What are proxy server ports, proxy numbers, and proxy addresses?
You must have read our articles many times on the need for an IP address for any device connected to the Internet to send or receive data. Each such IP is followed by colon and a port number, which ranges from 0 to 65535, as you may have also noticed. This article is all about What are proxy server ports, proxy numbers, and proxy addresses?
.png "What are proxy server ports, proxy numbers, and proxy addresses?")
More information about the port number—specifically, its connection to proxies and proxy servers—will be covered in this article. A proxy port and its real meaning will be explained to you. You will also learn why proxy providers usually establish their own criteria for port numbering based on their needs.
So let us discuss port numbering directly.
Said differently, what is a proxy port?
Painting a detailed picture of the Internet ports that typically follow an IP address will help us understand proxy port specifications. Let's define proxy ports before considering the numbering standards established by the Internet community in more detail.
To put it simply, let's say an IP address corresponds to a house with some residents. You now need to include the name of the recipient of your letter on the envelope if you want the recipient to receive it.
Applying this analogy to the web, an IP address would stand for a web server connected to the Internet and a port for the various servers used for email, FTP data transfer, browsing, etc.
Depending on their application, port numbers are standardized. Some of these standards will be covered later. Although proxy providers don't always use them, there are some numbers set aside for proxy servers. Officially designated for proxy servers, ports like 444, 9050, 9580, and 1080 are rarely used because providers hide the fact that the IPs are proxies.
So then, what IP address can a proxy use without any risk during your mission? Your proxy service can be whatever it deems safe.
Port number of the proxy server: what is it?
As we noted earlier, port numbers are used by residential or datacenter proxy providers to distinguish between the different types of proxy pools maintained on their servers. For example, a pool of mobile phone proxies will have a different port number than a roaming datacenter proxy. When it comes to serving your IP for different uses, this is a practical approach to proxy management.
Also, keep in mind that knowing the IP and port number of a private proxy will not prevent you from accessing it. The proxy should be initiated by any trusted provider and used through password authentication.
How do I determine the port number and proxy server address?
Understanding which endpoint to access the proxy server to obtain the IP that will be used to connect to the target sites, a proxy address, and a port number is important.
That being said, you should expect to receive two types of proxy server access addresses from proxy providers: one will resemble an IP and the other a URL, both followed by a port number. Thus, the endpoint to access your proxy on port 8080 would be something like res.privateproxy.me:8080.
Now you may ask, What is the proxy address of my proxy? There is an excellent tool to help you answer this question. One can use MyIP to find the port number and proxy server address. Visit myip.com to view these settings for any of your residential or DC proxies directly in your browser. If you choose to purchase a rotating proxy, this IP will change with each proxy session.
Port for HTTP (S) proxy description
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) proxies are widely used for many online tasks. Perfect for web scraping, they show excellent performance and security.
There are three ports used by HTTP proxies: 80, 8080, and 8008.
Proxy 80, 8080, and 8008
Currently, the most commonly found HTTP proxy is the port 80 proxy. This is a less secure version of HTTPS, and data is sent in plain text here. Such proxies can be used for caching or traffic routing in locations with free public WiFi.
Port 8008 and port 8080 proxies are made available by proxy providers as alternatives to port 80 IP.
843 proxy port
Typically, port 443 is used when a proxy interacts with the HTTPS (or HTTP Secure) protocol.
Many VPN servers also use this port. The use of port 443 usually indicates a secure channel.
describe socks proxy port
Port allocation is usually not done for proxies that transfer data using the SOCKS protocol. While proxy providers usually ignore this restriction, there are two ports that are set aside for SOCKS proxy endpoints.
proxy ports 1080 and 1081
Since providers (ISPs) will automatically know that these two ports are used for proxies, they are rarely used, even though they are supposed to be reserved for SOCKS proxies. Such web proxy ports are rarely used for any other reason. Click this link to read a comprehensive article explaining the difference between SOCKS and HTTP proxies.
Squid proxy port (3128)
Forwarding or caching proxies use Squid proxy ports. This is why port number 3128 is set aside. Once again, the caching proxy defaults to this number. For other proxy types, this number is used in combination with other ports (80, 8080, 443, etc.).
Examples of frequently closed ports
Although you may assume that there are thousands of open ports, some of them have been blocked for use as proxies or for other purposes, or they have been made inaccessible by your computer's operating system.
The reasons for the cloud range from security issues and preventing various types of intrusions to some confidential issues that are known only to your system administrator.
The same scenario and rationale apply to proxy servers as well. For example, proxy providers may use closed ports differently to combat spam.
One port deserves special attention. Normal SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) email handling blocks port 25. Typically, to prevent spam, some ISPs automatically close this port.
Some ports are blocked to prevent illegal activity such as torrenting. For this reason, ports 6881 to 6889 may be closed on some systems. These ports, commonly used by BitTorrent, can be blocked to prevent torrenting.
A proxy server is usually free to open and close ports as it sees fit.
Read more:
Finally, some thoughts
The article makes clear that the web community has established several conventions over time for ports. However, for the reasons mentioned earlier, proxy providers may not follow such criteria when it comes to proxy port numbers.
Port numbering by proxy providers may follow internal guidelines that represent the pool distribution of proxies made accessible to end-proxy users.
Thus, to have a thorough grip on the subject, make sure you discuss the matter with your account manager before purchasing a proxy for your online assignments.
Why you should consider private proxy services
Once you become one of our clients, you will be fully aware of every detail related to our proxies and will be able to fully manage your proxy pool during operation.
For example, when you purchase them to scrape social media, our account managers will thoroughly research your account based on multiple factors, including appropriate geographic requirements, required rotation periods, and much more. Which residential rotating proxy would be best? Lead generation or promoting research.
Any possible technical issues with the proxy can be resolved by contacting our technical support, available 24 hours a day. Thus, even in the case when your query is, "What is the proxy address of my proxy?" You can contact us 24 hours a day for questions like "What is a proxy number, and should it always include an IP and a port?"
Since your IPs are private, you will be the only person to use the purchased proxies during their useful lives.
Having a trusted partner in the proxy world is important to help you reach your objectives. At every step of this journey, we will be with you.