this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2023
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Explain Like I'm Five

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ELI5: In computer networking, what is a port? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I often see that network settings have a field for logical port. What is this field.referring to?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Your IP address is like the main office number for your computer. The ports are like internal extension numbers.

When you're setting up a program and it's asking you what logical port it should use, It's asking you which extension it should be using. Just like if you were dealing with phone numbers and phone systems you have to give it a number that's not already in use, and it probably makes sense to give it a number that is known for that type of service.