Port 8008: HTTP-alt
Port 8008 is commonly used as an alternate, unprivileged HTTP port, and it is also the port Chromecast and other Google Cast devices use for local discovery and control over the DIAL protocol. It is not a fixed IANA assignment, just a widely followed convention.
| Port number | 8008 |
|---|---|
| Service | Alternate HTTP / Google Cast discovery |
| Protocol | TCP |
| Category | Web |
| Default encryption | No |
How do I check whether port 8008 is open?
Port 8008 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 8008 | 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 8008 | 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 ':8008 ' | Lists the process bound to port 8008 on Linux. On macOS use lsof -nP -iTCP:8008 -sTCP:LISTEN, on Windows netstat -ano | findstr :8008 |
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 8008 used for?
Port 8008 is commonly used as an alternate, unprivileged HTTP port, and it is also the port Chromecast and other Google Cast devices use for local discovery and control over the DIAL protocol. It is not a fixed IANA assignment, just a widely followed convention.
Is port 8008 TCP or UDP?
Port 8008 (HTTP-alt) uses TCP.
Is port 8008 secure?
Port 8008 is not encrypted by default. Where possible, use an encrypted alternative or tunnel it over TLS or a VPN.
Should I open port 8008 on my firewall?
Only if you specifically need HTTP-alt. Expose it to the smallest set of trusted sources, and never open database or Windows-service ports to the whole internet.