Port 702 is officially assigned to IRIS over BEEP—the Internet Registry Information Service running over the Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol. It was meant to be the future of registry lookups. It became a cautionary tale instead.
What Runs on Port 702
IRIS (Internet Registry Information Service) was designed between 2003 and 2006 as a modern replacement for WHOIS, the aging protocol used to look up domain name registration information, IP address assignments, and other Internet registry data.12
Instead of WHOIS's plain text responses and inconsistent formats, IRIS offered:
- Structured XML-based queries and responses
- Extensible schema for different registry types
- Standardized error handling
- Better internationalization support
IRIS ran over BEEP (Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol), a generic application protocol framework defined in RFC 3080 that provided features like multiplexing, pipelining, and proper session management.3
Port 702 was assigned for both TCP and UDP traffic carrying IRIS queries and responses as specified in RFC 3983.4
Why It Failed
In 2013, the IETF acknowledged what was already obvious: IRIS had not successfully replaced WHOIS.2
The primary reason was complexity. IRIS required implementing BEEP, understanding XML schemas for different registry types, and adopting an entirely new infrastructure. Meanwhile, WHOIS—despite its limitations—kept working. It was simple. It was everywhere. And inertia is powerful.
The Internet chose a different path. Instead of IRIS, the industry developed RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol), a simpler REST-based approach that eventually became the WHOIS successor.2
What This Port Teaches
Port 702 represents a specific kind of failure: the well-engineered solution that nobody adopts.
IRIS wasn't broken. The RFCs were solid. The protocol was thoughtfully designed. But technical excellence doesn't guarantee adoption. Sometimes the 80% solution that works today beats the perfect solution that requires everyone to change.
The port remains officially assigned to IRIS over BEEP. You won't find traffic there. But you will find a lesson about how infrastructure evolves—not always toward the most elegant design, but toward the path of least resistance.
Checking Port 702
To see if anything is listening on port 702:
Linux/Mac:
Windows:
You almost certainly won't find anything. This port belongs to a protocol that exists in specification but not in practice.
The Well-Known Range
Port 702 sits in the well-known port range (0-1023), which is reserved for services assigned by IANA. These ports require root/administrator privileges to bind to on Unix-like systems, reflecting their intended use for system-level services.
That IRIS was assigned a well-known port shows how seriously the IETF took the effort. This wasn't a minor experiment—it was meant to be fundamental Internet infrastructure.
Related Ports
- Port 43 — WHOIS, the protocol IRIS was meant to replace, still running after 40+ years
- Port 80/443 — HTTP/HTTPS, which RDAP eventually used to succeed where IRIS failed
Frequently Asked Questions About Port 702
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