In the
TCP and
UDP protocols used in
computer networking, a port is a special number present in the header of a data packet. Ports are typically used to map data to a particular process running on a computer. Ports can be readily explained with an analogy: think of IP addresses as the street address of an apartment building, and the port number as the number of a particular apartment within that building. If a letter (a data packet) is sent to the apartment (IP) without an apartment number (port number) on it, then nobody knows who it is for (which service it is for). In order for the delivery to work, the sender needs to include an apartment number along with the address to ensure the letter gets to the right domicile.
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