What Are the Old and New Port Numbers in Networking? Complete List of Protocol Ports and Their Updated Uses (2025 Guide)

Understanding network ports is essential for cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and IT professionals. This blog explains the most commonly used old/traditional port numbers like 80, 21, 23, and their modern secure alternatives such as 443, 587, and 8443. We also cover their uses in protocols like LDAP, SNMP, SMTP, RDP, VPN, and VoIP. A detailed table compares each service's legacy and updated port numbers to help you configure firewalls, assess vulnerabilities, and prepare for certifications like CEH, OSCP, and CompTIA Security+.

  Ethical Hacking Techniques   Jun 23, 2025   51  Add to Reading List
What Are the Old and New Port Numbers in Networking? Complete List of Protocol Ports and Their Updated Uses (2025 Guide)

Table of Contents

 Why Knowing Port Numbers Still Matters in 2025

Every online service — whether it's a website, app, email, or database — uses ports to send and receive data. Understanding these ports helps in:

  • Vulnerability assessment

  • Firewall configuration

  • Penetration testing

  • SOC & Blue Team operations

  • Cybersecurity certifications (CEH, OSCP, CompTIA, etc.)

In this blog, we’ll cover both older traditional port numbers and the modern or alternative ports used in 2025.

 Full Table: Traditional and Newer Ports with Their Uses

Service Old/Traditional Port Modern/Alternative Port (if any) Protocol Purpose/Usage
HTTP 80 8080, 8888 TCP Web browsing (non-secure)
HTTPS 443 8443, 9443 TCP Secure web browsing
FTP 21 (control), 20 (data) 990 (FTPS), 2121 TCP File transfer (insecure)
SFTP (over SSH) N/A 22 TCP Secure file transfer
Telnet 23 Deprecated (replaced by SSH) TCP Remote terminal (insecure)
SSH 22 2222 TCP Secure remote login
SMTP (email sending) 25 465 (SMTPS), 587 (SMTP w/ TLS) TCP Email sending
POP3 (email receiving) 110 995 TCP Basic email download
IMAP 143 993 TCP Email sync across devices
DNS 53 853 (DoT - DNS over TLS) TCP/UDP Resolves domain names
TFTP 69 Deprecated or internal use only UDP Lightweight file transfers
DHCP 67 (server), 68 (client) Same UDP Assigns IP addresses
SNMP 161 (data), 162 (traps) 10161, 10162 (secure SNMP) UDP Network monitoring
LDAP 389 636 (LDAPS) TCP/UDP Directory access
SMB 445 445 (Still used, now encrypted w/ SMBv3) TCP File and printer sharing (Windows)
NetBIOS 137–139 Deprecated; replaced by SMB TCP/UDP Legacy Windows sharing
RDP 3389 3390 TCP Remote desktop access
MySQL 3306 33060 (MySQL X protocol) TCP Relational database
PostgreSQL 5432 5433 TCP Relational database
MongoDB 27017 28017 (web interface – now deprecated) TCP NoSQL database
Oracle DB 1521 2483, 2484 (with TCPS) TCP Enterprise DB
Kerberos 88 Same TCP/UDP Authentication service
Syslog 514 6514 (Syslog over TLS) UDP/TCP Event logging
VNC 5900 5901–5905 TCP Remote desktop sharing
ElasticSearch 9200 Same TCP Search and analytics engine
Redis 6379 6380 (secured with TLS) TCP In-memory DB for caching
Kubernetes API Server 6443 Same TCP Manages Kubernetes cluster
Docker API 2375 2376 (secured) TCP Docker daemon remote access
Git 9418 443 (via HTTPS) TCP Version control
Zabbix 10050 (agent), 10051 Same TCP Network monitoring
NFS 2049 Same TCP/UDP Network File System
VPN (OpenVPN) 1194 443 (Stealth VPN) UDP/TCP Virtual private networking
SIP (VoIP) 5060 5061 (SIPS) UDP/TCP Voice over IP

 Notes on Newer Port Usage

  • Secure Versions: Many older ports (like LDAP 389, POP3 110, SMTP 25) now have secure counterparts using SSL/TLS (like 636, 993, 587).

  • Web App Testing: 8080, 8443 are commonly used for testing and proxy services.

  • Database Evolution: Newer DB tools (like MongoDB or MySQL X protocol) use modern ports for API-based access.

 Security Advice for Cybersecurity Students

  • Always scan open ports using tools like Nmap.

  • Disable or block legacy ports like Telnet (23), NetBIOS (137–139), and TFTP (69).

  • Learn how firewalls and IDS/IPS tools monitor ports.

  • Use encrypted versions of services where available (e.g., HTTPS over HTTP, LDAPS over LDAP).

 Conclusion

Whether you're an aspiring ethical hacker, a network defender, or a certification aspirant, knowing which ports are old, new, or risky is critical. Keep this updated list handy as a quick reference and stay ahead in cybersecurity.

FAQ

What is the difference between old and new port numbers?

Old ports were used before security standards evolved. New ports often use SSL/TLS encryption for safer communication.

Why is port 443 preferred over port 80?

Port 443 is used for HTTPS (secure web), while port 80 is used for HTTP (insecure).

What is the updated secure port for LDAP?

Port 636 is the secure version of LDAP using SSL/TLS.

Is Telnet still used today?

No, Telnet (port 23) is considered insecure and has been replaced by SSH (port 22).

What is the difference between port 21 and port 22?

Port 21 is for FTP (file transfer, insecure), while port 22 is for SSH and SFTP (secure).

What port is used for secure SMTP?

Ports 465 and 587 are used for SMTP with encryption, replacing port 25.

Which port is used for DNS?

DNS uses port 53, but DNS over TLS now uses port 853.

What is the default port for HTTPS?

Port 443 is the default for secure web traffic (HTTPS).

What is the port number for RDP?

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) uses port 3389.

Which ports are used for VPN?

Common VPN ports include 1194 (OpenVPN) and 443 (Stealth VPN).

What are the ports for SNMP?

SNMP uses ports 161 (query) and 162 (traps).

What is the secure version of SNMP?

Secure SNMP runs on ports 10161 and 10162.

What port does NetBIOS use?

NetBIOS uses ports 137–139, which are now considered outdated.

What is the modern alternative to NetBIOS?

SMB over port 445 has largely replaced NetBIOS.

What port does SMB use today?

Port 445 is used by modern SMB services.

Is port 3306 still used for MySQL?

Yes, but MySQL X Protocol uses port 33060.

What port is used for PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL uses port 5432 by default.

What are the ports for email services?

POP3 uses 110 (or 995 secure), IMAP uses 143 (or 993 secure), SMTP uses 25, 465, and 587.

What port does Docker use?

Docker daemon communicates over port 2375 (or 2376 for secure).

Which port is used by Kubernetes API server?

Kubernetes uses port 6443 for the API server.

What port is used for FTP?

FTP uses port 21 (control) and 20 (data).

What is the secure alternative to FTP?

FTPS uses port 990, and SFTP operates over port 22.

What port is used for Git over HTTPS?

Git over HTTPS uses port 443.

What are the default ports for Redis?

Redis uses port 6379 and 6380 for secure connections.

What port is used for MongoDB?

MongoDB uses port 27017.

What is the difference between port 8080 and 80?

Port 8080 is often used for testing or proxies; port 80 is default HTTP.

What port does LDAP use by default?

LDAP uses port 389.

What is LDAPS?

LDAPS is secure LDAP using port 636.

Which port is used for VoIP (SIP)?

SIP uses port 5060 (or 5061 for SIPS).

Are older ports still in use?

Some older ports are used in legacy systems, but they’re increasingly replaced by secure alternatives.

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