Network Ports – What Is a Port?
A port is a number (0–65535) that identifies a specific service or application on a device. Together with an IP address, it tells the network where to send data: for example 192.168.1.1:80 means “port 80 on the device at 192.168.1.1”. Ports let one IP address handle many services at once (web, email, SSH, etc.).
What Can You Do With Ports?
- Access websites – Browsers use port 80 (HTTP) or 443 (HTTPS) by default.
- Connect to servers – SSH (22), FTP (21), remote desktop (3389).
- Hosting and control panels – cPanel (2083), Plesk, and other admin panels use fixed ports.
- Email – SMTP (25, 587), POP3 (110, 995), IMAP (143, 993).
- Port forwarding on your router – Forward a port (e.g. 80 or 3389) from the internet to a PC or server at home.
Common Ports – Quick Reference
| Port | Protocol | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | TCP | FTP data |
| 21 | TCP | FTP (file transfer, control) |
| 22 | TCP | SSH (secure shell, SFTP) |
| 23 | TCP | Telnet (unencrypted, avoid) |
| 25 | TCP | SMTP (email sending) |
| 53 | TCP/UDP | DNS (domain name resolution) |
| 80 | TCP | HTTP (web, unencrypted) |
| 110 | TCP | POP3 (email receiving) |
| 143 | TCP | IMAP (email, unencrypted) |
| 443 | TCP | HTTPS (web, encrypted) |
| 587 | TCP | SMTP submission (email sending, TLS) |
| 993 | TCP | IMAPS (IMAP over SSL) |
| 995 | TCP | POP3S (POP3 over SSL) |
| 2082 | TCP | cPanel (HTTP) |
| 2083 | TCP | cPanel (HTTPS) |
| 2086 | TCP | cPanel WHM (HTTP) |
| 2087 | TCP | cPanel WHM (HTTPS) |
| 2096 | TCP | cPanel webmail (HTTPS) |
| 3306 | TCP | MySQL (database) |
| 3389 | TCP | Remote Desktop (RDP, Windows) |
| 8080 | TCP | HTTP alternate (some web servers) |
| 8443 | TCP | HTTPS alternate |
Website Ports (Web Servers)
When you open a site in a browser, you usually don’t type a port because defaults are used:
- Port 80 – HTTP. Default for unencrypted web traffic. Example:
http://example.comuses port 80. - Port 443 – HTTPS. Default for encrypted web traffic. Example:
https://example.comuses port 443. - Port 8080 – Often used as an alternate HTTP port for development or when 80 is in use. Example:
http://example.com:8080. - Port 8443 – Alternate HTTPS port. Example:
https://example.com:8443.
If a site runs on a non-standard port, the URL must include it (e.g. https://example.com:8443).
cPanel Ports
cPanel is a web hosting control panel. Common cPanel ports:
- 2082 – cPanel over HTTP (unencrypted).
- 2083 – cPanel over HTTPS (encrypted). Use this for secure login.
- 2086 – WHM (Web Host Manager) over HTTP.
- 2087 – WHM over HTTPS.
- 2096 – cPanel webmail over HTTPS.
To open cPanel, your host usually gives a URL like https://yourdomain.com:2083 or https://serverip:2083. Prefer 2083 (HTTPS) over 2082.
Email Ports
- 25 – SMTP (sending mail between servers). Often blocked by ISPs for home users.
- 587 – SMTP submission (sending from email client, with TLS). Preferred for outgoing mail.
- 110 – POP3 (receiving mail, unencrypted).
- 995 – POP3S (POP3 over SSL).
- 143 – IMAP (receiving mail, unencrypted).
- 993 – IMAPS (IMAP over SSL).
SSH, FTP and Remote Access
- 22 – SSH. Secure login and file transfer (SFTP uses the same port).
- 21 – FTP control. Plain FTP (unencrypted). Prefer SFTP (port 22) when possible.
- 3389 – Windows Remote Desktop (RDP).
Port Forwarding on Your Router
Port forwarding sends traffic from a port on your router (from the internet) to a port on a device inside your network (e.g. a PC or NAS). You set this in the router admin (e.g. at 192.168.1.1) under Port Forwarding or Virtual Server. For example: forward external port 80 to 192.168.1.10:80 to host a website on a home server. Only forward ports you need and to trusted devices. See your router’s manual or our Router Brands pages for where to find port forwarding.
Port Ranges (Summary)
- 0–1023 – Well-known ports (HTTP 80, HTTPS 443, SSH 22, etc.).
- 1024–49151 – Registered ports (used by applications and services).
- 49152–65535 – Dynamic/private ports (often used for temporary connections).