What is My Port Number?
Since certain games and programs use different ports to function, knowing your port numbers can be useful when it comes to configuring firewalls or give certain apps access. Learn the steps to find it on your OS.
What is a Port Number?
To put it simply, a port number is the means through which a specific message is identified when it’s forwarded to a server. Depending upon on the service type, it will either be associated with TCP or UDP port.
TCP vs. UDP
TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol and sends the data after establishing a connection which makes it more reliable than UDP for data transfers. On the other hand, UDP stands for User Diagram Protocol and sends data packets connection-less which makes it lightweight and significantly faster than TCP.
How to Find Your Port Number?
Here, we’ll show you the steps to find the port number of your computer:
How to find the port number in Windows?
- Open Command Prompt by typing “Cmd” in the search box.
- Enter the “ipconfig” command.
- Now, type “netstat -a” command for a list of connections and port numbers.
How to find the port number in Mac?
- Open System Preferences by clicking on the Apple icon.
- Go to Network.
- Choose your network and then click Advanced.
- Select the Port Scan tab.
- Enter the IP address you want to scan.
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What is the Difference between an IP Address and Port Number?
A computer network is made up of a collection of devices – such as routers, printers, laptops, and cameras – that are connected together for sharing data and resources.
Each device within the network has a unique numerical label allocate to it, known as the Internet Protocol (IP) address. It helps with two main functions:
- Network or host identification
- Location addressing
In contrast, a single device can have multiple processes running at any given time. The port number is what helps to identify those processes taking place in the device.
FAQs
The following are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about port numbers.
What is an IP Address?
There are two types of IP addresses: public and private. The private IP is the address allocated to your device by your router. The public IP address is provided by your ISP and it is the address that allows you to explore the Internet. You can easily check your IP address via an IP lookup tool. Visit the IP lookup tool, and it will show your public IP address as well as IP location, ISP and even operating system.
How do I find the port number of a specific IP address?
All you have to do is type “netstat -a” on Command Prompt and hit the Enter button. This will populate a list of your active TCP connections. The port numbers will be shown after the IP address and the two are separated by a colon. For instance, if your IP address is something like 192. 168. 45. 2 and you’re being displayed an entry for 192. 168. 45. 2: 57961, it means the port number 57961 is open.
What does a port scanner do?
Basically, a port scanner probes a host or server for open ports. These applications are commonly used by administrators to verify network security policy. In fact, even hackers use port scanners to identify the network services executing being executed on a host so they can exploit any vulnerabilities.
Is my port open?
There are many port checking tools available on the Internet that allow you to check your public (external) IP address and detect if ports are open on your connection. This can help you in checking if port forwarding has been setup correctly on your router, or if a firewall is getting in the way of your server applications.