Finding Ports Using Resource Monitor: A Step-By-Step Guide

Resource Monitor is a Microsoft Windows tool that displays real-time information about hardware and software resources. It is included in Windows Vista and later versions of the operating system. To open it, you can type 'resmon' or 'perfmon.exe /res' into the run box (opened with Windows-R), or by navigating to Start > All Apps > Windows Administrative Tools > Resource Monitor. Once open, you can find listening ports by going to Network > Listening Ports.

Using the Windows GUI

To find out which ports are in use on your Windows device, you can use the Windows GUI. Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Go to the Windows Start menu.
• Type "Resource Monitor" in the search bar and open the application.
• Once the Resource Monitor is open, navigate to the "Network" tab.
• In the "Network" tab, you will see two sections: "TCP Connections" and "Listening Ports".
• Expand both of these sections to see the ports that are currently in use.

Alternatively, you can also access the Resource Monitor through the Windows Task Manager:

• Open the Windows Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
• Navigate to the Performance tab.
• Click on "Resource Monitor" and then select the Network tab.
• As before, expand the TCP Connections and Listening Ports sections to view the ports in use.

Using the command prompt

To find out which application is using a specific port, you can use the Command Prompt. Here are the steps to do this:

• Open the Command Prompt as an administrator: Click on the Start button and search for "Command Prompt". Right-click on it and select "Run as administrator" or simply click on "Run as Administrator" on the right.
• Use the 'netstat' command: Type "netstat -a" (without the quotation marks) and press Enter. This will display a list of data, including the protocol type used and a list of local connections in use. The number after the colon in the second column is the port that is in use.
• Display process IDs: To see which process is using a specific port, use the command "netstat -a -o". This will show an additional column with the Process Identification Number (PID) of the connection.
• Find the process in Task Manager: Open the Task Manager and click on the "PID" tab to sort the list of running processes by PID. This will allow you to find out which process is using the specific port from the list of data.

Alternatively, you can use the following command in the Command Prompt to display active ports along with the name of the process that's using them:

Netstat -ab

If the process name doesn't help you identify the application, you can use this command to display active ports along with their process identifier numbers:

Netstat -ano

Then, open the Task Manager and sort the list of processes by the "PID" column to find the process associated with the port you're investigating.

Finding the PID

Using the Resource Monitor:

• Open the Resource Monitor: Search for "Resource Monitor" in the Start menu or taskbar search bar, then click on the top result to open the app.
• Navigate to the "Overview" tab: Once the Resource Monitor is open, click on the “Overview” tab at the top.
• Locate the "PID" column: In the "Overview" tab, you will find various columns displaying information about running processes. Find the “PID” column, which stands for Process ID.
• Identify the desired process: Look through the list of running processes and find the one you are interested in. The PID for each process will be displayed in the "PID" column.

Other Methods:

In addition to using the Resource Monitor, there are a few other ways to find the PID on Windows:

• Task Manager: Open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), click on the “Details” tab, and locate the “PID” column.
• Command Prompt: Open the Command Prompt and use the “tasklist” command to list all running processes and their PIDs.
• PowerShell: Open PowerShell and use the “Get-Process” command to view the Process ID list.

Remember that the PID is a unique identifier for each running process in an operating system, helping to manage and control processes, allocate resources, and troubleshoot issues.

Troubleshooting network congestion

Understand Network Congestion:

Network congestion occurs when the demand for data transmission surpasses the network's capacity, resulting in delays, packet loss, and reduced performance. It is often caused by faulty or overused devices, or poor network configurations.

Deploy End-to-End Network Monitoring:

Use a tool like Obkio Network Performance Monitoring Software to monitor performance from your local network (LAN, VPN) and third-party networks (WAN, ISP, Internet Peering). This will help identify congestion points and potential bottlenecks.

Understand the Symptoms:

Common symptoms of network congestion include slow internet speeds, packet loss, high latency, connection timeouts, poor voice or video quality, and unresponsive applications.

Monitor Core Network Metrics:

Keep an eye on key metrics such as network utilization, packet loss, latency, jitter, error rates, and bandwidth usage by application or device. High values in these metrics can indicate network congestion.

Monitor Network Devices:

Monitor network devices like routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and endpoints. Overused network equipment can cause congestion. Gain insights into the volume of traffic and detect potential bottlenecks.

Identify a Lack of Resources:

Network congestion often occurs when network devices or connections lack sufficient resources like bandwidth, processing power, or memory to handle the traffic. This leads to dropped packets and increased latency.

Perform a Network Congestion Test:

Simulate various types of network congestion by generating synthetic traffic and measuring key performance metrics. This helps evaluate the network's behaviour under stress and identify potential bottlenecks.

Identify Network Congestion Causes:

Common causes of network congestion include high traffic volume, outdated hardware, inadequate bandwidth, network configuration issues, network attacks, unnecessary traffic, high data demand, network bottlenecks, inefficient traffic management, packet loss, and geographical distance.

Reduce and Troubleshoot Network Congestion:

To reduce and troubleshoot network congestion, consider the following:

• Traffic monitoring and analysis
• Upgrading or managing bandwidth usage
• Implementing Quality of Service (QoS) policies
• Optimizing network protocols and configurations
• Regular maintenance and upgrades
• DDoS mitigation strategies
• Policy-based access control
• Network redundancy and failover mechanisms
• Capacity planning
• Upgrading your internet plan
• Reducing bandwidth usage
• Optimizing your network setup
• Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
• Contacting your service provider

By following these steps, you can effectively troubleshoot network congestion and improve the overall performance and user experience of your network.

Checking firewall status

To check the firewall status on Windows, you can use the following methods:

Using the Search Box:

• Simply type 'Check Firewall Status' in the search box.
• Right-click on 'Windows Defender Firewall' when it appears in the results.
• This will display the firewall's current state in the yellow highlighted area.
• If the firewall is turned off, select 'Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off' to turn it on.

Using the Windows Security App:

• Click on the Start button (Windows icon) in the bottom left corner of your screen.
• Type "Windows Security" and press Enter to open the app.
• In the Windows Security app, click on "Firewall & network protection" in the left sidebar.
• Under "Firewall & network protection settings," ensure that the switch next to each network profile (Domain network, Private network, and Public network) is turned on.
• If prompted, confirm the action by clicking "Yes" or entering your administrator password.

Using Command Prompt:

• Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
• Type and run the following command: `netsh advfirewall show private|public|domain`.
• This will display the state of the firewall as on or off.

Frequently asked questions