What is my port number and why does it matter for internet usage? IPVanish (2024)

If you find yourself asking “what is my port number”, we wrote this article for you.

Protocols and port numbers—who decided that VPNs needed to have so much jargon, anyway? We don’t make up the networking language around here. We just do our best to explain it.

So, in this article, we’ll tackle all-things port numbers: what they are, how they work, how to find which port numbers you have open, and why they matter for your daily internet use. Let’s start with a definition.

What is a port number?

A port number is an identification number standardized across the internet that helps programs communicate with one another online. A port in this case isn’t in reference to the physical ports on the side of your computer, which you can touch, feel, and plug devices into. In networking, these ports are virtual, part of a process that takes place in the background every time you access the internet. When you’re receiving data from the internet to your computer’s web browser, a port number (probably port 443 in this example, the port for HTTPS traffic) is the virtual location on your device where the information should be directed to.

Let’s think about a port number as an analogy.

In a previous article about IP addresses, we compared IP addresses to home addresses. Just as you have a mailing address to send and receive physical mail, an IP address that allows a web page to communicate (send and receive information) with your device.

By extension, port numbers perform similar communication functions, except at a slightly more specific level than an IP address. Rather than identifying the device or connection source, a port number identifies a particular traffic type, helping to make it more efficient for what precise application the device data should be directed to.

To continue our house and mailbox analogy: If an IP address is like your physical address, then a port number is like the “In care of” (c/o) line on the label of any post you receive. The port number identifies a more precise level of where the information should go at a given address.

There are different categories of port numbers associated with certain traffic types, whether it’s outgoing or incoming traffic, and depending on your connection protocols, like TCP vs UDP.

See more – VPN ports: everything you need to know

What is my port number and how do I find it?

This is a key area in which IP addresses and port numbers differ.

It’s relatively easy to find your unique IP address. (In fact, you can use our “What is my IP address?” tool to do so.) On the other hand, port numbers vary by their different functions and situations. It’s not as simple as asking, “What’s my port number?” Instead, your port numbers (yes, numbers) vary depending on the online types of traffic you’re sending and receiving. Email, file transfers, music streaming, printing, and gaming – apps for these different functions all create different types of traffic. But it’s not just about the number of apps you have running.

Let’s say you have your browser open with a few different tabs. Each tab might be using different port numbers to facilitate different traffic types and perform different functions. A quick port scan wouldn’t just reveal one port number, but a whole collection of them.

But different port numbers shouldn’t be confused with random numbers. Each port number has a universally-assigned purpose. In fact, they’re standardized by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, an organization tasked with overseeing IP address allocation and port numbers.

For a comprehensive list of exact port numbers and their corresponding functions, you can reference this Wikipedia article. But here are some of the most common networking port numbers:

Once you understand the function that corresponds to a certain program or traffic type, you may want more control over that function. Specifically, you may want to control how those programs access the internet. (More on that later.)

Follow the steps below for how to find my port numbers open on desktop and mobile devices.

How to find my port numbers

Mac and Windows operating systems both use network statistics (Netstat) tools to give you information about how your device and specific programs are connecting to the internet. That includes showing you established and closed connections (meaning ports that are open or closed). But for mobile devices, these tools will need to be installed onto your device.

Nevertheless, it’s very easy to find out your port numbers. Here’s how:

How to find my port numbers on a Mac

Your computer has tens of thousands of ports. Not all of them are connecting to the internet at once. Here’s how to see the exact ports that are currently in use on your Mac device:

1. Using your keyboard, press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight search (or just click the magnifying glass in your top toolbar).
2. Type in “Network Utility” and hit your Return key to launch the native Network Utility app.
3. Select the very last tab, Port Scan.
4. Enter the IP address you wish to scan for open ports. Your visible IP address can be found under the “Info” tab, or you can simply use the “127.0.0.1” localhost loopback IP.

How to find my port numbers on Windows

Your computer has tens of thousands of ports. Not all of them are connecting to the web at once. Here’s how to see the exact ports that are currently in use on your Windows device:

1. In the Windows search bar, type “Netstat”
2. Click the app
3. A popup containing a black screen and gradually-loading white text should appear. You will see many number sets, separated by a colon (:), these are all your open ports. The first part of the string of numbers in each set is your IP address while the second string of numbers after the colon (bolded for emphasis) is your port number. Together, a single number string looks like this: 123.456.1.1:80.

How to find my port numbers on iPhone and iPad

It’s not often you need to consider what the open and closed ports are on your iPhone. But whenever Wi-Fi printing doesn’t work, it’s usually due to a closed port from a firewall between the mobile device and the network.

There’s no way to see within your native device settings just what ports are open and closed at a given time. You’ll need some third-party application to run a port scan. Use the following simple method to verify if a port is open and accessible from the Apple iOS device:

1. Search for a Port scanning or Netstat app. We recommend using the “iNetTools Free” app from the App Store.
2. Select Port Scan in the App
3. Enter your IP address or use your “127.0.0.1” localhost IP and any port number or range of port numbers to test. For instance, you could test port 7910 for native AirPrint traffic. Apple maintains a complete list of the ports used by their products.
4. Choose Start to start the port scan
5. The result will appear and if it says “Open” the ports are accessible. If it says “None” they are closed and not able to receive traffic.

How to find my port numbers on Android phone and tablet

Rarely should you ever need to find your port number on an Android phone or tablet, but when it happens, it’ll probably be in the middle of a game setup or a printer error. Never fear! While your open port numbers cannot be identified from your native Android settings, a third-party app can help you figure this out quickly.

1. From the Google Play Store search for a network statistics utility tool like “IP Tools“.
2. After you install the app, choose Port Scanner from the app menu.
3. Enter your IP address or use your “127.0.0.1” localhost IP and the port to test, i.e. port 443 for web traffic.
4. Verify the port status; whether it is open and available, or closed and ending in no results.

Understanding port numbers for internet security

You probably didn’t click on an article about “how to find my port number” just to get a definition and lookup instructions. You want to know how port numbers impact you online, why should any of this matter to you?

The most practical use case for understanding port numbers is online security.

In brief, a port number gives you control. Since port numbers each relate to specific program functions and traffic types, you can turn on and off most ports like a light switch. The industry terms for this are “open ports” and “closed ports.”

When a port is open, the program has access to the internet to perform its intended task. The problem is, that the internet carries some risks. If you’re concerned about hackers or malware infiltrating your device through a specific program, you can simply close it. Closing a port blocks a program’s access to the internet through that traffic type, thereby adding an extra layer of security.

Firewalls, port numbers, and finding a secure VPN

We can’t talk about port numbers and internet security without talking about a virtual private network (VPNs). So, what is a VPN, exactly? A VPN gives you greater security and privacy while using the internet. It works by tunneling your activity through a private internet server before sending it to its end destination.

What does this have to do with port numbers? Well, depending on the software and hardware configuration of your computer, you may have traffic blocks.

Firewalls

Firewall software, for instance, blocks unauthorized access to a device through the network from external sources. In other words, it mitigates hackers and organizations from exploiting holes in your network without your consent, usually through applications already installed on your device.

This is different from a VPN that prevents your real-time network activity from being intercepted without your consent because the VPN-secured traffic is your daily online activity.

With your firewall, you can close specific port numbers to prevent certain traffic types from ever reaching your device. In the reverse circ*mstance, if you’re having difficulty reaching a device on your network, such as a printer, it may be due to a closed port.

Virtual private networks

VPN traffic uses specific port numbers too, and if you have a VPN running on your device, additional devices on your network may become inaccessible. Printers, routers, game consoles, home servers, and other electronics that connect to your device through LAN (local area network) setups will be unable to access your device when a VPN is active.

Every VPN uses certain port numbers. If you’re curious, you can learn more about the ports used for IPVanish VPN traffic.