Which port must be open in a firewall to allow access to the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) server running on the standard port?

The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) uses port 3389 by default for establishing remote desktop connections. To successfully connect to an RDP server, this port needs to be open in the firewall settings on both the server and the network’s perimeter firewall. This ensures that the RDP traffic can flow freely between the client requesting access and the server providing it.

In context, other ports such as 8080, 443, or 21 serve different protocols or purposes. Port 8080 is commonly used for alternative HTTP traffic, port 443 is associated with secure web traffic via HTTPS, and port 21 is designated for the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). None of these ports relate to RDP functionality, making the port 3389 the definitive choice for enabling RDP connections.