easyMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is configuring a new web server that…
A technician is configuring a new web server that must support both standard and encrypted web traffic. Which two ports should be opened in the firewall?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between ports used for web services (80/443) versus ports used for remote administration (22, 3389, 5900) or infrastructure services (53, 123), leading candidates to confuse secure web traffic with SSH or RDP.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Port 80 and 443
Standard web traffic uses HTTP on port 80, while encrypted web traffic uses HTTPS on port 443. Opening these two ports in the firewall allows the web server to serve both unencrypted and TLS/SSL-encrypted content to clients.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Port 22 and 21
Why it's wrong here
Port 22 carries SSH and port 21 carries FTP control, so neither handles HTTP or HTTPS. Opening these suits remote administration and file transfer, not serving standard and encrypted web traffic on the required ports.
- ✓
Port 80 and 443
Why this is correct
Port 80 carries unencrypted HTTP, while port 443 carries TLS-encrypted HTTPS, so opening both satisfies the requirement for standard and encrypted web traffic. No other port pair provides this combination; alternatives such as 21/22 or 25/110 serve FTP, SSH, and mail protocols instead.
- ✗
Port 3389 and 5900
Why it's wrong here
3389 carries RDP and 5900 carries VNC, neither of which serves HTTP or HTTPS traffic. These ports belong on a firewall when remote desktop access to the server is required, not for hosting standard and encrypted web content.
- ✗
Port 53 and 123
Why it's wrong here
Port 53 carries DNS and port 123 carries NTP, so neither serves HTTP or HTTPS. These belong on a firewall when the server must resolve names or synchronise time, not when hosting standard and encrypted web content.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
USB Standard Versions: 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, USB4
Key term
HTTP
HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the set of rules web browsers and servers use to communicate and transfer web pages over the internet.
Key term
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules to protect trusted internal networks from untrusted external networks.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is configuring a new web server that must support both standard HTTP and HTTPS traffic. Which two ports should be opened in the firewall?
easy- ✓ A.80 and 443
- B.21 and 22
- C.8080 and 8443
- D.25 and 110
Why A: Standard HTTP traffic uses TCP port 80, and HTTPS (HTTP over TLS/SSL) uses TCP port 443. A web server must have both ports open in the firewall to serve unencrypted and encrypted web content respectively, as defined in RFC 7230 and RFC 2818.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.