Port 119: NNTP
Port 119 is NNTP, the Network News Transfer Protocol used to post and read Usenet newsgroup articles. The encrypted version, NNTPS, uses port 563.
| Port number | 119 |
|---|---|
| Service | Network News Transfer Protocol |
| Protocol | TCP |
| Category | Legacy protocols |
| Default encryption | No |
How do I check whether port 119 is open?
Port 119 carries TCP, so a connection either completes its handshake or it does not, which makes the check definitive.
| Question | Command | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Is it open on a remote host? | nc -vz example.com 119 | A TCP handshake either completes or it does not, so netcat gives a definitive answer in one line. |
| Same check on Windows | Test-NetConnection example.com -Port 119 | Built into PowerShell. TcpTestSucceeded in the output is the answer; telnet is not installed by default on modern Windows. |
| What is listening locally? | ss -tlnp | grep ':119 ' | Lists the process bound to port 119 on Linux. On macOS use lsof -nP -iTCP:119 -sTCP:LISTEN, on Windows netstat -ano | findstr :119 |
Replace example.com with the host you are testing. A blocked port and a port with nothing listening on it look identical from the outside, so if a service should be running, check locally before blaming the firewall.
Frequently asked questions
What is port 119 used for?
Port 119 is NNTP, the Network News Transfer Protocol used to post and read Usenet newsgroup articles. The encrypted version, NNTPS, uses port 563.
Is port 119 TCP or UDP?
Port 119 (NNTP) uses TCP.
Is port 119 secure?
Port 119 is not encrypted by default. Where possible, use an encrypted alternative or tunnel it over TLS or a VPN.
Should I open port 119 on my firewall?
Only if you specifically need NNTP. Expose it to the smallest set of trusted sources, and never open database or Windows-service ports to the whole internet.