Ethical Hacking Techniques

What Are the Old and New Port Numbers in Networking? Complete List of Protocol Ports and Their Updated Uses (2026 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+.

Vaishnavi

Jun 23, 2025 - 09:36

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What Are the Old and New Port Numbers in Networking? Complete List of Protocol Ports and Their Updated Uses (2026 Guide)

Why Knowing Port Numbers Still Matters in 2026
Full Table: Traditional and Newer Ports with Their Uses
Notes on Newer Port Usage
Security Advice for Cybersecurity Students
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why Knowing Port Numbers Still Matters in 2026

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 2026.

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

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

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

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

No, Telnet (port 23) is considered insecure and has been replaced by SSH (port 22).

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

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

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

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

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) uses port 3389.

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

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

Secure SNMP runs on ports 10161 and 10162.

NetBIOS uses ports 137–139, which are now considered outdated.

SMB over port 445 has largely replaced NetBIOS.

Port 445 is used by modern SMB services.

Yes, but MySQL X Protocol uses port 33060.

PostgreSQL uses port 5432 by default.

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

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

Kubernetes uses port 6443 for the API server.

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

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

Git over HTTPS uses port 443.

Redis uses port 6379 and 6380 for secure connections.

MongoDB uses port 27017.

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

LDAP uses port 389.

LDAPS is secure LDAP using port 636.

SIP uses port 5060 (or 5061 for SIPS).

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

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Vaishnavi

Vaishnavi is a skilled tech professional at the Ethical Hacking Training Institute in Pune, responsible for managing and optimizing the technical infrastructure that supports advanced cybersecurity education. With deep expertise in network security, backend operations, and system performance, she ensures that practical labs, online modules, and assessments run smoothly and securely. Her behind-the-scenes contributions play a vital role in delivering a seamless and secure learning experience for aspiring ethical hackers.