Internet & Network Ports Reference

NETWORKING

A network port identifies a logical communication endpoint associated with a transport protocol such as TCP or UDP. Ports help operating systems and network services distinguish between different applications using the same IP address.

A port number alone does not prove that a particular service is running. Services can be configured to use different ports, and firewalls, NAT, routing, and other controls can affect whether traffic actually reaches an endpoint.

Common TCP Ports

Port Protocol Common Association Typical Role
20TCPFTP DataFile Transfer Protocol data connection.
21TCPFTPFTP command and control connection.
22TCPSSHSecure remote administration and related services.
23TCPTelnetLegacy remote terminal protocol.
25TCPSMTPMail transfer.
53TCP/UDPDNSDomain Name System communication.
80TCPHTTPTraditional unencrypted HTTP traffic.
110TCPPOP3Mail retrieval.
143TCPIMAPMail access.
443TCPHTTPSHTTP over TLS.
587TCPSMTP SubmissionMail submission by clients.
993TCPIMAPSIMAP over TLS.
995TCPPOP3SPOP3 over TLS.

Common UDP-Associated Ports

Port Common Association Typical Role
53DNSDNS queries can use UDP, with TCP also used in specific circumstances.
67DHCP ServerDHCP server-side communication.
68DHCP ClientDHCP client-side communication.
123NTPNetwork time synchronization.
161SNMPNetwork management and monitoring.
500IKEInternet Key Exchange for IPsec.
514SyslogTraditional syslog transport association.

Port Number Ranges

Range Classification General Description
0–1023 System / Well-Known Ports traditionally associated with widely used services and protocols.
1024–49151 Registered Ports commonly registered for particular applications or services.
49152–65535 Dynamic / Private Often used for temporary or application-selected connections.

A Port Number Does Not Mean a Service Is Open

For communication to succeed, a service normally needs to be listening and reachable. Firewalls, NAT, routing, operating system policies, service configuration, and network security controls can all determine whether traffic reaches the intended endpoint.