Port 5060 (SIP)
Port 5060 is SIP, the signalling protocol of VoIP: IP phones, softphones and PBXs such as Asterisk register and set up calls here. The voice itself travels separately over RTP on a range of UDP ports.
- Service
- SIP
- Protocol
- TCP and UDPBoth. SIP traditionally runs over UDP 5060, and TCP 5060 is used for larger messages.
- IANA registry
- Officially assigned: sip (SIP), TCP/UDP
Check if a port is open on your IP
We only check the address you are visiting from, one TCP port at a time. You cannot enter someone else’s address: this is not a port scanner.
Is it safe to open port 5060?
Internet-facing SIP on 5060 is scanned constantly by bots looking for weak extensions to make paid calls. Use long SIP passwords, allow only your provider’s addresses, and prefer SIP over TLS on 5061.
Sources
“Port 5060 is already in use”: how to fix it
The error means another program is already listening on port 5060. Find its process ID (PID), then stop that program or start yours on a different port.
Windows (Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator)
netstat -ano | findstr :5060taskkill /PID <PID> /FmacOS
lsof -nP -iTCP:5060 -sTCP:LISTENkill <PID>Linux
sudo ss -ltnp | grep :5060sudo lsof -i :5060sudo kill <PID>Replace <PID> with the number from the last column (Windows) or the PID column (macOS, Linux).
Port 5060 vs 5061
5060 is SIP without encryption (UDP or TCP); 5061 is SIP over TLS (IANA name sips), which protects call signalling and passwords on the way. Use 5061 if your provider and phones support it.
Why a port can look closed when your server is running
Most home networks sit behind a router doing NAT: the router owns the public address, and your computer has a private one such as 192.168.1.10. A connection from the internet reaches the router and stops there unless you add a port forwarding rule to your computer.
Many mobile and some home providers go further and use carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT): several customers share one public address, and your router itself gets an address from 100.64.0.0/10. Then no rule on your side can open a port; ask the provider for a public IP or use a tunnel or VPN service.
Even with forwarding in place, the firewall on the computer (Windows Defender Firewall, ufw, firewalld) must allow the port, and the program must listen on all interfaces (0.0.0.0), not only on 127.0.0.1.
UDP cannot be checked this way: a UDP service usually stays silent to packets it does not understand, so “no answer” means nothing. This check uses TCP only.
Frequently asked questions
What is port 5060 used for?
Port 5060 is SIP, the signalling protocol of VoIP: IP phones, softphones and PBXs such as Asterisk register and set up calls here. The voice itself travels separately over RTP on a range of UDP ports.
Is port 5060 TCP or UDP?
Both. SIP traditionally runs over UDP 5060, and TCP 5060 is used for larger messages.
Is it safe to open port 5060?
Internet-facing SIP on 5060 is scanned constantly by bots looking for weak extensions to make paid calls. Use long SIP passwords, allow only your provider’s addresses, and prefer SIP over TLS on 5061.
How do I free port 5060 if it is already in use?
Find the process: on Windows run netstat -ano | findstr :5060 and stop it with taskkill /PID <pid> /F; on macOS or Linux run lsof -i :5060 and stop it with kill <pid>.