Port 995: POP3S
POP3 over TLS.
- Port
- 995
- Protocol
- TCP
- Service
- POP3S
- Exposure
- Expose only with access controls
What is port 995 used for?
Encrypted mail download.
Is it safe to expose port 995 to the internet?
Fine on a mail server.
If port 995 seems closed or unreachable
- Check that the POP3S service is running and listening on port 995, not only on 127.0.0.1.
- Check the firewall on the host itself (Windows Defender Firewall, iptables, nftables, ufw) for a rule that allows TCP 995.
- If the host is behind a router, confirm the forwarding rule points to the correct internal address and that your internet provider does not use carrier-grade NAT.
- Test from outside your own network. A port can be open locally and blocked at the edge, or the other way round.
Using port 995 safely
Port 995 can be exposed when the host exists to provide this service, but add controls: restrict source addresses where you can, require strong authentication and encryption, and monitor the logs for repeated failures.
Check whether port 995 is open on your host
The check connects from our server, so it shows what the internet can reach.
Open the port checker