What is my port number?
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Sep 27, 2022
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Are you looking for your port number? Knowing your port number looks like a technical stuff but sometimes you need to know what your port number is. Learn how to find port numbers on different devices.
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Dilara Yavuz
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Privacy & Security
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What Is My Port Number? How To Find Port Number on Your Device? - FastVPN
How to Find Your Port Number?
Your computer has a port number, and you should know what it is. Why? Because if you ever need to use it for troubleshooting or security purposes, you’ll need to know where to find it. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to locate your computer’s port number on both Windows and macOS platforms. So whether you’re a new user or just want a refresher on the topic, read on for all the info you need.
How to Find Your Port Number?What is my port number?Types of PortsTCP vs. UDPWhat is TCP?What is UDP?Comparison between TCP and UDPTCPUDPWhy do you need to know your port number?How to Find Your Port Number on WindowsHow to Find Your Port Number on MacHow to Open a Port on Windows 10How to Open a Port on Mac?To Open a Port on Mac:Common Port Numbers1. FTP2. SSH3. TELNET4. SMTP5. HTTP6. POP37. IMAP8. SNMP
What is my port number?
Your port number is the number that identifies the communication port that your computer uses to connect to the internet. It is generally a four-digit number, and you can usually find it in your computer’s settings. If you’re not sure what your port number is, you can always contact your internet service provider and they’ll be able to tell you.
The port number is the specific number that identifies a particular network service on a computer. Port numbers are assigned to each end of a connection so that incoming and outgoing data can be properly routed. By default, most computers have their port numbers set to well-known values so that common services can be easily accessed. However, you can change your port numbers if needed.
Port numbers are used by transport protocols like TCP and UDP to route messages to the proper application or service on a host. For example, when you type “http://example.com” into your web browser, your computer is actually sending a request to the server at example.com on port 80 (the default HTTP port). The server then responds by sending the requested web page back to your computer on the same port.
Types of Ports
There are two main types of port numbers:
- Those in the range 0-1023 are considered “well-known” and are typically used by standard services like HTTP or FTP; anything above that is considered a “registered” port number and can be used by any application.
- There are also some “private” port numbers in the range 49152-65535 that can be used for custom applications.
When configuring firewall rules or accessing services on a remote computer, you will need to know the specific port numbers that are being used. For example, if you want to allow incoming SSH connections into your server, you would need to open up port 22 (the default SSH port) on your firewall. Similarly, if you want to set up a web server that is accessible from the Internet, you would need to make sure that port 80 (the default HTTP port) is open.
You can usually find out what ports are being used by looking at the application’s documentation or by searching online.
TCP vs. UDP
There are two types of Internet Protocol (IP) traffic. They are:
- Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
- User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
Both TCP and UDP work at the transport layer of the IP stack, but the two have very different semantics. In this article, we will compare and contrast the two most common types of IP traffic.
What is TCP?
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a connection-oriented protocol. This means that before any data can be sent, a connection must first be established between the two hosts. The process of establishing a connection is known as the three-way handshake. Once the connection is established, data can flow freely between the two hosts. If either host wants to end the connection, they must first inform the other host. This is known as a graceful disconnect.
What is UDP?
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a connectionless protocol. This means that there is no need to establish a connection before data can be sent. Data can simply be sent from one host to another without any prior communication. UDP is often referred to as the “unreliable” protocol because it does not guarantee that data will arrive at its destination. However, UDP is often used for time-sensitive applications where reliability is not as important as speed.
Comparison between TCP and UDP
TCP
- Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is reliable but Slower.
- It is a connection-oriented protocol that provides reliable, ordered delivery of data packets over an IP network. A connection is first established between two hosts using TCP before any data can be exchanged. This makes TCP more dedicated than UDP, but also much slower.
- TCP is reliable because it uses error-checking to ensure that data is delivered to its destination.
- TCP is a connection-oriented protocol. This means that a connection must first be established between two hosts using TCP before any data can be exchanged.
- TCP guarantees the delivery of data packets. This means that if a data packet is lost during transit in a TCP connection, it will be retransmitted by the sender until it is received by the destination host.
UDP
- UDP is less reliable but faster than TCP.
- It is a connectionless protocol that does not guarantee the delivery of data packets. This makes UDP much faster than TCP, but also much less trustworthy.
- UDP is not as reliable because it does not use error-checking.
- It is a connectionless protocol. This means that UDP does not require a connection to be established before data packets can be sent.
- UDP Does not guarantee the delivery of data packets. This means that in a UDP connection, however, lost data packets are simply discarded and are not retransmitted.
Why do you need to know your port number?
As a network administrator, you need to know your port number in order to troubleshoot networking issues. By knowing which port is which, you can quickly identify and fix problems. Additionally, some applications require you to enter the port number in order to access specific features. Knowing your port numbers can therefore be essential for using certain software programs. Finally, many online games use port numbers in order to connect players. If you want to play one of these games, you’ll need to know which port to use. In short, there are many reasons why you might need to know your port number. Knowing this information can help you solve problems and take advantage of all that your computer has to offer.
How to Find Your Port Number on Windows
- Type “cmd” in the search box of windows
- Open the Command Prompt
- Type “netstat -a.” This will display all active connections and their associated port numbers.
How to Find Your Port Number on Mac
- Open the Terminal
- Type “lsof -i :” followed by the name of the application you are using.
- For example, to find the port number for Safari, you would type “lsof -i :safari.” This will return a list of all open files and their associated port numbers.
How to Open a Port on Windows 10
- Open the command prompt by either typing “cmd” in the search box
- Or press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “netstat -a.” in CMD.
- This will display all active connections and their associated port numbers as under:
Active Connections
Sr.No Proto Local Address Foreign Address State PID
- TCP 0.0.0.0:80 DESKTOP-3NP5VCV:0 LISTENING 4156
2. TCP 0.0.0.0:135 DESKTOP-3NP5VCV:0 LISTENING 976
3. TCP 0.0.0.0:445 DESKTOP-3NP5VCV:0 LISTENING 4156
4. TCP 0.0.0.0:4998 DESKTOP-3NP5VCV:0 LISTENING 2724
5. TCP 0.0.0.0:5000 DESKTOP-3NP5VCV:0 LISTENING 4308
6. TCP 0.0.0.0:5001 DESKTOP-3NP5VCV:0 LISTENING 4312
How to Open a Port on Mac?
Macs come with a built-in firewall that protects your computer from outside connections. By default, the firewall is turned on and will block all incoming connections. However, you can easily configure the firewall to allow specific connections.
To Open a Port on Mac:
- you’ll need to access the built-in firewall settings.
- To do this, go to the System Preferences app
- Click on the Security & Privacy icon
- Then, click on the Firewall tab
- Make sure that the firewall is turned on
- Next, click on the Firewall Options button and a new window will appear.
- In the new window, you’ll see a list of all the applications that are allowed to connect through the firewall
- To add a new application, click on the Add button
- A new dialog box will appear where you can select the application that you want to allow access
- Once you’ve added the application, it will appear in the list and will be able to connect through the firewall.
You can also add specific ports that you want to allow access to. To do this:
- Click on the Add button
- then select the Port option
- In the next dialog box, enter the port number that you want to open
- Then click on the Add button
- The port will now be added to the list of allowed connections.
By following these steps, you can easily allow specific connections and applications through the built-in firewall.
Common Port Numbers
Common port numbers are used to identify a specific process or network service. These can be used by both TCP and UDP protocols. Some common ports are as under:
- FTP – 21
- SSH – 22
- TELNET – 23
- SMTP – 25
- HTTP – 80
- POP3 – 110
- IMAP – 143
- SNMP – 161
1. FTP
The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used for transferring files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and uses separate control and data connections between the client and the server.
2. SSH
Secure Shell (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution, and other secure network services between two networked computers that connect, via a secure channel over an insecure network, a server and a client (running SSH server and SSH client programs, respectively).
3. TELNET
The Telnet protocol is a text-based protocol used for remote control of devices. It uses a virtual terminal connection that allows the user to access a device as if they were physically present in front of it.
4. SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is a standard protocol for sending emails. Email clients use SMTP to send messages to a mail server for delivery. The mail server then forwards the message to the recipient’s mailbox.
5. HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is an application-level protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. Hypertext is structured text that uses logical links (hyperlinks) between nodes containing text.
6. POP3
The Post Office Protocol (POP) is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection. POP has been developed through several versions, with version 3 (POP3) being the most recent.
7. IMAP
The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a mail protocol used for accessing email on a remote web server from a local client. IMAP is an alternative to the older POP protocol. Unlike POP, which downloads messages to a local client machine, IMAP leaves messages on the server and allows the user to access them from any location.
8. SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a widely used protocol for monitoring the status of network equipment, such as routers, switches, servers, and printers. SNMP uses a simple set of operations called Get, Get-Next, and Set that are used to retrieve or modify the values of variables on a remote device. Moreover, these variables are organized in a hierarchical structure known as a Management Information Base (MIB).
So, the above are some of the most commonly used port numbers. There are many more in existence. however, these are typically the ones you will see most often.
