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Networking Protocols and Ports

Jun 11, 2025

Overview

This lecture covered well-known networking port numbers, the protocols that use them, and their primary purposes in network communication and management.

File Transfer Protocols

  • FTP (File Transfer Protocol) uses TCP ports 20 (data transfer) and 21 (control), supports authentication and file management.
  • SFTP (Secure FTP) uses TCP port 22, encrypting file transfers via the SSH protocol.
  • TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) uses UDP port 69 for simple, unauthenticated, fast file transfers.

Remote Access Protocols

  • SSH (Secure Shell) uses TCP port 22 for secure, encrypted command-line remote access.
  • Telnet uses TCP port 23 for non-encrypted, insecure remote terminal sessions; should be avoided in favor of SSH.
  • RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) uses TCP port 3389 for graphical remote desktop access, mainly on Windows devices.

Email Protocols

  • SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) uses TCP port 25 (unencrypted) and port 587 (encrypted with TLS) for sending emails.
  • IMAP and POP3 are used for receiving emails (not detailed in this lecture).

Domain and IP Configuration Services

  • DNS (Domain Name System) uses UDP port 53 for queries and TCP port 53 for large transfers.
  • DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) uses UDP ports 67 (server) and 68 (client) for IP address assignment and management.

Web Protocols

  • HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) uses TCP port 80 for unencrypted web traffic.
  • HTTPS (HTTP Secure) uses TCP port 443 for encrypted web traffic using SSL/TLS.

Network Time and Management

  • NTP (Network Time Protocol) uses UDP port 123 for synchronizing clocks across network devices.
  • SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) uses UDP port 161 for queries and UDP port 162 for traps/notifications.

Directory and Authentication Services

  • LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) uses TCP port 389 for directory queries; LDAPS (secure) uses TCP port 636.

File and Printer Sharing

  • SMB (Server Message Block) uses TCP port 445 for file and printer sharing, primarily in Windows environments.

Logging and Database Access

  • Syslog uses UDP port 514 for centralized logging from network devices.
  • Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) uses TCP port 1433 for database access.

Voice over IP (VoIP)

  • SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) uses TCP ports 5060 (unencrypted) and 5061 (encrypted) for VoIP call setup and management.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Port Number — A logical endpoint for communication, associated with a specific protocol.
  • FTP — File Transfer Protocol for transferring files with authentication.
  • SFTP — Secure File Transfer Protocol using SSH for encryption.
  • DHCP — Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for automatic IP assignment.
  • DNS — Domain Name System for translating domain names to IP addresses.
  • SNMP — Simple Network Management Protocol for device monitoring and management.
  • LDAP — Lightweight Directory Access Protocol for directory services.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Memorize common protocol port numbers.
  • Review related reading on protocol functions and security implications.