What is Port 80?

Whenever someone tries to access a website and its content then the port 80 is used for that purpose but how does the computer know it needs to use the port 80? and how is data sent to the browsers using this port. For that, we need to understand what is port 80.

What is Port 80?

Whenever we go to a website by typing the address of the website in the URL section of the browser (for example – geeksforgeeks.org), our browser sends a request to the website’s server which is hosting that site and it mostly hosts it on the port 80, then the server sees the request and according to the request, it shows you the page or data that you may have requested from the website. Port 80 is a port used for networking in the HTTP protocol so that whenever someone visits a website the server can get the request and give the files requested by the user.

When the WWW or World Wide Web was gaining popularity in the computer science field, Tim Berners-Lee developed the HTTP protocol so that communication between the web servers and users could happen for this purpose, they needed to have a standardized port. Hence, they used the port 80 for this.

Working of Port 80

The port 80 is commonly used in the web server and in the communication between a server that hosts the website and the web application or web browser.

Port 80 sent a request

Let’s take a look at the working of port 80 to understand how the port works, the port works in the following steps:

• Client Request: The client request is the first step in the connection of port 80, in this step, the client opens a web browser to open a website and when the user requests a website then this request is generated and sent to the server using a connection protocol known as TCP/IP protocol.
• Destination Port: In the request we specify the destination port so the browser specifies the destination port, this means that the web browser is telling the web server through port 80 about which service the user is trying to access.
• Web Server Response: The web server receives the HTTP request on port 80 and then processes it by checking which resource is required such as – images, videos, document files, etc., and provides the necessary resource.
• Data Transfer: The HTTP response is sent which contains the requested data, this data also contains HTTP status code (such as – success, redirection, error, etc.)
• Browser Rendering: This is the last step in the working of port 80. in this, the server gives the required resource as a response back to the web application so that the browser can render it and show it to the end user.

Applications of Port 80

Some of the applications of port 80 are:

• Many servers use it such as the Apache HTTP server and Nginx.
• Website hosting also uses port 80 because web hosting requires the use of servers.
• Many popular browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge use port 80.
• APIs also use the port 80 using the HTTP protocol.

Difference Between Port 80 and Port 443

Feature	Port 80	Port 443
Protocol Used	HTTP Protocol is used.	HTTPS Protocol is used.
Encryption Level	Port 80 is Unencrypted.	Port 443 is Encrypted using SSL/TLS.
Purpose	It is used for non-secure web communication.	It is used for web communication to securely visit.
Default Usage	It is the default port for HTTP communication.	It is the default port for HTTPS communication.
Security	In this, the data is transmitted in plain text.	In this, data is transmitted securely with encryption.

Advantages of Using Port 80

Some of the benefits of using port 80 are:

• Port 80 enables the transmission of data in plain text format.
• Port 80 is used in the web servers, web browsers, etc.
• The port 80 helps to easily identify the web addresses.
• Configuring the web servers to work on Port 80 is very easy.

Disadvantages of Port 80

Let’s also take a look at the various drawbacks one can have if one is not using port 80:

• Port 80 transmits data in plain text so the data is not much secure.
• Data transmitted over Port 80 is vulnerable to attacks.
• Port 80 does not have server authentication.
• Port 80 does not provide data integrity checks.

Conclusion

Port 80 is used for web applications and websites so that the web browser can have a connection between the client and the server. this helps the web browser or client to easily access any type of content that they need from a particular website, the server checks the result and gives the files required to the client.

Frequently Asked Questions on Port 80 – FAQs

Is the port 80 TCP or UDP?

The port 80 is used in HTTP connections which means that port 80 is a TCP connection, it is used for transferring data using the hyper text transfer protocol.

What does it mean if the port 80 is open?

If the port 80 is open then it means that the router allows for any incoming and outgoing connections which uses the port 80.

Should port 80 be open or closed?

Many network admins prefer to keep the port 80 closed as it is not a secure port but its only a myth that making the port 80 opened will have any damage.