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Port 5173 — Vite

TCP registered

What runs on port 5173

The default Vite development server port.

Vite's development server. The number is deliberate: 5173 spells "VITE" on a phone keypad. Like other development servers it serves unminified code with a hot-module-reload websocket and should stay on localhost. Vite will pick the next free port automatically if this one is taken, which is convenient and occasionally confusing when a stale process is still holding it.

Security considerations

Development only. Vite binds to localhost by default; `--host` exposes it to the network.

Checking whether something is listening

# Linux / macOS — what is bound to the port
sudo lsof -i :5173
sudo ss -lntp | grep :5173

# Windows
netstat -ano | findstr :5173
Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 5173

# is it reachable from outside?
nc -zv example.com 5173
curl -v telnet://example.com:5173

Freeing the port

# find the process, then stop it
sudo lsof -ti :5173 | xargs kill        # Linux / macOS
netstat -ano | findstr :5173            # note the PID, then:
taskkill /PID <pid> /F                    # Windows

Should this port be open to the internet?

Usually not. Expose it only if a specific external client needs it, and restrict by source address where you can.

Opening or blocking port 5173

Finding the port is usually the first half of the job. Start narrow — the second rule is there for services that genuinely serve the public, and most do not:

# ufw — Debian, Ubuntu
sudo ufw allow from 10.0.0.0/8 to any port 5173 proto tcp
sudo ufw allow 5173/tcp                   # only if it genuinely serves the public

# firewalld — RHEL, Fedora, CentOS
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-rich-rule='rule family=ipv4 source address=10.0.0.0/8 port port=5173 protocol=tcp accept'
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# iptables, if you are still there
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5173 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5173 -j DROP

# Windows
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Vite 5173" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 5173 -RemoteAddress 10.0.0.0/8 -Action Allow

10.0.0.0/8 stands in for a private range — substitute your own. Note that a firewall rule does not undo a service bound to 0.0.0.0; it only stops packets reaching it, and a misconfigured or disabled firewall then exposes it immediately.

Quick reference

Port5173
ProtocolTCP
ServiceVite
RangeRegistered (1024–49151) — any user process may bind

Frequently asked questions

What is port 5173 used for?

The default Vite development server port.

Is it safe to open port 5173?

Development only. Vite binds to localhost by default; `--host` exposes it to the network.

How do I check if port 5173 is open?

Locally, sudo lsof -i :5173 on macOS or Linux, or netstat -ano | findstr :5173 on Windows. From outside, nc -zv host 5173 tells you whether anything answers.

Why do I get "address already in use" on port 5173?

Another process is bound to it — often a previous run of your own program that did not exit cleanly. Find it with lsof -ti :5173 and stop it, or configure your application to use a different port.

Can I change the port this service uses?

Almost always yes, in the service's configuration. Moving off a default port reduces automated scan noise, but it is obfuscation rather than security — a real attacker scans all 65,535.

Other common ports

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