Port
A port is an interface between the computer and other devices. The purpose of a port is to allow data communication between devices, usually over a network. Ports are either physical or logical. A physical port is an actual connection point, such as an Ethernet or USB port on a computer. A logical port is software-defined and exists only in the configuration of the system
There are several types of ports that are commonly used in computing:
- Ethernet Ports: Used to connect computers to each other using Ethernet cables.
- USB Ports: Used to connect devices such as keyboards, mice, and printers to computers.
- Firewire Ports: Used to connect high-speed devices such as digital cameras and video recorders to computers.
- HDMI Ports: Used to connect HDTVs, monitors, and projectors to computers.
What is a port in computing?
In computing, a port is a 16-bit unsigned integer number that identifies a specific network connection. The port number is used by transport protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to identify the destination or source of data being transmitted over the network. Each computer on the network has its own unique port number which allows multiple programs to use the same IP address. Ports allow computers to easily differentiate between different kinds of traffic, such as emails and webpages, even though they are both being sent over an Internet connection.
See Also