# What Is a Port?  ## Metadata - Author: [[cloudflare.com]] - Full Title: What Is a Port? - Category: #articles - Summary: A port is a virtual connection point that helps computers manage different types of network traffic by using specific numbers. Each port is linked to a certain service, like HTTP or FTP, allowing efficient data transfer. Firewalls often block unused ports to protect networks from potential attacks. - URL: https://www.cloudflare.com/en-in/learning/network-layer/what-is-a-computer-port/ ## Highlights - A port is a virtual point where network connections start and end. Ports are software-based and managed by a computer's operating system. Each port is associated with a specific process or service. Ports allow computers to easily differentiate between different kinds of traffic: emails go to a different port than webpages, for instance, even though both reach a computer over the same Internet connection. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jtrffjrjszs6hh5m2keswaxj)) - While [IP addresses](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) enable messages to go to and from specific devices, port numbers allow targeting of specific services or applications within those devices. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jtrfj264hdrpz8xqbt8p8d4h)) - Suppose Bob transfers an MP3 audio recording to Alice using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). If Alice's computer passed the MP3 file data to Alice's email application, the email application would not know how to interpret it. But because Bob's file transfer uses the port designated for FTP (port 21), Alice's computer is able to receive and store the file. Meanwhile, Alice's computer can simultaneously load HTTP webpages using port 80, even though both the webpage files and the MP3 sound file flow to Alice's computer over the same WiFi connection. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jtrfggt9w8wn4b45grnjh4mk))