Which ports do I need for port forwarding?

It depends on the service. Look up the application here to find its default port and protocol before forwarding it on your router.

What is the difference between TCP and UDP ports?

TCP is connection-oriented and reliable (web, email), while UDP is connectionless and faster (streaming, games, DNS). Many services use both.

Common Ports Lookup

Search common network ports by number or service name. Handy when setting up port forwarding, firewall rules, or just figuring out what a port is for.

Port	Protocol	Service	Description
20	TCP	FTP (data)	File Transfer Protocol data channel.
21	TCP	FTP (control)	File Transfer Protocol commands and login.
22	TCP	SSH	Secure Shell - encrypted remote login and SFTP.
23	TCP	Telnet	Legacy unencrypted remote login. Avoid using.
25	TCP	SMTP	Sending email between mail servers.
53	TCP/UDP	DNS	Domain Name System - resolves names to IP addresses.
67-68	UDP	DHCP	Hands out IP addresses to devices (server 67, client 68).
69	UDP	TFTP	Trivial FTP - simple file transfer, often for firmware.
80	TCP	HTTP	Unencrypted web traffic.
110	TCP	POP3	Retrieving email (older protocol).
123	UDP	NTP	Network Time Protocol - clock synchronization.
137-139	TCP/UDP	NetBIOS	Legacy Windows file/printer sharing and name service.
143	TCP	IMAP	Retrieving email with server-side folders.
161-162	UDP	SNMP	Monitoring and managing network devices.
389	TCP/UDP	LDAP	Directory services (e.g. Active Directory).
443	TCP	HTTPS	Encrypted web traffic (TLS). The modern web default.
445	TCP	SMB	Windows file and printer sharing.
465	TCP	SMTPS	Sending email over TLS.
514	UDP	Syslog	Centralized logging from network devices.
587	TCP	SMTP (submission)	Email submission from a client to a server.
631	TCP	IPP	Internet Printing Protocol - network printers.
636	TCP	LDAPS	LDAP directory services over TLS.
853	TCP/UDP	DNS over TLS	Encrypted DNS queries.
993	TCP	IMAPS	IMAP email over TLS.
995	TCP	POP3S	POP3 email over TLS.
1194	UDP	OpenVPN	Common default port for OpenVPN tunnels.
1433	TCP	Microsoft SQL	Microsoft SQL Server database.
1701	UDP	L2TP	Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol for VPNs.
1723	TCP	PPTP	Legacy VPN protocol. Considered insecure.
1883	TCP	MQTT	Lightweight messaging for IoT and smart home devices.
1900	UDP	SSDP / UPnP	Device discovery used by UPnP.
3074	TCP/UDP	Xbox Live	Xbox Live online gaming.
3306	TCP	MySQL	MySQL / MariaDB database.
3389	TCP	RDP	Windows Remote Desktop.
3478-3480	TCP/UDP	STUN / TURN	NAT traversal for voice, video, and gaming (incl. PlayStation).
5060-5061	TCP/UDP	SIP	Voice-over-IP call signaling.
5353	UDP	mDNS	Multicast DNS - Apple Bonjour and local device discovery.
5432	TCP	PostgreSQL	PostgreSQL database.
5900	TCP	VNC	Remote desktop / screen sharing.
6379	TCP	Redis	In-memory data store.
8080	TCP	HTTP (alt)	Alternate HTTP port, often for proxies and dev servers.
8443	TCP	HTTPS (alt)	Alternate HTTPS port, common for router admin pages.
25565	TCP	Minecraft	Default Minecraft Java Edition server port.
27015	TCP/UDP	Source / Steam games	Source engine and many Steam game servers.
32400	TCP	Plex	Plex Media Server remote access.
51413	TCP/UDP	BitTorrent	Common default BitTorrent (Transmission) port.

What is a network port?

If an IP address is like a building's street address, a port is like an apartment number - it tells traffic which specific service to go to on that device. Ports range from 0 to 65535. The well-known ports (0-1023) are reserved for standard services like web (80/443) and email, while higher ports are used by apps, games, and media servers.

Ports and port forwarding

When you host a game server, run a Plex library, or self-host anything, you often need port forwarding - telling your router to send incoming traffic on a specific port to a specific device on your network. Look up the port here, then forward it to that device's (ideally static) local IP.

Before you forward anything, it's worth reading is port forwarding safe? To keep a device's IP from changing, plan it with the DHCP pool planner.

Frequently asked questions

What is a network port?: A port is a numbered endpoint that identifies a specific service on a device, like 80 for HTTP or 443 for HTTPS, so incoming traffic reaches the right application.
Which ports do I need for port forwarding?: It depends on the service. Look up the application here to find its default port and protocol before forwarding it on your router.
What is the difference between TCP and UDP ports?: TCP is connection-oriented and reliable (web, email), while UDP is connectionless and faster (streaming, games, DNS). Many services use both.