Wikipedia has a long list of standard port numbers for various protocols.
Does anyone know how some of these numbers were chosen?
EDIT: I'm asking how/why the original developers chose the numbers, not where the list comes from.
+1
A:
The first reference to a registry of well known numbers seems to be RFC 322, from 1972. RFC 433 is the first official compilation of such a registry. There is a bit of background on Wikipedia describing the history of the IANA which talks about this.
ire_and_curses
2009-10-16 13:43:34
I'm asking how/why the original developers chose the numbers, not where the list came from.
SLaks
2009-10-16 13:45:14
The second RFC I linked to says the initial list was decreed by Jon Postel, who had ultimately authority. Presumably some were already in common usage, but the decision on official numbers for many ports was made at this time.
ire_and_curses
2009-10-16 13:49:30
A:
Read the wikipedia page on the IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority). Early on the designers of the protocols picked the port numbers and maintained a registry. Overtime these became the official numbers and people agreed to use them for those protocols and not for other programs. Eventually these became codified in the RFCs and the IANA was born to manage the process.
tvanfosson
2009-10-16 13:46:08