, IIS
1060 TCP, UDP POLESTAR
1080 TCP, UDP Socks (Socket Secure) proxy
1352 TCP, UDP Lotus Notes
1433 TCP, UDP Microsoft SQL Server
1434 TCP, UDP Microsoft SQL Server database management system monitor.
1468 TCP, UDP CSDM
1477 TCP, UDP Microsoft SNA Server
1484 TCP, UDP Confluent Licence Manager
1502 TCP, UDP Shiva
1688 TCP Key Management Service for Windows Activation
1701 TCP, UDP Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)
1723 TCP, UDP PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) and macOS Server VPN service
1755 TCP, UDP Microsoft NetShow & Media Server
1800 TCP, UDP Snom 320 SIP Phone and ANSYS-licence manager
1812 TCP, UDP RADIUS
1817 TCP, UDP RKB-OSCS
1855 TCP, UDP Fiorano RtrSvc
1863 TCP, UDP Windows Live Messenger
1900 TCP, UDP SSDP and Universal PnP
1935 TCP, UDP Macromedia Flash Communications Server, RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol)
1985 TCP, UDP HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol)
1995 TCP, UDP Cisco Perf-port
1999 TCP, UDP Cisco Identification port
2000 TCP Remote Anywhere, ICUII, iSpQ VideoChat, Lineage game
2077 TCP, UDP Tivoli Storage Manager and TrelliSoft Agent
2082 TCP, UDP IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project)
2256 TCP, UDP PCC MFP
2300 UDP Dungeon Siege game
2427 UDP Cisco MGCP
2556 TCP Bagle backdoor virus (W32.Beagle)
2701 TCP KnowShowGo P2P
2900 UDP Dungeons & Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online games
3000 TCP Mirilax licence server, Cloud9 Integrated Development Environment server, Ruby on Rails development default, Meteor development default
3001 TCP, UDP Web100 NDT
3001 TCP, UDP VidPhone
3039 TCP, UDP Cogitate, Inc
3050 TCP, UDP Borland Interbase database (gds_db)
3052 TCP, UDP APC 3052, Powerchute
3061 TCP, UDP cautcpd
3074 TCP, UDP XBOX 360
3090 UDP Rainbow Six: Vegas game
3090 TCP, UDP Senforce Sessions Services (stss), Rappore Session Services (rtss.
3101 TCP BES Blackberry Enterprise Server
3101 UDP Rainbow Six: Vegas game
3101 TCP, UDP HP PolicyXpert PIB Server
3128 TCP Active API server port, proxy server port, known Trojan and backdoor port
3260 TCP iSCSI target
3268 TCP, UDP Microsoft Global Catalog
3306 TCP Caesar IV game
3306 TCP, UDP MySQL database server
3350 UDP Settlers 3 game
3350 TCP, UDP FINDVIATV
3268 TCP, UDP Microsoft Global Catalog
3269 TCP, UDP Microsoft Global Catalog on SSL
3389 TCP, UDP Remote Desktop and Microsoft Terminal Services
3525 TCP, UDP EIS Server port
3783 TCP Gamespy
3784 TCP, UDP Ventrilo and BFD Control Protocol
4000 TCP Battle.net, Diablo and Diablo II
4000 UDP ICQ
4000 TCP, UDP Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun and Dune 2000.
4006 TCP, UDP pxc-spvr
4062 TCP, UDP Ice Location Service on SSL
4373 TCP, UDP Remote Authenticated Command Service
4444 TCP, UDP Oracle WebCenter Content
4444 TCP, UDP Xvfb X server virtual frame buffer service
4567 TCP Verizon Actiontec Routers
5000 TCP DINA DVR Server and Dwyco Video Conferencing
5000 TCP, UDP Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP), AIM Video IM, and Yahoo Messenger Voice Chat
5060 TCP, UDP Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
5190 TCP AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ
5190 UDP Windows Live Messenger
5191 UDP Neverwinter Nights 2 game
5191 TCP, UDP AOL 1, AOL Instant Messenger, and ICQ
5192 UDP Neverwinter Nights 2 game
5192 TCP, UDP AOL 2, AOL Instant Messenger, and ICQ
5193 UDP Neverwinter Nights 2 game
5193 TCP, UDP AOL 3, AOL Instant Messenger, and ICQ
5200 TCP Echolink
5200 UDP Neverwinter Nights 2 game
5200 TCP, UDP TARGUS GetData
5252 UDP Neverwinter Nights 2 game
5252 TCP, UDP Movaz SSC
5314 TCP, UDP opalis-rbt-ipc
5353 UDP iChat, MultiCast DNS, and macOS X Bonjour/Zeroconf
5424 TCP, UDP Beyond Remote, W32.MyDoom worm
5445 UDP Cisco Unified Video Advantage
5445 TCP, UDP Server Message Block over Remote Direct Memory Access
5500 TCP HotLine, P2P file sharing, MOHAA (Medal of Honor: Allied Assault), MatchWatch & Reverend, VNC (Virtual Network Computing)
5500 UDP SecurID
5631 TCP, UDP PCAnywhere
5632 TCP MOHAA (Medal of Honor: Allied Assault) Reverend
5632 UDP PCAnywhere
5678 TCP MOHAA (Medal of Honor: Allied Assault) Reverend
5678 UDP iChat.
5678 TCP, UDP Linksys Cable/DSL, Routers, Remote Administration
5687 TCP MOHAA (Medal of Honor: Allied Assault) Reverend
5800 TCP VNC
5801 TCP VNC
5900 TCP VNC
5901 TCP VNC
6000 UDP Playstation 3, Everquest, Madden NFL 2005, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun.
6000 TCP, UDP X Window
6062 TCP, UDP X Windows System
6073 UDP Dungeon Siege game
6084 TCP Peer to Peer Infrastructure Protocol
6086 TCP, UDP PDTP P2P
6112 TCP, UDP Battle.net
6113 TCP, UDP Battle.net
6114 TCP, UDP Battle.net
6115 TCP, UDP Battle.net.
6116 TCP, UDP Battle.net
6117 TCP, UDP Battle.net
6118 TCP, UDP Battle.net
6119 TCP, UDP Battle.net
6421 TCP, UDP NIM_WAN
6500 TCP Gamespy Arcade, Net2Phone registration
6500 TCP, UDP Black & White, Civilization III, Civilization IV, Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Empire at War
6542 TCP irccd.exe service
6667 TCP Gamespy, IRC, Black & White, Civilization III, Civilization IV, Command & Conquer series, Warhammer 4000: Dawn of War, Worms 4: Mayhem
6667 UDP Neverwinter Nights, Rainbow Six 3, Raven Shield.
6667 TCP, UDP MSN Game Zone, Star Wars, Empire at War game
6801 TCP, UDP Net2Phone, ACNet Control System Protocol
7000 TCP Command Conquer series, Dune 2000, Emperor: Battle for Dune, Everquest, Everquest 2
7000 UDP Real Audio, Quicktime 4 server, and Playstation 3
7070 TCP Real Audio
7070 UDP Games: City of Heroes, City of Villains
7075 UDP Real Audio, City of Heroes, City of Villains
7900 TCP, UDP Multicast Event
8000 TCP Winamp Audio Streaming, X-Lite, Icecast, and internet radio streams using Shoutcast
8000 UDP Aliens vs Predator game
8000 TCP, UDP iRDMI
8008 TCP, UDP HTTP alternative
8080 TCP EvoCam, Pirate Radio, WebcamXP, Unreal Tournament game
8080 TCP, UDP HTTP alternative
8081 TCP HTTP alternative and BlackICE ICEcap user console
8081 TCP, UDP Dreambox 8000
8084 TCP IBM Lotus Sametime server and Apache Tomcat server
8090 TCP HTTP alternative and WebcamXP
8092 TCP,UDP iTunes Radio Stream, EMC2 (Legato) Networker or Sun Solcitice Backup, QuickTime streaming
8118 TCP Privoxy
8443 TCP, UDP PCsync HTTPS, PCSync SSL, SW Soft Plesk Control Panel, Apache Tomcast SSL, and iCal service
9000 UDP Asheron's Call game
9010 UDP Asheron's Call game
9011 UDP Asheron's Call game
9012 UDP Asheron's Call game
9013 UDP Asheron's Call game
9090 TCP Zeus admin server
9090 TCP, UDP WebSM
9092 TCP, UDP Xml-Ipc Server Reg, Championship Manager 4
9100 TCP Used to send raw data to a printer
9339 TCP Clash of Clans, a mobile freemium strategy video game
9200 TCP Elasticsearch-default Elasticsearch port
10000 TCP, UDP Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP)
12345 TCP Used by Tend Micro antivirus program. In addition, Port 12345 is also commonly used by different Trojans such as Netbus
12468 TCP VXtreme and WebTheater
17770 UDP Battlezone 2 game
17771 TCP,UDP Battlezone 2 game
17772 UDP Battlezone 2 game
26000 TCP, UDP Quake, Elite Force, Empire Earth 2, and QuakeWorld master server
27015 TCP Half-Life
27900 TCP Gamespy
28900 TCP Gamespy
29900 TCP Gamespy
29901 TCP Gamespy
31337 TCP Back orifice
33334 UDP Empire Earth game.
33335 TCP Empire Earth game.
43188 TCP, UDP REACHOUT
47624 TCP Age of Empires, Baldur's Gate, Close Combat
  • 49152 - 65535 - Private ports that are used for temporary purposes.


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