A method identifies a network socket on a machine by assigning a non-IP address socket anchor and a port number to the network socket. A socket anchor may comprise a globally unique number. In some embodiments, a socket anchor comprises a number having a preselected number of bits. The number having the preselected number of bits may comprise a selected number associated with the machine concatenated with a number of randomly generated bits. The number of bits of the selected number plus the number of randomly generated bits is equal to the preselected number of bits. In some embodiments, the selected number associated with the machine is a Media Access Control (MAC) address of a network interface associated with the machine.