Well-known port (0–1023) Standard/Low risk

Port 640 ENTRUST-SPS

Quick answer

Port 640 is the IANA-assigned entrust-sps port for entrust-sps (TCP / UDP).

TransportTCP / UDP
RiskStandard/Low
Typical useCore network services

What is port 640 used for?

Port 640 is assigned to entrust-sps and uses TCP / UDP. The IANA registry describes the service as “entrust-sps”. It sits in the well-known range, which operating systems reserve for core network services, so software expects it at this number by default.

Ports are the transport-layer address a service listens on. A client that wants to reach entrust-sps connects to port 640. A TCP connection is refused when nothing is listening, while a UDP request simply goes unanswered. That is why a port conflict appears whenever two processes try to bind the same number.

Use the commands below to confirm whether port 640 is actually in use before you change firewall rules. Blocking the port stops new inbound traffic at the firewall, but it does not stop a local process from listening, and it does not remove the service from the machine.

Source: IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry. Registered assignee: [Marek_Buchler].

Check and block port 640

Copy-ready commands for the protocols assigned to this port. Run the check first, then block only what should not be reachable.

Check on Linux

sudo ss -tlpn 'sport = :640' sudo ss -ulpn 'sport = :640'

Check on Windows

Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 640 -State Listen -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 640 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Block with UFW

sudo ufw deny 640/tcp sudo ufw deny 640/udp

Block with iptables

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 640 -j DROP sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 640 -j DROP

These commands are examples for a typical host. Check the listener before you change firewall rules, and persist iptables rules with iptables-save or netfilter-persistent. On Windows, use Windows Defender Firewall or New-NetFirewallRule for persistent blocks. The iptables rules here cover IPv4; mirror them with ip6tables if IPv6 is enabled.

Is port 640 safe to expose?

Standard/Low

This port is not on our curated list of services with a widely exploited profile. Exposure is only safe when the listening service is intended, patched and protected by a firewall. Keep the listening service patched and remove it if unused. A default-deny firewall policy with explicit allow rules is still the safest baseline.

Where port 640 is usually used

Most traffic on port 640 falls into these scenarios. The demo below is a safe way to confirm the listener before you change anything.

Demo

Probe the port

Confirm something is listening before you debug the client. Replace 127.0.0.1 with the host you are testing.

nc -vz 127.0.0.1 640

Common problems with port 640

Connection refused or timed out

Refused usually means the host is reachable but nothing is listening on port 640. A timeout more often means a firewall drop, a wrong host or a service bound to a different interface.

Port already in use

Find the process holding the port with sudo ss -tlpn 'sport = :640' or sudo lsof -i :640. Stop that process or configure it to bind another port; killing it without identifying it can take down a production service.

Firewall rule did not survive a reboot

UFW and Windows Firewall keep rules across restarts. Raw iptables rules do not: save them with iptables-save or the netfilter-persistent package, and re-apply after upgrades that reset the ruleset.

The port is blocked but still reachable

A firewall rule filters inbound traffic; it does not close the listener. Confirm with the check command above and bind the service to 127.0.0.1 when only local clients need it.

Port 640 at a glance

Port number640
Service nameentrust-sps
Transport protocolTCP / UDP
CategoryCore network services
RangeWell-known port (0–1023)
Risk levelStandard/Low
Registered assignee[Marek_Buchler]
Registry descriptionentrust-sps
SourceIANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry

Frequently asked questions

What is port 640 used for?

Port 640 (ENTRUST-SPS) uses TCP / UDP. entrust-sps.

How do I check if port 640 is open?

On Linux run `sudo ss -tlpn 'sport = :640'` and `sudo ss -ulpn 'sport = :640'`. On Windows run `Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 640 -State Listen -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue` and `Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 640 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue` in PowerShell. If the port is open, the output shows a process listening on port 640; empty output usually means nothing is bound to it.

How do I block port 640?

With UFW run `sudo ufw deny 640/tcp` and `sudo ufw deny 640/udp`. With iptables run `sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 640 -j DROP` and `sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 640 -j DROP`. Persist the iptables rules with your distribution's netfilter-persistent or iptables-save tooling so they survive a reboot.

Is port 640 safe to expose?

This port is not on our curated list of services with a widely exploited profile. Exposure is only safe when the listening service is intended, patched and protected by a firewall. Nevertheless, keep the listening service patched and remove it if unused. A default-deny firewall policy with explicit allow rules is still the safest baseline.

Primary data: IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry.

Last reviewed 2026-10-30 · Methodology · About · Privacy