Web Ports and Protocols

Rules for internet communication,

ports are

port 80: httphypertext transfer protocol - foundataion of communication on the internet. Applicaton layer protocol that enables plaintet communication betweeen clients and servers. Not secure.

Eavesdropping and on path attack(MITM) vunerable.

port 443: HTTPs Hypertext transfer protocol secure. same as HTTP but it encrypts it with. SSL or TLS tunnle is more current. ensures that any coms between client and webpage is encrypted.

over 95% of web traffic now uses HTTPs.

SEO and trust modern HTTPs and search engines will see more traffic going there an will rank the site higher.

ere’s a clean, test-ready summary of Web Ports and Protocols for the CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) exam, based on the official objectivesComptia+Network+(N10-00…:

🌐 Web Ports and Protocols (High-Yield for Exam)

🔒 Secure vs. Non-Secure Web Services

| Protocol | Port | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | HTTP | 80 | Basic web traffic (insecure) | | HTTPS | 443 | Encrypted web traffic using TLS/SSL |

✅ Exam Tip: Know the difference between HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443). If a service needs encryption, it will use HTTPS.

🔑 Authentication & Remote Access Protocols

| Protocol | Port | Use Case | | --- | --- | --- | | SSH | 22 | Secure command-line remote login | | Telnet | 23 | Insecure remote terminal (legacy) |

⚠️ Common Question: SSH vs Telnet — SSH is encrypted, Telnet is not. You’ll always choose SSH for security.

📦 File Transfer Protocols

| Protocol | Port(s) | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | FTP | 20 (data), 21 (control) | Basic file transfer, unencrypted | | SFTP | 22 | Secure file transfer over SSH | | TFTP | 69 | Lightweight, UDP-based file transfer (no auth) |

🔁 Must Know: FTP = 20/21; SFTP = 22 (same as SSH); TFTP = 69 (UDP, often used for boot files)

📧 Email Protocols (also web-relevant)

| Protocol | Port | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | | SMTP | 25 | Sending email | | SMTPS | 587 | Secure sending | | IMAP (not listed, FYI) | 143 (IMAPS 993) | Retrieve email | | POP3 (FYI) | 110 (POP3S 995) | Download email |

💡 Memory Trick:

Secure ports are often in the 400+ or 600+ range
SMTPS = 587 (Think: 5 → S for Secure)

🔍 Web Infrastructure & Support

| Protocol | Port | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | DNS | 53 | Resolves domain names to IPs | | DHCP | 67/68 | Assigns IP addresses automatically | | NTP | 123 | Syncs time | | Syslog | 514 | Logging system messages | | SNMP | 161/162 | Network monitoring (161 queries, 162 traps) | | LDAP | 389 | Directory services | | LDAPS | 636 | Secure LDAP |

🔧 Sysadmin Tip: These support protocols often work behind the scenes but are essential for networked web services.

🖥️ Remote Access for Web-Based Tools

| Protocol | Port | Usage | | --- | --- | --- | | RDP | 3389 | Remote desktop to Windows machines | | SIP | 5060/5061 | Voice over IP call signaling |

🎯 Traffic Types (Web Related)

Unicast – one-to-one
Broadcast – one-to-all (local subnet)
Multicast – one-to-many (specific group)
Anycast – one-to-nearest (often used in CDN/web edge services)

🔁 Rapid Review Questions

Which port does HTTPS use?
What protocol uses ports 67 and 68?
Which is more secure, Telnet or SSH?
What port is used for DNS?
Which protocol would you use to securely transfer a file via the command line?