open-consul/website/content/docs/install/ports.mdx

---
layout: docs
page_title: Required Ports
description: >-
  Before starting Consul it is important to have the necessary bind ports
  accessible.
---

# Required Ports

Consul requires up to 6 different ports to work properly, some on
TCP, UDP, or both protocols. Below we document the requirements for each
port.

## Ports Table

Before running Consul, you should ensure the following bind ports are accessible.

| Use                                                                                                           | Default Ports     |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| DNS: The DNS server (TCP and UDP)                                                                             | 8600              |
| HTTP: The HTTP API (TCP Only)                                                                                 | 8500              |
| HTTPS: The HTTPs API                                                                                          | disabled (8501)\* |
| gRPC: The gRPC API                                                                                            | disabled (8502)\* |
| LAN Serf: The Serf LAN port (TCP and UDP)                                                                     | 8301              |
| Wan Serf: The Serf WAN port (TCP and UDP)                                                                     | 8302              |
| server: Server RPC address (TCP Only)                                                                         | 8300              |
| Sidecar Proxy Min: Inclusive min port number to use for automatically assigned sidecar service registrations. | 21000             |
| Sidecar Proxy Max: Inclusive max port number to use for automatically assigned sidecar service registrations. | 21255             |

\*For `HTTPS` and `gRPC` the ports specified in the table
are recommendations.

## Port Information

**DNS Interface** Used to resolve DNS queries.

**HTTP API** This is used by clients to talk to the HTTP
API.

**HTTPS API** (Optional) Is off by default, but port 8501 is a convention
used by various tools as the default.

**gRPC API** (Optional). Currently gRPC is
only used to expose the xDS API to Envoy proxies. It is off by default, but port 8502 is a convention used by various tools as the default. Defaults to 8502 in `-dev` mode.

**Serf LAN** This is used to handle gossip in the LAN.
Required by all agents.

**Serf WAN** This is used by servers to gossip over the WAN, to
other servers. As of Consul 0.8 the WAN join flooding feature requires
the Serf WAN port (TCP/UDP) to be listening on both WAN and LAN interfaces. See also:
[Consul 0.8.0 CHANGELOG](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#080-april-5-2017) and [GH-3058](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul/issues/3058)

**Server RPC** This is used by servers to handle incoming
requests from other agents.

Note, the default ports can be changed in the [agent configuration](/docs/agent/config/agent-config-files#ports).
initial 2020-04-06 20:27:35 +00:00			`---`
intro and api navigation converted 2020-04-07 18:55:19 +00:00			`layout: docs`
			`page_title: Required Ports`
			`description: >-`
			`Before starting Consul it is important to have the necessary bind ports`
			`accessible.`
initial 2020-04-06 20:27:35 +00:00			`---`

			`# Required Ports`

			`Consul requires up to 6 different ports to work properly, some on`
			`TCP, UDP, or both protocols. Below we document the requirements for each`
			`port.`

			`## Ports Table`

			`Before running Consul, you should ensure the following bind ports are accessible.`

			`\| Use \| Default Ports \|`
			`\| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \| ----------------- \|`
			`\| DNS: The DNS server (TCP and UDP) \| 8600 \|`
			`\| HTTP: The HTTP API (TCP Only) \| 8500 \|`
			`\| HTTPS: The HTTPs API \| disabled (8501)\* \|`
			`\| gRPC: The gRPC API \| disabled (8502)\* \|`
			`\| LAN Serf: The Serf LAN port (TCP and UDP) \| 8301 \|`
			`\| Wan Serf: The Serf WAN port (TCP and UDP) \| 8302 \|`
			`\| server: Server RPC address (TCP Only) \| 8300 \|`
			`\| Sidecar Proxy Min: Inclusive min port number to use for automatically assigned sidecar service registrations. \| 21000 \|`
			`\| Sidecar Proxy Max: Inclusive max port number to use for automatically assigned sidecar service registrations. \| 21255 \|`

			\*For `HTTPS` and `gRPC` the ports specified in the table
			`are recommendations.`

			`## Port Information`

			`DNS Interface Used to resolve DNS queries.`

			`HTTP API This is used by clients to talk to the HTTP`
			`API.`

			`HTTPS API (Optional) Is off by default, but port 8501 is a convention`
			`used by various tools as the default.`

			`gRPC API (Optional). Currently gRPC is`
			only used to expose the xDS API to Envoy proxies. It is off by default, but port 8502 is a convention used by various tools as the default. Defaults to 8502 in `-dev` mode.

			`Serf LAN This is used to handle gossip in the LAN.`
			`Required by all agents.`

			`Serf WAN This is used by servers to gossip over the WAN, to`
			`other servers. As of Consul 0.8 the WAN join flooding feature requires`
			`the Serf WAN port (TCP/UDP) to be listening on both WAN and LAN interfaces. See also:`
Update references to the main branch The main branch is being renamed from master->main. This commit should update all references to the main branch to the new name. Co-Authored-By: Mike Morris <mikemorris@users.noreply.github.com> 2021-06-29 21:04:24 +00:00			`[Consul 0.8.0 CHANGELOG](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#080-april-5-2017) and [GH-3058](https://github.com/hashicorp/consul/issues/3058)`
initial 2020-04-06 20:27:35 +00:00
			`Server RPC This is used by servers to handle incoming`
			`requests from other agents.`

docs: fix external links to agent config pages 2022-01-10 21:13:13 +00:00			`Note, the default ports can be changed in the [agent configuration](/docs/agent/config/agent-config-files#ports).`