Mnemonics and Tricks for Well-Known Port Numbers

This is a gift from LycanWolfe on reddit/r/CompTIAUsed with permission.

I struggled memorizing these and hope these tricks I used to get them to actually stay in my brain rather than memory dump after tests help you as well :). Try making your own mnemonics as I feel the process of making ways to remember helps it stick much faster and you’ll always remember the funny way you linked things up.

File Transfer Protocol – FTP: 20-21. “Date at 20? I was Full Time Partier until I turned 21 and got some self Control.” 20=Data 21=Control. A bit long winded but it works.

Secure Shell – SSH: 22 looks like two “S”s.

Telnet: 23. Tell ’em Micheal Jordan (jersey number 23) hits nothing but net.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol – SMTP: 25. She Mailed Twenty-five Packages.

Domain Name System – DNS: 53. Dad! No Salt! You’re 53! (sorry folks).

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol – DHCP: 67(server), 68(client) Downtown Has Cheese Pizza where 67th Street and 68th Cross.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol – HTTP: 80. Hold The Phone, I’ve seen a ghost. (80 is the ghost face).

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure – HTTPS: 443. Think 4×4 safe and 3 is the key. Securing the safe.

Internet Mail Access Protocol – IMAP: 143. Internet Made A P(pen pineapple pen song). Turn the numbers into letters and MAKE a P out of the 1. M=3, 4=A, 1=P. The Mnemonic helps to remind you you’re making Letters from similar shaped numbers.

Remote Desktop Protocol – RDP: 3389 Remote Dog Protocol. This one is just a play on words. Visual imagery really helps this one stick in your head. 33 sounds like REE. The 89 looks like a dogs eyes and nose to me. Picture your dog getting the remote for you.


From Bay35music

However, if you want a mnemonic phrase for the laser printing process, just remember:

People Can Eat Donuts TFeel Content.

Processing

Charging

Exposing

Developing

Transferring

Fusing

Cleaning


Otherwise-Fan-4715
TFTP: 69 – This is For The Perverts!


theweevil100

Remembering NTP is as easy as 123


 

 


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About the Author:

I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com

Comments

  1. Nerdious Maximus  March 21, 2024

    For those who remember the band Naughty By Nature. The courus of their song “OPP” was “Ya down with OPP? Yeah you know me!”
    I use this Mnemonic:
    “Ya down with NTP? Port 123!”

    reply
  2. PortConfusion  June 24, 2024

    Nerdious Maximus, true to your name that’s a fantastic one for port 123 😀
    Thanks for sharing! Now I’ll never forget it!

    reply
  3. Todd Stanton  November 4, 2024

    I remember Network Time Protocol because it’s like you’re counting the seconds. 1-2-3

    reply

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