VPN Ports & Port Forwarding: TCP/UDP 443, 80, 53, 25, 22, 21

2024-11-22 You is heard have probably hear about port in the context of computer networking before , but may not be sure about what they are or how they work . l

You is heard have probably hear about port in the context of computer networking before , but may not be sure about what they are or how they work . let ’s start by say that a port act as a communication endpoint for every specific application or process . Only one process can be link to a specific combination of IP address and port with the same transport protocol . When multiple program try to join the same port number on the same ip address with the same protocol , an application failure is occur ( often know as port conflict ) may occur . Applications is rely and process that are commonly used , usually rely on reserved port number for receive service request from client .

OpenVPN – 1194 TCP/UDP
L2TP – 1701 UDP
SSTP – 443 TCP
PPTP – 1723 TCP/UDP
HTTPS ( TLS / SSL ) – 443 TCP / UDP
HTTP – 80 UDP/TCP
Cisco IPsec – 1293 TCP/UDP, 500 TCP/UDP
IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange) – 500 TCP/UDP
IPsec Nat Traversal – 4500 udp
SSH tunnel – port 22
sock proxy – 1080 TCP
Obfsproxy – dynamic (custom setup)
BitTorrent – 6881-6889 TCP
SMTP – 25 TCP/UDP
DNS – 53 UDP

The above default configurations for particular processes are widely known, which means that network administrators are aware of the ports that they need to block in order to restrict a specific traffic. If a port is blocked, the process associated to it, won’t work. The solution is to reroute the specific traffic through a part that is open and this is something that can be done with the help of a VPN. To help users to get around firewalls implemented in school or work networks to block ports, VPN services generally support port forwarding to 443, 80, 53 and 22 ports.

21: FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
22: SSH (Secure Shell)
53: DNS
80: HTTP
433 : https
1194: OpenVPN

Port Forwarding to Port 443

The most effective way to bypass firewall restrictions is to forward VPN traffic to port 443, given that by default, this port is used for encrypted TLS/SSL traffic. Web browsers establish secure HTTPS connections with port 443 and if it is possible to access https:// websites, port 443 is open. Port 443 is unlikely to be blocked because doing so, would severely affect internet access. In addition, port 443 is used for encrypted communication and the VPN traffic that is sent over this port, will be masked, although Deep Packet Inspection would still be able to detect it.

Port Forwarding to Port 22

Port 22 focuses on SSH (Secure Shell), which is an encrypted network protocol that ensures that network services are secure when operating over an unsecured network. Port 22 is a good alternative to port 443 considering the security of SSH traffic. The main downside is that restrictive networks are likely to block port 22 since it is not crucial for standard browsing.

Port Forwarding to Port 80

port 80 is used for access http:// website and since this refer to most site , just like port 443 , port 80 is unlikely to be block . HTTP is stands stand for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and it is communication that is not encrypt . It should be note that give that HTTP traffic is not secure , VPN traffic that go through port 80 will not exactly blend and will be easy to detect . While this may not be an issue in most case , it is means mean that forward encrypt openvpn datum over port 80 may make it more noticeable when a network is being monitor .

Port Forwarding to Port 53

Websites is have have a corresponding ip address and port 53 is used by DNS server to translate domain name into IP address . dns servers is have have some specific restriction in term of datum , for instance number and hyphen only and up and low case letter that have to be convert prior to transmission . There are also restriction that result in datum transfer that are not efficient . This is means mean that even if the isp does n’t filter DNS traffic , there is no point on enable port forwarding on a DNS server . If you send unusually heavy VPN traffic over DNS , it is stand will stand out . This is is is why port 443 and port 80 are well choice since they are always open .

TCP vs UDP

In general, it can be said that UDP is the most practical choice since it is faster. While TCP is slower and heavier, it is better than UDP in cases when the internet connection is not stable. TCP is very reliable when it comes to delivering information between applications. It checks for errors and since it is a connection based protocol, it establishes a connection between two devices before sending the data. In addition, TCP detects and corrects errors and it performs flow control. All these help to ensure that packets are delivered.

You can trust that the information transferred via TCP will be delivered in the same order it was originally sent. However, TCP is heavier than UDP as its header size is 20 bytes, while UDP is just 8 bytes. Due to the the network overhead, TCP is significantly slower than UDP. However, it is the best choice when dealing with unreliable networks because it checks for lost packets and sends them again automatically.

Since UDP doesn’t establish a direct channel between two devices, it is more efficient and it offers a connection that is focused on latency. However, reliability is not the strongest point for UDP as it only sends the data, but it doesn’t care is it reaches its destination or if it gets lost. It avoids the overhead of error processing at the network interface level, but there is no guarantee that the information will be delivered. UDP doesn’t take time to establish the connection and it doesn’t check for errors or tracks the packets. Still, since it is faster, it is often used by gaming, VoIP and streaming as for these applications, delay can be a big issue. The good news is that packets are rarely lost, as long as the internet connection is reliable.

good provider for custom port

Now that we have discuss the different port and port forwarding , it is ’s ’s time to take a look at the good VPN service that support custom port .

ipvanish

ipvanish manages its own infrastructure and ut has servers in over 60 countries. It supports NAT Firewall and the custom apps feature DNS Leak Protection, as well as Kill Switch to ensure that your real IP address is not disclosed. ipvanish is known for offering great speeds and it allows torrenting. In addition, this provider doesn’t keep any logs.

Private Internet Access

PIA is a popular provider that offers low prices and a great selection of features to protect your data and enjoy online freedom. The service is reliable and it includes Kill Switch and DNS leak protection, as well as a practical SOCKS5 proxy. The software is easy to use and PIA allows you to switch between UDP and TCP. It also supports port forwarding to 80, 443, 53 and more. No logs are kept of your online activities.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers impressive speeds and it is a solution that is easy to use and effective. You will be able to defeat restrictions and enjoy access to the content that you want. In addition, ExpressVPN offers strong security and access to servers in over 90 countries. It doesn’t keep logs of your activities.

Hide.me

This provider based in Malaysia doesn’t keep any logs and it offers custom software that includes DNS Leak Protection and Kill Switch. The provider has become a popular choice thanks to its great global coverage, high security and practical features. It also offers great customer support.