Welcome dear Networseclearners to this new tutorial on the most important Computer Network ports that you should know if you are preparing for the CompTIA Network+ Exam. If you have never heard or don’t know what Computer Network Ports are, I invite you to read my article Introduction to Computer Networks Ports and Protocols published in February 2025.😉 In that tutorial, I explained what ports and protocols are in the context of Computer Networks so I will not come back on this in this tutorial. The purpose of this tutorial is just to share the list of Ports and details you should know for the CompTIA Network+ Exam. 😊
As a reminder, Network Ports are part of Domain 1 Networking Concepts and Objective 1.4 Explain common networking ports, protocols, services and traffic types of CompTIA Network+. This tutorial will be then short. Grab a cup of coffee and sit comfortably to go through the CompTIA Network+ Ports you should know before taking the exam. Let’s get started. 💪
1. Ports 20 and 21 for File Transfer Protocol
FTP is one of the techniques used to transfer files between computers and it relies on Port 21 which is used to control the connection (sending commands like login, directory listing) and Port 20 which is used to actually transfer the file data. However, FTP is not secure because everything including passwords is sent in plain text and even if it is important for the exam to know them,in practice, you should always prefer secure alternatives.😉
2. Port 22 for SFTP : Secure File Transfer Protocol
SFTP is the secure version of FTP and is commonly used by administrators to securely upload configuration files, transfer backups or exchange sensitive documents. If you see secure file transfer on the exam, it is usually referring to SFTP.
3. Port 22 for SSH : Secure Shell
SSH is used to access remote servers and network devices securely since it encrypts everything you type making it impossible for attackers to spy on your session. SSH is used every day by system administrators, network engineers and security professionals.
4. Port 23 for Telnet
Telnet is the insecure ancestor of SSH and allows remote command-line access but all communication is sent in plain text including usernames and passwords. This is the reason why Telnet is almost never used in modern networks but you still have to be aware of it for the exam. 😉
5. Port 25 for SMTP : Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
SMTP is used to send emails using port 25 and your computer uses them when you send an Email message.😊
6. Port 53 for DNS : Domain Name System
DNS is the service that converts domain names into IP addresses. When you type “google.com,” DNS is what finds the corresponding IP address in the background.
7. Ports 67 and 68 for DHCP : Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DHCP is the service that automatically gives devices an IP address and the network settings they need to connect to a computer network. Instead of manually configuring every device, DHCP does the job the moment a device joins the network. It is the reason your device “magically” gets online as soon as you connect to Wi-Fi with no typing, no configuration, everything is handled automatically in the background by DHCP. Indeed, Port 67 is used by the server and Port 68 is used by the client.😊
8. Port 69 for TFTP : Trivial File Transfer Protocol
TFTP is a simplified version of FTP with no authentication and no encryption. It is still used in networks for very basic tasks like transferring device firmware, network booting or sending router configuration files during initialization.
9. Port 80 for HTTP : Hypertext Transfer Protocol
HTTP is the foundation of all web browsing. Any website that is not using Encryption (http://) uses port 80.
10. Port 110 for NTP : Network Time Protocol
NTP ensures that every device in a network is properly synchronized in terms of timing. This may sound minor but accurate time is essential for logs, security, authentication and certificates.😉
11. Ports 161 and 162 for SNMP : Simple Network Management Protocol
SNMP is used to monitor routers, switches, servers and other devices and to report if these devices are up, down or overloaded. Port 161 is used for SNMP queries and Port 162 is used for SNMP traps (alerts).
12. Port 389 for LDAP : Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
LDAP is used to manage users, groups and authentication in directory services like Active Directory. Indeed, when a company has thousands of employees, LDAP will help keep everything organized.
13. Port 443 for HTTPS : Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
HTTPS is indeed the secure version of HTTP that we have already seen in section 9. You remember ?😉 It encrypts your web traffic using TLS which is why it is used on almost all modern websites. When you see the little padlock icon in your browser, this means indeed you are browsing using HTTPS and then securely.
14. Port 445 for SMB : Server Message Block
SMB is used mainly in Windows environments for file sharing, printer sharing and communication between devices. If you open a shared folder on a Windows server, that traffic goes through port 445.
15. Port 514 for Syslog
Syslog is used to send system logs to a centralized logging server and therefore is extremely useful for troubleshooting, auditing and detecting security incidents.
16. Port 587 for SMTPS : Secure SMTP
This is the secure version of SMTP and is now the recommended port for sending encrypted email.
17. Port 636 for LDAPS : LDAP over SSL
This is the secure and encrypted version of LDAP. If you see “secure directory service communication” think about Port 636.🙏
18. Port 1433 for SQL Server : Microsoft SQL
This is the default port used by Microsoft SQL databases. You may see this in questions involving database servers or application back ends.
19. Port 3389 for RDP : Remote Desktop Protocol
RDP allows you to connect remotely to another computer using a graphical interface so that System administrators use it daily to manage Windows servers.
20. Ports 5060 & 5061 for SIP : Session Initiation Protocol
SIP is used to set up and manage voice and video calls (VoIP) and uses 5060 for unencrypted communication and uses 5061 for encrypted communication. If the scenario mentions VoIP phones, softphones or voice gateways, it is almost always SIP.😉
CONCLUSION
Congratulations dear NetworkSecLearners, you have now gone through the most important network ports you must know for the CompTIA Network+ exam. 😊 Even though this tutorial was short and straight to the point, you have just reviewed one of the topics that every network technician, system administrator and cybersecurity professional must absolutely master. Ports may look like just numbers on paper but as you have seen, each one plays a crucial role in how computers communicate, send emails, browse the web, transfer files just to mention these.
If you are preparing for the exam, my best advice is to review these ports regularly until you acquire mastery. Trust me, once you understand them, many networking concepts will become much clearer to grasp. And of course, if you want deeper explanations of ports and protocols, don’t hesitate to check out my previous tutorial Introduction to Computer Networks Ports and Protocols from February where I explain everything in a very beginner-friendly way.
Thank you very much as always for reading the whole tutorial. If you have found this tutorial helpful and interesting, please share it with your friends and colleagues to help them prepare their coming CompTIA Network+ exam. And as always, if you have any query, don’t hesitate to leave a comment so that the whole Networkseclearners community can help you. 😊
Until the next tutorial, keep learning, stay motivated and stay Stay and Secure.😉