TCP port > 1023 or TCP port > 1024 for inbound passive ftp traffic?

Question

From Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

Inbound Rules window shows the following setting:

By right-clicking the selected row above and choose Properties, we have

The Properties window says that

An inbound rule to allow Passive FTP traffic for Internet Information Services (IIS) [TCP > 1023]

Now let us compare with the following...

IIS Manager Help

It says that

Specifies the port range for passive connections used for data channel connections. The valid range for ports is 1025 through 65535. (Ports from 1 through 1024 are reserved for use by system services.)

I am confused which one is the correct one?

Solution 1

According to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, use ports starting at 1024 through 65535. Ports below 1024 are reserved as Well Known Ports:

The Well Known Ports are assigned by the IANA and on most systems can only be used by system (or root) processes or by programs executed by privileged users.

Solution 2

I think that 1024 (including) and up is the correct port range to assign for FTP passive connections.

Anyway It does not matter that much because the only difference between port range below 1024 and above is that you will need root privileges to create listening socket in range 0-1024.

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers