Port 119 (NNTP) — What It Is and How to Use It

Port 119 is the standard port for the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP). NNTP is used for transporting Usenet news articles between news servers and for client applications to retrieve and post articles.

Last updated: 2026-06-11

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                Port Number
                119
            

Protocol NNTP

Common Use Cases

Transferring Usenet news articles between news servers.
Allowing newsreader clients to access and download news articles.
Posting new articles to Usenet newsgroups.

Interactive Command Builder

Target Host / IP

Operating System

Generated Command

nc -zv example.com 119

Check if Port 119 is Open

netstat -tulnp | grep :119

Get-NetTCPConnection | Where-Object {$_.LocalPort -eq 119}

⚠️ Security Note: Leaving port 119 open without proper authentication and authorization can allow unauthorized users to access and potentially manipulate news articles. Consider using NNTP over SSL/TLS (NNTPS) on port 563 for encrypted communication.

Related Ports

Frequently Asked Questions

Is port 119 dangerous to leave open?

If not properly secured with authentication and authorization, leaving port 119 open can expose your news server to unauthorized access, potentially allowing malicious users to post spam or manipulate news articles. It's crucial to implement access controls and consider using NNTPS (port 563) for encrypted communication.

What service uses port 119?

The Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) service uses port 119. This protocol is specifically designed for the distribution and retrieval of Usenet news articles.