Port (computer networking)

In computer networking, a port is an endpoint of communication in an operating system. While the term is also used for hardware devices, in software it is a logical construct that identifies a specific process or a type of service.

A port is always associated with an IP address of a host and the protocol type of the communication, and thus completes the destination or origination address of a communications session. A port is identified for each address and protocol by a 16-bit number, commonly known as the port number.