How are logical ports categorized according to their usage by the IANA?

Logical ports are categorized by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) into three distinct groups: Well-Known, Registered, and Dynamic. This classification is essential for understanding how different ports are utilized in networking.

Well-Known ports range from 0 to 1023 and are assigned to widely-used protocols and services such as HTTP (port 80) and FTP (port 21). These ports are often reserved for system-level processes and are typically used by applications that require administrative privileges.

Registered ports range from 1024 to 49151 and are used by user applications and services that require a specific port assignment. These ports are not as tightly regulated as Well-Known ports but must be registered with IANA to avoid conflicts with well-established services.

Dynamic ports, also known as ephemeral ports, range from 49152 to 65535. These ports are generally used for temporary connections and are dynamically assigned to client applications when initiating connections to servers.

Understanding this categorization helps in networking, security protocols, and configuring firewalls, ensuring that network traffic is managed effectively based on the usage and function of the ports.