Changing Custom 445 Port for SQL Log Shipping

Question

Changing Custom 445 Port for SQL Log Shipping

Kiran Varekar 20

Hello team,

We have a banking enclosed environment. Here we are planning to install SQL Server 2022 in DC and DR, and then there will be log shipping between DC and DR via shared network drive.

Port 445 cannot be provided due to some bank compliance policies. I wanted to know, is there any process by which we can modify the default port 445?

Regards,

Kiran Varekar

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Answer 1

Marcin Policht 67,905 MVP Volunteer Moderator

AFAIK, SQL Server log shipping requires SMB (port 445) for file sharing so you can’t change the port. The workaround would be to use another file transfer mechanism instead of relying on SMB or set up an IPSec tunnel (although that would still involve the use of TCP at the endpoints).

Alternatively, you might be able to leverage QUIC on Windows Server 2022+ which allows SMB file sharing over UDP port 443 instead of TCP port 445.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Anjan Kumar Chippa (Quadrant Resource LLC) 0 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-10T12:27:43.67+00:00

Hi Kiran Varekar,

Thank you Marcin Policht for the prompt response.

As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution provided by the user for the issue worked? or let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thanks,
Anjan Kumar Chippa
Kiran Varekar 20 Reputation points

2025-11-10T12:43:01.4866667+00:00

Hello,

It means directly it is not possible to change the 445 port. I need to look for another options for the same. Am I right?

Regards

Kiran Varekar
Anjan Kumar Chippa (Quadrant Resource LLC) 0 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-02T10:50:20.54+00:00

Hi Kiran Varekar,

You cannot change the SMB’s default port 445. Here the log shipping uses a normal windows file share(UNC) and SMB always runs on 445.

If that port cannot be opened due to the policy, please use SMB over QUIC, which allows the same file share to work securely over UDP 443 instead of 445 or skip the SMB entirely and push the log-backup files using another secure transfer method (SFTP/HTTPS/IPSec) into a local folder on the DR server so that the restore job reads.

Thanks,
Anjan Kumar Chippa
Kiran Varekar 20 Reputation points

2025-12-05T07:24:40.0133333+00:00

Hello Marcin Policht,

Thanks for your suggestion. When you suggest UDP 443, is it like secure UDP with SSL? (Like when TCP 443 is secured with SSL). Also, does the port need to be allowed between the virtual IP between the primary-DR cluster or the primary-DR hosts?

Regards,

Kiran Varekar
Marcin Policht 67,905 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-12-05T11:47:12.4933333+00:00

For the most part - SMB over QUIC on Windows Server 2022 uses TLS 1.3 encryption. It is not just “UDP 443”; it is a fully encrypted, authenticated transport similar in security to HTTPS/HTTP-3. QUIC provides its own reliability, congestion control and encryption, so the connection is actually more secure than traditional SMB over TCP 445 and does not rely on TLS/SSL (SSL is an outdated term) at all.

For firewall requirements, the port rule must be opened between the actual SQL Server hosts, not between the cluster virtual IPs. Log shipping copies files between servers using UNC paths, and SMB/QUIC operates at the host level. Effectively, UDP 443 must be allowed from the primary SQL Server node to the DR SQL Server node (and vice-versa if needed), and for all nodes that might participate in failover scenarios. The VIP does not carry SMB traffic, so no firewall changes are required for it.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

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Changing Custom 445 Port for SQL Log Shipping

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