localhost:8080

http://localhost:8080

Port 8080 is the most popular alternative to standard HTTP port 80. It's commonly used for Apache Tomcat, Spring Boot applications, Jenkins CI/CD, development servers, and when port 80 is already occupied by another service.

→ Open localhost:8080

What Uses Port 8080?

Many applications and services default to port 8080:

Apache Tomcat - Java servlet container and application server
Spring Boot - Default embedded server port for Spring applications
Jenkins - CI/CD automation and build server
JBoss/WildFly - Java Enterprise application servers
Alternative web servers - When port 80 is already in use
HTTP proxy servers - Squid, Nginx proxy configurations
XAMPP alternative - When IIS or Skype uses port 80
Development environments - Testing and debugging
Docker containers - Mapped container ports
GlassFish - Java EE application server
Jetty - Lightweight Java web server

How to Start Server on Port 8080

Python Web Server

# Python 3.x - Simple HTTP server
python -m http.server 8080

# Python 2.x - Simple HTTP server
python -m SimpleHTTPServer 8080

# Access at: http://localhost:8080
    

Node.js HTTP Server

// Create server.js file
const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/html'});
    res.end('Server running on port 8080!');
});

server.listen(8080, 'localhost', () => {
    console.log('Server running at http://localhost:8080/');
});

// Run: node server.js
    

PHP Built-in Server

# Start PHP development server on port 8080
php -S localhost:8080

# Serve specific directory
php -S localhost:8080 -t public/

# Access at: http://localhost:8080
    

Apache Tomcat

# Windows
cd C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat\bin
startup.bat

# Linux/Mac
cd /opt/tomcat/bin
./startup.sh

# Access Tomcat at: http://localhost:8080
# Tomcat Manager: http://localhost:8080/manager
    

Spring Boot Application

# application.properties
server.port=8080

# Or set via command line
java -jar myapp.jar --server.port=8080

# Access at: http://localhost:8080
    

How to Fix "localhost:8080 Not Working" Issues

Error: "This site can't be reached" or "Connection refused"

The server is not running or not listening on port 8080.

Verify the application/server is actually running
Check if process is listening on port 8080
Ensure firewall allows connections on port 8080
Try 127.0.0.1:8080 instead of localhost:8080
Check server logs for startup errors
Restart the server application

Error: "Port 8080 already in use" or "Address already in use"

Another application is already using port 8080.

Find which process is using port 8080 (see commands below)
Stop the conflicting application
Kill the process using port 8080
Use a different port like 8081, 8082, or 9090
Change application configuration to use alternative port

Error: "403 Forbidden" on localhost:8080

Permission or access denied issue.

Check directory permissions and file ownership
Review web server access configuration
Ensure index file exists (index.html, index.php)
Check .htaccess rules if using Apache
Verify user has read permissions

Check What's Using Port 8080:

# Windows - Find process on port 8080
netstat -ano | findstr :8080
tasklist | findstr [PID]

# Kill process by PID
taskkill /PID [process_id] /F

# Linux - Find process on port 8080
sudo lsof -i :8080
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep :8080
sudo ss -tulpn | grep :8080

# Kill process by PID
sudo kill -9 [PID]

# Mac - Find process on port 8080
lsof -i :8080
sudo lsof -ti:8080 | xargs kill -9

# Show all listening ports
netstat -an | grep LISTEN
    

Test Port 8080 Connection:

# Windows - Test if port is open
Test-NetConnection localhost -Port 8080

# Linux/Mac - Test port with telnet
telnet localhost 8080

# Test with curl
curl http://localhost:8080

# Test with wget
wget http://localhost:8080

# Use nc (netcat) to test
nc -zv localhost 8080
    

Configure Apache to Use Port 8080

Change Apache from default port 80 to port 8080:

Open Apache configuration file: httpd.conf
Find line: Listen 80
Change to: Listen 8080
Find: ServerName localhost:80
Change to: ServerName localhost:8080
Save httpd.conf file
Restart Apache web server
Access site at http://localhost:8080

Apache config file locations:

XAMPP Windows: C:\xampp\apache\conf\httpd.conf
XAMPP Linux: /opt/lampp/etc/httpd.conf
Ubuntu: /etc/apache2/ports.conf and /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf
CentOS: /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

Configure Tomcat Port 8080

Tomcat uses port 8080 by default, but you can change it:

Open Tomcat server.xml configuration file
Find Connector element: <Connector port="8080"
Change port number to desired value
Save server.xml file
Restart Tomcat server

<!-- Change Tomcat port in server.xml -->
<Connector port="8080" protocol="HTTP/1.1"
           connectionTimeout="20000"
           redirectPort="8443" />
           
<!-- Change to different port -->
<Connector port="9090" protocol="HTTP/1.1"
           connectionTimeout="20000"
           redirectPort="8443" />
    

Tomcat server.xml locations:

Windows: C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat\conf\server.xml
Linux: /opt/tomcat/conf/server.xml or /var/lib/tomcat/conf/server.xml
Mac: /usr/local/tomcat/conf/server.xml

Firewall Configuration for Port 8080

Windows Firewall

# Open port 8080 in Windows Firewall
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Port 8080" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=8080

# Remove firewall rule
netsh advfirewall firewall delete rule name="Port 8080" protocol=TCP localport=8080
    

Linux Firewall (UFW)

# Allow port 8080
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp

# Check firewall status
sudo ufw status

# Remove rule
sudo ufw delete allow 8080/tcp
    

Linux Firewall (firewalld)

# Allow port 8080
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=8080/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# Check open ports
sudo firewall-cmd --list-ports
    

Docker Container on Port 8080

# Run container mapping port 8080
docker run -d -p 8080:80 nginx

# Run Tomcat on port 8080
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 tomcat

# Run custom app on port 8080
docker run -d -p 8080:3000 myapp

# List containers with ports
docker ps

# Access at: http://localhost:8080
    

Nginx as Reverse Proxy on Port 8080

# nginx.conf configuration
server {
    listen 8080;
    server_name localhost;
    
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}

# Test nginx configuration
nginx -t

# Restart nginx
sudo systemctl restart nginx
    

Common Port 8080 Use Cases

Development and Testing

Running development server while production uses port 80
Testing applications without affecting main server
Multiple developers running servers on same machine

Enterprise Applications

Java EE applications on Tomcat/JBoss
Spring Boot microservices
Jenkins continuous integration builds

Conflict Resolution

IIS using port 80 on Windows
Skype using port 80 and 443
Multiple web servers on same system

Pro Tip: If port 8080 is occupied, common alternatives are 8081, 8082, 8888, 9090, and 3000. Most applications allow you to configure the port in their settings or via command-line arguments.

Port 8080 vs Other Ports

Port	Common Use	Protocol
80	Default HTTP web traffic	HTTP
8080	Alternative HTTP, Tomcat, proxies	HTTP
443	HTTPS secure web traffic	HTTPS
8443	Alternative HTTPS port	HTTPS
3000	Node.js, React development	HTTP
8000	Django, Python development	HTTP
8888	Jupyter Notebook, alternative web	HTTP

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use port 8080 instead of 80?

Port 8080 is used when port 80 is already occupied, for security (non-privileged port above 1024), or by convention for specific applications like Tomcat.

How do I access localhost:8080 from another computer?

Replace localhost with your computer's IP address (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8080). Ensure firewall allows connections and server is listening on 0.0.0.0 instead of just 127.0.0.1.

Is port 8080 secure?

Port 8080 uses HTTP which is not encrypted. For secure connections, use port 8443 with HTTPS/SSL. Never expose port 8080 directly to internet on production servers.

Can I run multiple services on port 8080?

No, only one service can listen on a port at a time. Use different ports (8081, 8082) for additional services, or use a reverse proxy to route requests.

Related Ports and Resources

localhost:80 - Default HTTP port
localhost:443 - HTTPS secure port
localhost:8000 - Python Django port
localhost:3000 - Node.js/React port
localhost:8888 - Alternative HTTP port
localhost:9090 - Alternative application port
localhost/phpmyadmin - Database management
Troubleshooting Guide - Fix connection issues