Port 1664 is officially registered for NetView for AIX 4.2, an IBM network management system from the 1990s. While the software has largely faded from use, the port remains registered—a permanent marker in the Internet's addressing system.
What This Port Does
Port 1664 (both TCP and UDP) was assigned to IBM NetView for AIX, a network management tool that monitored and managed SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) devices. NetView for AIX provided configuration, fault detection, and performance monitoring through a graphical interface that displayed network topology.1
The software could set up network topology, monitor networks, diagnose problems, and measure performance. It ran on AIX, IBM's Unix operating system, and was targeted at enterprise environments managing multiprotocol networks.2
The Registered Port Range
Port 1664 belongs to the registered ports range (1024-49151). These ports are registered with IANA for specific services, but unlike well-known ports (0-1023), they don't require special system privileges to use.
Registered ports tell a story about software history. Companies and developers claimed port numbers for their applications, got IANA approval, and those registrations remain even after the software fades away.
The History
IBM developed NetView/6000 (later renamed NetView for AIX) as part of their network management strategy in the 1990s. Version 4.0 introduced enhanced event correlation and object collection features that let administrators group different kinds of network nodes together.3
The software cost from $16,500 for version 3 and ran under AIX 3.2.5 and later versions. It was designed for managing SNMP-compatible devices from IBM and other vendors in enterprise environments.4
Today, NetView for AIX has been largely superseded by modern network management tools. But port 1664 remains registered—a ghost in the port registry.
Current Reality
You're unlikely to find anything listening on port 1664 on modern systems. The software it was designed for has mostly disappeared from production environments.
If you do find something on port 1664, it's either:
- A legacy IBM NetView installation (rare)
- Another application unofficially using this port number
- Malware exploiting an obscure port that's unlikely to be monitored
Why Unassigned Ports Matter
Even though port 1664 is technically assigned, it's functionally unassigned in most environments. These "zombie registrations" serve a purpose:
They preserve history. The port registry is a record of what software existed and what it needed.
They prevent conflicts. If IBM ever revived NetView for AIX, port 1664 would still be available.
They show the Internet's growth. In the 1990s, getting a port number registered meant you had built something significant enough to need global coordination. Not every application got that treatment.
The registered range contains thousands of ports like this—assigned to software that mattered once, even if it doesn't matter now.
How to Check What's Listening
On Linux or macOS:
On Windows:
If nothing appears, the port is available on your system.
Related Ports
Port 1664 sits among other registered ports from the 1990s enterprise software era. Many were claimed by network management tools, database systems, and client-server applications that have since been replaced.
The well-known ports (0-1023) went to foundational protocols like HTTP, SSH, and DNS. The registered ports (1024-49151) went to specific applications. Port 1664 is a registered port that did its job and then quietly faded away.
Czy ta strona była pomocna?