Which ports are used by the FTP protocol?

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is specifically designed for transferring files over a network and operates using two primary ports: 20 and 21. Port 21 is utilized for sending commands from the client to the server, which is essential for establishing the connection and managing the session. Port 20, on the other hand, is used for transferring actual data between the client and the server once the connection is established.

This distinction is critical because FTP involves a two-channel communication method—one for commands and the other for the data transfer. Understanding which ports are utilized by FTP allows for proper configuration of firewalls and network settings to enable successful file transfers. Knowledge of these ports also highlights why other options provided do not apply, as they refer to different protocols or services entirely. For example, port 80 is typically used for HTTP traffic, while port 443 is for HTTPS, neither of which is related to FTP.