The following are the most common default ports for accessing cPanel functionalities and capabilities:
- cPanel (2082). Should be open to gain access to cPanel.
- cPanel – SSL (2083). Should be open to gain access to cPanel via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
- WHM (2086). Should be open to allow for outbound connections from the WHMCS server.
- WHM – SSL (2087). Should be open to allow for outbound connections from the WHMCS server.
- Webmail (2095). Should be open to access webmail.
- Webmail – SSL (2096). Should be open to access webmail via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
Email Ports
There are three commonly utilized kinds of email ports in cPanel. These include the POP3, the IMAP, and the SMTP ports.
Pop3 Email Ports
Post Office Protocol version 3, more commonly referred to as POP3, is the standard mail protocol designed for the purpose of receiving e-mail messages sent from a remote server to an email client (local). This protocol allows for the messages to be downloaded onto a local computer. Users can then read their emails even if they are offline, or even if the device is not connected to the Internet..
It is important to note that, when POP3 is used to connect to an email account, the email messages are downloaded to a local device and deleted from the servers. Once they have been downloaded, they can no longer be accessed through a different location. A benefit to using this protocol, though, is that it reduces the amount of email account space used on the web server.
There are two default POP3 ports in cPanel, in the form of the following:
- POP3 (110). The default non-encrypted POP3 port.
- POP3 – SSL (995). The default POP3 port that allows for secure connections to be made.
IMAP Email Ports
The Internet Message Access Protocol, or IMAP, is another type of protocol designed for web-based mail. It allows for emails to be accessed via a remote web server, through the use of a local client. Like POP3, IMAP is also a very commonly used protocol for the purpose of retrieving emails. All of the newer web servers and more modern email clients support IMAP and POP3.
One of the biggest advantages of IMAP over POP3 is that the latter allows for the simultaneous retrieval and access of email messages. It can be done via multiple clients.
In cPanel, there are 2 default IMAP ports. These include the following:
- IMAP (143). The default non-encrypted IMAP port.
- IMAP – SSL (993). The default IMAP port that allows for secure IMAP connections to be made.
SMTP Email Ports
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), is the industry-standard protocol used to send email messages. In cPanel, there are five SMTP email ports that come as default. These include the following:
- SMTP (25). The default non-encrypted SMTP port.
- SMTP Alternate (26). The most common alternate port used for SMTP traffic.
- SMTP Alternate (587). Another very common alternate port used by cPanel for SMTP traffic.
- SMTP – SSL (465). The default SMPT port that allows for secure messages to be sent via SMTP.