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 HTTP and HTTPS traffic. Which two ports should be opened in the firewall?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ exams often test the distinction between default well-known ports (80/443) and alternative ports (8080/8443) to catch candidates who confuse common development proxies with standard service ports.
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
✓
80 and 443
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.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
80 and 443
Why this is correct
Ports 80 and 443 satisfy the requirement for both standard HTTP and HTTPS traffic. Port 80 carries unencrypted HTTP, while port 443 carries HTTP over TLS, providing the encryption HTTPS requires. Opening both in the firewall allows the web server to serve plain and secure requests simultaneously.
- ✗
21 and 22
Why it's wrong here
Ports 21 and 22 carry FTP control and SSH traffic, neither of which serves web content. They are tempting because both are common administrative ports opened on servers; they would be correct for a host needing file transfer plus secure remote command-line access.
- ✗
8080 and 8443
Why it's wrong here
Ports 8080 and 8443 are alternative HTTP and HTTPS listeners, not the standard defaults a web server publishes on. They are tempting because the pairing mirrors 80 and 443; they would be correct for an application server or proxy deliberately bound to non-privileged alternate ports.
- ✗
25 and 110
Why it's wrong here
Ports 25 and 110 carry SMTP and POP3 mail traffic, so neither serves HTTP or HTTPS. They are tempting because both are well-known application ports a technician may already have opened; they would be correct for a mail server handling outbound sending and client mailbox retrieval.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Common Ports and Protocols for A+
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.
Key term
HTTPS
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the secure version of HTTP that encrypts data between a web browser and a web server using SSL/TLS protocols.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1201 question from scratch — 871 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.