From our articles you might have learnt several times about the IP address and how every device connected to the Internet should have one in order to send or receive data. Also, you might have noticed that each such IP is followed by a colon and a number from 0 to 65535 that is called a port number.
In this article we will talk more about the port number, specifically as it relates to proxies and proxy servers. You will learn the definition of a proxy port and what this number really means. Also, you will find out why proxy providers tend to set up their own standards in numbering ports to their needs.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the subject of port numbering.
What is a Proxy Port in Plain English?
Before we get into proxy port specifics, let’s paint a general picture of the Internet ports that normally follow the IP addresses. But first, let’s learn the proxy port meaning, and then go deeper into the numbering conventions that have been put in place by the web community.
To describe the idea of a port in simple words, let’s imagine that an IP represents an address of a house with a few people living in it. Now, if you want your letter to be received by a particular person, you will need to put their name on the envelope.
If we apply this analogy to the web, an IP address will represent a web server connected to the Net and the ports will be various servers for a range of purposes, like: emailing, ftp data transfer, browsing, etc.
The port numbers have been standardized based on their application and we will cover some of these standards later. There are even some numbers reserved to proxy servers, however, proxy providers do not always use such numbers. Providers hide the fact that the IPs are proxies, hence ports like 444, 9050, 9580, and 1080 that are officially reserved for proxy servers are rarely used.
So, what is an IP a proxy can safely use during your mission? It can be anything your proxy provider considers safe. Otherwise, the Internet Service Providers would have a clear understanding when a proxy IP appears on their radars.
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Contact UsWhat is a Proxy Server Port Number?
As we mentioned before, residential or datacenter proxy providers use port numbers to differentiate various types of proxy pools located on their servers. For instance, a pool of rotating datacenter proxies will have a different port number than a pool of mobile phone proxies. This is a convenient way of proxy management when it comes to serving your IPs for various purposes.
You should also remember that you will not be able to access a private proxy just by knowing its IP and port number. Password authentication will be required to initiate and use a proxy from any reliable provider.
How to Find out the Proxy Server Address and Port Number?
What is important for you to understand is that a proxy address and port numbers that you will be dealing with are the endpoints for accessing the proxy servers for getting IPs that will be used for reaching out to the target sites.
Having said this, you can expect proxy providers to give you two types of proxy server access address: one will look like an IP and another one shaped like a URL, all followed by a port number. So, if you get something like: res.privateproxy.me:8080, it will represent the endpoint for accessing your proxy at port 8080.
Now, if you ask a question like: “What is the proxy address of my proxy?” There is a good tool that might help you answer this question. To learn the proxy server address and the port number you can use MyIP. Go to myip.com to reveal these settings right in your browser for any of your DC or residential proxies. Now, if you decide to buy rotating proxies, this IP will be different for each session of your proxying.
Description of HTTP(S) Proxy Ports
Proxies that are based on HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) are very common and are used for a variety of online missions. They demonstrate great performance and security and are perfect for web scraping.
There are three types of ports that HTTP proxies use: 80, 8080, 8008.
Proxy Ports 80, 8080, 8008
Now, port 80 proxies are the most commonly discovered HTTP proxies. Unlike HTTPS, it is a less secure version of the protocol and the data here is transferred as plain text. Such proxies can be used in places with free public wifi for rerouting the traffic or caching.
Port 8008 and port 8080 proxies and supplied by proxy providers as alternatives to port 80 IPs.
Proxy Port 443
When a proxy engages an HTTPS (or HTTP Secure) protocol, normally port 443 is used.
This port is also used by some VPN servers as well. In most cases the use of port 443 signifies a secure channel.
Description of a SOCKS Proxy Port
Proxies that use SOCKS protocol for data transfer do not normally have ports allocated to them. There are two ports that are normally reserved to SOCKS proxy endpoints, however, proxy providers normally ignore this rule.
Proxy Ports 1080 and 1081
These two ports are viewed as reserved to SOCKS proxy, however, they are rarely used since the providers (ISPs) would automatically know that such ports are used for proxies. This is yet another reason why such web proxy ports are rarely used. If you want to learn the differences between SOCKS vs HTTP proxy follow this link to read a comprehensive article on this subject.
What is Squid Proxy Port (3128)?
The Squid proxy port is used in case of caching or forwarding proxies. Port number 3128 is reserved exactly for this purpose. Again, this is a default number for caching proxies. This number is used along with other ports for other types of proxies, such as 80, 8080, 443, etc.
Examples of Commonly Closed Ports
Although, you might think that there are thousands of available ports, some of them are closed for proxy or other use, or simply made unavailable by the operating system of your computer setup.
The reasons cloud vary from security concerns and prevention of all sorts of intrusions to some undisclosed matters known only to your sys admin.
Similar situation and reasoning for closing IPs works for proxy servers. Proxy providers may have their own vision on using closed ports in order to fight spam, for instance.
One port is worth mentioning in particular. Port 25 is normally closed for SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) email handling. This is normally done for preventing spam and some ISPs close this port by default.
Some ports get closed off to prevent illegal activities like torrenting. This may be the reason for closing ports from 6881 to 6889 on some systems. These port numbers are normally used by BitTorrent, and may be closed off to prevent torrenting.
Generally, a proxy server has the flexibility to open and close ports at its own discretion.
Final Thoughts
As you might have noticed from the article, there are a number of conventions that have been put in place by the web community with time for ports. But it is worth remembering that when it comes to proxy port numbers such conventions may not be followed by the proxy providers for the reasons mentioned above.
Proxy providers may use port numbering in accordance with the internal rules that may reflect the pool distribution of proxies that are made available for end proxy users.
So, when you buy proxies for your online missions, make sure that you have this issue covered with your account manager to have a proper understanding of the subject.
Here’s Why You Should Consider PrivateProxy Services
When you become our customer, you will have an in-depth understanding of all aspects that concern our proxies in order to have a total control of your proxy pool during the operations.
For example, when you buy residential rotating proxies for scraping a social media for lead generation or ad research, our account managers will carefully study which proxies will be right for you based on various parameters like proper geo requirements, period of required rotations and much more.
You will always be able to rely on our 24/7 tech support to resolve any possible technical issues related to the proxies. So, even if your question is: “What is a proxy address of my proxy?” or “What is a proxy number, and should it always include an IP and a port?”, you can always approach us round-the-clock.
Your IPs will be private, which means that you will be the sole user of the proxies you purchase throughout the whole lifetime of the proxies.
In the World of proxies it is important to have a reliable partner to guide you towards the goals that you are trying to attain. We will be there for you throughout all the steps of this journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please read our Documentation if you have questions that are not listed below.
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How to find the proxy server address and port?
In order to find the proxy server address and port numbers go to MyIP.com. This service will show you your proxy IP and port right inside the browser.
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What is a proxy address?
A proxy address is the IP number that represents the endpoint for accessing your proxy server. It will feature a sequence of four numbers and a colon followed by a port number (for example: 110.17.58.19:8008)
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Who assigns my proxy address and port number?
Your proxy provider will assign your proxy address and port number. These parameters differ from one provider to another and represent the conventions established strictly by this very provider.
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What does a proxy server address look like?
A proxy server address looks like an IP plus a port number. For example, 110.17.58.19:8008. You should also remember that with private proxies you will also have a name and a password for authentication.
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What is a proxy port?
A proxy port is a number (from 0 to 65535) that follows the proxy server IP and represents a proxy pool or other provider’s identifier of proxies related to this particular IP.
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