We discuss both the physical and the virtual
COMPUTER PORTS and their applications
When you hear the term “computer port,” what comes to mind? USB ports? TCP/IP ports? It can be confusing. There are two types of ports: physical and virtual. A USB port is an example of a physical port, while a TCP/IP port is an example of a virtual port.
Virtual ports are more numerous than physical ports, so we'll start with the physical ones. Both classes can be found on almost any electronic device. Phones, tablets, PCs, even electronic parts in cars and other machines can have both classes. For our purposes in this article, we'll call it a computer. Know that it can be almost any device.
So, what is a port? We can call these ports jacks or outlets, but the correct term is port. The basic function of these ports is to plug one piece of hardware into another so that they can communicate with each other. In technical terms, these are input/output (I/O or IO) ports. The number of ports a device can have is limited by the physical space available.
