Subj : Re: Echo Traffic To : Richard Town From : Ben Carpenter Date : Wed Mar 20 2002 09:29 am -=> Quoting Richard Town to Ben Carpenter <=- RT> Yes, ports. What are they, how do they work, where in the great RT> scheme of things does port addressing occur, what governs the role of RT> each port number? Is there a list of commonly applied port numbers and RT> why does say port 23 invariably do one job and another a different job? RT> What is the role of 8080? BC> As for just how they work I do not know, but as I was once told they BC> are somewhat like a room with different doors. Every person uses a BC> different door to go in and out of. No that is not just quite right BC> either. Doctors use one door, school teachers use another door, and BC> truck driver use yet another door etc etc. RT> RT> So your analagy means Telnet is always on door #23, and HTTP on door RT> #80, etc? If so, how come it's configurable? What's the convention? RT> I can't go on just doing that coz everyone else does it! This is an area that I have not delved into very much. I can't even say if you numbers are correct or not. I have to take your word for it now. When I need to set something up I have to look up just how to set it. The reason I have not studied this in detail is that I use the computer as a tool much in the same manner I use a car as a tool to transport me from one place to another. Car makers make cars with a gas peddle, a break peddle and if manual transmission a clutch peddle. I use them as provided. Same thing with computers I have not been interested in trying to change the doors, I just use them as designed by others. I have neither the time or talent to make big changes in computer and their operations. BC> I know that is a simple BC> explanation but that is the way it was once explained to me and I BC> really have not studied it enough to learn more than that or to know BC> if this is totally correct. RT> Not that the textbooks are much help either. New Riders MCSE for RT> 70-068 only talks about comms ports, and the earlier covering 70-58 RT> doesn't even have Port listed in its index! This is an area that I have not care to venture into nor have I had the time, as I have too many other interest that pull on my time. I am not saying you should not venture in to this area. If you like this pursuit then go for it and have fun while you are doing it. .... Ben .... I got my act together, but I forgot where I put it! --- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 * Origin: COMM Port OS/2 juge.com 204.89.247.1 (281) 980-9671 (1:106/2000) .