Port 4661eDonkey Server

Legacy eDonkey servers use TCP 4661 for peer coordination; IANA assigns the port to the Kar2ouche peer location service.

inFile Transfer Network Services

transport: tcp · udp
in transit: cleartext
assignment: official
risk: 2/10
lookups: 0

also known as kar2ouche

Technical Details

what runs on :4661

Legacy eDonkey2000 servers commonly listened on TCP port 4661; clients connect to the server using the eDonkey binary protocol, which uses length-prefixed packets rather than a text-based protocol such as HTTP. This is distinct from the IANA Kar2ouche assignment, whose protocol details are not established here. The registry lists both TCP and UDP for Kar2ouche, while eDonkey's commonly used UDP traffic is associated with other ports, often 4665.

Security Information

exposure of :4661

risk score

2/ 10safe

routine exposure. this port is rarely the way in on its own — keep it patched and logged and move on.

file transfer averages 3.4 across 178 ports — this one sits 1.4 below.

in transit

cleartext

credentials and payloads are readable by anyone on path

assignment

official

registered with iana for this service — scanners fingerprint it by number

reachable over

tcp · udp

udp is connectionless — source addresses are trivially spoofed and it is a reflection favourite

security overview

An internet-facing eDonkey server may participate in peer discovery and file-search activity, so unexpected traffic on TCP 4661 should be identified rather than assumed to be Kar2ouche. The legacy protocol is not encrypted by default; restrict exposure if the service is not intentionally operated, and do not infer a specific vulnerability from the port alone.

Record

iana registry entry

port: :4661
service: eDonkey Server
transport: TCPUDP
encryption: cleartext
assignment: iana registered
risk: 2/10safe
category: File Transfer Network Services
usage: TCP 4661 is a legacy default for eDonkey2000 server connections, where clients contact a server for peer and file-search coordination. IANA separately assigns TCP and UDP 4661 to the Kar2ouche Peer location service, registered to Andy Krouwel; that assignment does not establish that Kar2ouche is what a listener on the port is running.
lookups: 0rank 993
added: 2026-10-05
updated: 2026-10-05
references: IANA service name registry — port 4661

Something wrong?

This record is maintained by the engineers who use port 4661. Every field on it is editable — change what's wrong, say how you know, and a reviewer publishes it, usually within a minute. Last touched 2026-10-05.

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edit this record →back to the registry

Related Ports

all 178 in file transfer →

the 8 most looked-up other ports in file transfer — 178 ports carry that label.

port	service	proto	category	risk	views
:9080	Groove RPC	TCPUDP	Web Services	caution	70.8k
:17500	Dropbox LAN Sync	TCPUDP	File Transfer	caution	43.7k
:548	Apple Filing Protocol	TCP	File Transfer	caution	36.8k
:7000	Vuze HTTPS Tracker	TCPtls	Security	caution	28.9k
:1337	PowerFolder P2P	TCP	Security	caution	27.1k
:9001	SharePoint Authoring		Web Services	caution	26.3k
:8080	FilePhile Relay	UDP	File Transfer	caution	25.6k
:1337	WASTE Encrypted Sharing	TCP	Security	caution	22.9k

risk mix of the 8 listed

caution100%

1 of 8 encrypted

Port :4661eDonkey Server

Technical Details

Security Information

Related Ports

Port 4661eDonkey Server