What are server ports?

Any server machine makes its services available to the Internet using numbered ports, one for each service that is available on the server. Clients connect to a service at a specific IP address and on a specific port.

A port number is a way to identify a specific process to which an internet or other network message is to be forwarded when it arrives at a server. All network-connected devices come equipped with standardized ports that have an assigned number.

What is the difference between an IP address and a port number?

An IP address identifies a machine in an IP network and is used to determine the destination of a data packet. Port numbers identify a particular application or service on a system.

An IP address is a logical address used to identify a device on the network. Any device connected to the internet is assigned a unique IP address for identification. This identifying information enables devices to communicate over the internet.

Port numbers are part of the addressing information that helps identify senders and receivers of information and a particular application on the devices.

Put simply, and using a telephone analogy, the IP address is the phone number of the company you’re calling to and the port number is the extension of the department you want to reach.