Local network - what is it and why is it needed? What is WAN? What is the difference between the WAN connector and the LAN connector on a router?

And during its installation, each of us dealt with LAN and WAN connectors. They are intended for different purposes, but are used together, which often leads to confusion. Let's figure out what they are and what the difference is between them.

The Internet cable is connected through the WAN socket, and local devices are connected through the LAN.

What is LAN

This type of connection will allow you to combine a certain number of computers located at a short distance from each other into a local environment.

When purchasing a router, you may notice on the back of it there are four identical sockets of the same type. All of them are created with the purpose of connecting several PCs to one access point.

A LAN port is needed if you want to create a group to connect all the equipment inside the house to the Internet. Thus, it is possible to create a network that will cover an area of ​​​​a couple of kilometers, for which they buy a cable with high bandwidth.

What is WAN

Using this type of connection, an external network is created, which represents a large number of groups and users, regardless of their location. The main difference is that the previous format is intended for internal connection of several PCs, and this type of connection is external.

There are many global networks, but the most famous and frequently used is the World Wide Web. This is what most clients prefer different distances, since it is not limited territorially, it is created through telephone wires and more modern technologies.

You probably saw a WAN type connector when purchasing and installing a router - a cable from the provider is connected to it. The joint operation of both ports is that one of them transmits a signal, which is then distributed to devices connected to the router.

Technical points

The main differences between these formats:

• The first type helps to create an internal network; WAN is used to connect users globally.
• A local group has a limit on the number of clients and territory, a global group does not.
• The ports have different data transfer protocols - Ethernet and 802.11 for local and PPP, HDLC, Frame Relay for external.

Good day.

In this article we will look at what a local network is, why it is needed, how it is organized and what types it is. This network may be useful to you too, so don’t pass it by.

Definition

A local network is one that connects several computers in a small area. This concept translated into English it looks like Local Area Network, which is why it is often abbreviated as LAN.

The network can be located within one apartment, office, computer class, small organization or its department. By this I want to say that usually it does not include many computers and they are not located on great distance from each other.

Let's say you can organize a home network if you have desktop computer, laptop, printer, couple mobile gadgets, smart tv etc. This option is also convenient, for example, for an enterprise where there are 10-20 computers located on different floors.

Why do we need a local network?

LAN may be needed for:

• Transfer data between devices without participation external drives(flash drives, disks, etc.);
• Opening access to the Internet for all network participants if it is connected to only one computer;
• Managing portable devices from different computers (for example, within an office, from any hardware you can print to one printer);
• Organization of voice and video conferences;
• Online games.

Types of local networks

There are only two of them:

• Peer-to-peer network. All participants have equal rights, that is, they independently decide which files to open access to and which not. Used in cases of combining a small number of PCs.
• Server based. A current option when there are more than 10 computers. Increases network performance. The point is that for storage general information, connecting peripheral devices (scanners, printers, etc.), determining routes for sending information and centralized management of the entire network, one machine is allocated - the server - and all the others are fed to it.

There are also two ways to build a network: with or without wires. Let's consider each separately.

Wired connection

Used twisted pair or an optical cable that connects to the PC. Such devices are found in any hardware that is no more than 10-15 years old - they are integrated into the motherboard.

Wired connection provides the most stable and fastest data transfer. In modern versions throughput is 100 Mbit/s and higher through twisted pair and from 10 Gbit/s via fiber. For such a connection, Ethernet technology is most often used.

When the collection of computers is large or it is necessary to distribute the Internet from one server, hubs (switches) can be used. They have several connectors for connecting wires. Their functions include relaying the signal entering one port over other interfaces.

Network structure

There are several topologies for connecting computers via wires:

• Linear bus - serial connection of PCs from one to another.
• Star type - all network participants are powered by one server.
• Ring - the structure of the connection is clear from the name. IN in this case server resources are also distributed among all machines, but if one fails, the others will not work.

• Snowflake is the most flexible topology because it allows you to connect equipment according to the most convenient principle, usually taking into account its functionality.

Wireless way

This refers to unification over radio waves. The most common option now is this. However, connection is also possible via Bluetooth and GPRS. In any case, the speed will be lower than with a wired connection. On average, over Wi-Fi it is 10 Mbit/s and higher.

To create a mesh without wires, you need a special module in your computers. In modern laptops it is usually built-in, but for PCs you can buy an external device. You also need a single network gateway (router), to which wired Internet will be connected, and network participants will receive it via radio waves.

How is data transferred?

To organize a local network, it is not enough just to physically connect the machines; you also need to configure it. Their work is controlled by programs. In order for computers to understand each other, a single and understandable language is used - the network protocol.

It comes in different types, but the most widely used are packet protocols. What does it mean? The transmitted data is divided into blocks, which are placed in a packet. It also contains information about the recipient and addressee. Each computer connects to the network at a certain frequency and checks the passing packets: those that are intended for it are taken away.

How does hardware understand that this or that packet is addressed specifically to it? Each machine has an IP address that is unique within the same network. It is set during the process Windows settings or whatever system you are using.

End of article :).

You are always welcome on my blog.

If you want to know what a WAN is, or how a WAN differs from a LAN, then you have come to the right place. Now let’s try to figure out what these technologies, connectors, connections are, what they are needed for and what the difference is.

I think that in most cases, when someone is looking for information on WAN, they mean the connector on the Wi-Fi router. After all, in almost every instruction for setting up a router you can find this abbreviation. Everyone writes about connecting some cables to WAN connectors, or LAN. Let's go in order:

WAN(Wide Area Network) is a global computer network. Simply put, this is the Internet. If we talk about the WAN connector, then this is the connector on the router into which the cable from the provider is connected. The network cable through which the router accesses the Internet.

On almost all routers this is a blue connector, and it looks like this:

In the photo above you can see that the connector is even labeled. Also, the router usually has an indicator of the connected WAN cable. At normal operation, it should blink actively. And next to the indicator itself they usually draw an icon in the form of a planet.

Now you know what WAN is. Let's take a closer look at how it differs from LAN.

What is the difference between a WAN connector and a LAN connector?

Everything here is also very simple. What is LAN?

LAN(Local Area Network) is a local network. Simply put, these are computers that are connected to each other over a short distance. For example, computers, televisions, mobile devices, which are connected to each other through a router within a home or office. This is a local network.

On routers you can usually find 4 LAN connectors. They are yellow and look like this:

They serve to connect devices to a local network via a network cable.

The difference between WAN and LAN is that WAN is access to the Internet, and LAN is a local network to which devices that are located close to each other can be connected.

I think that's all you need to know about these two designations. You can, of course, delve into technical aspects, abstruse definitions, etc., but this is unlikely to be of interest to anyone.

The Internet is an indispensable condition for the comfortable existence of absolutely every modern person. Today you can work, shop, chat with friends and watch TV online. It is almost impossible to find a person who does not need the Internet. Moreover, more and more people are giving up watching landline TV in favor of network broadcasts.

To connect to the Internet, routers or network routers are most often used, which allow you to enjoy all the benefits of Wi-Fi. However, in this regard, users quite often have questions: “WAN - what is it? How to configure it? What is it for?” Let's consider these points in detail.

WAN: what is it?

This is a solution that is widely used when connecting routers or routers to the Internet. If the equipment is configured correctly, communication will be high-quality and reliable.

The abbreviation itself means what is translated as “global computer network”. A WAN connector is also often called an Ethernet port. He is responsible for connecting to an external computer network.

If you look at the back of the router, it will have from 3 to 10 connectors. Several of them are labeled LAN, and only one is labeled Internet or WAN. Experienced computer geeks also call this port UpLink.

However, it is worth understanding not only the question “WAN - what is it?”, but also how it differs from other connectors. After all, outwardly they all look absolutely identical.

How WAN differs from LAN

As mentioned above, the ports are very similar in appearance, so it is easy to confuse them. However, if you plug the Internet cable into the LAN connector, absolutely nothing will happen. The fact is that this port is intended for creating a local network. That is, if there are several computers in one apartment and they need to be combined, then LAN is used. It allows you to access open folders and quickly transfer information from one device to another.

To access the Internet directly, you need to connect to a global network, that is, to a WAN. This is the only way to enjoy all the benefits of online shopping and communicating with friends from any corner of the planet.

Thus, it becomes obvious that these are in no way interconnected. The Internet is often called the largest WAN network. This is why very often routers have the abbreviation Internet. This helps users not to miss the connector and start using the Internet without unnecessary problems.

So, with the question "WAN - what is it?" We figured it out, now it’s time to look at setting up the connection. If you don’t want to delve into all the intricacies of the router interface, you can call your Internet provider and ask a consultant to explain the sequence of actions. But in reality, not everything is as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

Connection

Let's take a closer look at the WAN settings. First of all, you need to connect the router to the network. To do this, use a regular network cable that comes with the router. After this you need:

• Connect one end of the cable (usually blue) to the router (LAN connector), and the other to a laptop or network card PC.
• Turn on devices and wait full load computer.
• Open any Internet browser window and enter the IP address of the router in the address bar. To find out, just check the router model. Also, the required address is often indicated on the packaging with the router. If there is no data anywhere, then you need to look at the manual for the router.
• Press the Enter key.
• Wait for the page to load.

After this, you need to perform a few more manipulations to connect the WAN.

Settings in the browser

To start using a wireless network, you must complete the following steps:

• Enter the login and password for the router (most often “admin” and “1234”).
• Login to devices.
• Open WAN menu. If there is no such inscription, then find Setup.
• Fill in all fields. All necessary data is clarified with the provider, sometimes they can be found in the contract itself.
• Specify the data transfer type L2TP or PPTP.
• Create a password and name for the router.
• Select the type of encryption (optional).
• Enter the access point address.
• Select "Automatically obtain DNS address".

Updating settings

If necessary, you can activate the firewall in the same menu. To do this, just check the appropriate box. Next, click the “Save” button and wait until the updates are downloaded.

After this you can pull it out LAN cable. It's better to restart your computer. Now you can connect the Internet cable to the WAN port on the router and find a wireless network on your computer. On next stage Just enter the router password and start using the Internet.

Some routers have WAN miniport ports. They are designed for high-speed Internet. Today, only some providers provide such a service (for example, Rostelecom).

With the spread of broadband Internet access, wireless routers are becoming increasingly popular among home users, making it possible to organize Internet access shared between several computers in an apartment. In addition, given the capabilities of routers to organize wireless communication channels, their use eliminates the need to lay network cables throughout the apartment. Today there are many different models of wireless routers available for home use. But how to make the right choice? Which router should you choose and, most importantly, how to configure it correctly? In this article we will look at the main features of modern routers and give step by step instructions by setting them up.

A modern home computer is no longer conceivable without an Internet connection. Analog modems are irrevocably a thing of the past, and they have been replaced by high-speed Internet access technologies, and tariffs for organizing unlimited access have become comparable to a monthly telephone fee. Therefore, it is quite natural that after the purchase home computer users are thinking about organizing access to the Internet.

There are no problems connecting one home computer to the Internet. This, of course, is a non-trivial task for novice users, since it requires creating a new network connection and making the necessary settings for it, but if you're lucky, all this will be done by the engineers who will connect the computer to the Internet.

However, over time, you may have a second computer, laptop or PDA with wireless adapter. Of course, you'll want to connect all of these devices to the Internet. To do this, you will already have to use a router, which will act as a gateway between your local network in the apartment and the external Internet network.

Naturally, the question arises about choosing a router and its functionality.

Let us immediately note that all modern routers aimed at home users combine many network devices and the router is only one of them, although the main one. That is why some manufacturers, trying to emphasize the focus of their devices on home users, as well as their versatility, call them home Internet centers for marketing reasons. True, this only introduces confusion into the classification of such devices, but their generally accepted name is broadband wireless routers.

Until recently, routers for home users did not have an integrated wireless access point. Now these devices are already obsolete and you should not rely on them.

Functionality of wireless routers

So, a modern broadband wireless router is a multifunctional device that combines:

• router;
• network switch Fast Ethernet(10/100 Mbit/s);
• wireless access point;
• firewall;
• NAT device.

The main task assigned to wireless routers is to unite all computers on a home network into a single local network with the ability to exchange data between them and organize high-speed, secure connection to the Internet of all home computers (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Using a wireless router to connect
home computers to the Internet

Currently, the most popular methods are connecting to the Internet via telephone line using an ADSL modem and a dedicated Ethernet line. Based on this, all wireless routers can be divided into two types:

• for connection via a dedicated Ethernet line;
• for connection via telephone line.

In the latter case, the router also has an ADSL modem built into it.

According to statistics, the method of connecting via a dedicated Ethernet line is becoming increasingly popular among providers. At the same time, routers designed for this can also be used to connect to the Internet via a telephone line, but for this you will have to additionally purchase an ADSL modem.

In the following, we will only consider routers designed to connect to the Internet via a dedicated Ethernet line.

So, routers are network devices installed at the border of the internal local home network and the Internet, and therefore acting as a network gateway. From a design point of view, routers must have at least two ports, one of which is connected to the local network (this port is called the internal LAN port), and the second is connected to the external network, that is, the Internet ( this port called external WAN port). Home routers have one WAN port and four internal LAN ports, which are combined into a switch (Fig. 2). Both WAN and LAN ports have a 10/100Base-TX interface, and you can connect an Ethernet network cable to them.

Rice. 2. LAN and WAN ports of the router

The wireless access point integrated into the router allows you to organize a wireless network segment, which for the router belongs to the internal network. In this sense, computers connected to the router wirelessly are no different from those connected to the LAN port.

The purpose of the firewall integrated into the router is to ensure the security of the internal network. To do this, firewalls must be able to mask the protected network, block known types of hacker attacks and information leakage from the internal network, and control applications that access the external network.

In order to implement specified functions, firewalls analyze all traffic between external and internal networks for compliance with certain established criteria or rules that determine the conditions for the passage of traffic from one network to another. If the traffic meets the specified criteria, the firewall allows it to pass through. Otherwise, that is, if the established criteria are not met, the traffic is blocked. Firewalls filter both incoming and outgoing traffic, and also allow you to control access to certain network resources or applications.

By their purpose, firewalls resemble a checkpoint of a protected facility, where the documents of everyone entering the territory of the facility and everyone leaving it are checked. If the pass is in order, access to the territory is allowed. Firewalls operate similarly, only the role of people passing through the checkpoint is played by network packets, and a gap is whether the headers of these packets match a given set of rules.

All modern routers with built-in firewalls are NAT devices, that is, they support the NAT (Network Address Translation) protocol. This protocol is not integral part firewall, but helps improve network security. Its main task is to solve the problem of the shortage of IP addresses, which is becoming more and more urgent as the number of computers grows.

The NAT protocol defines how network address translation occurs. A NAT device converts IP addresses reserved for private use on local networks into public IP addresses. Private addresses include the following IP ranges: 10.0.0.0-10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0-172.31.255.255, 192.168.0.0-192.168.255.255. Private IP addresses cannot be used on the World Wide Web, so they can be freely used for internal purposes only.

In addition to the listed functionality, some models of wireless routers have a number of additional ones. For example, they can be equipped USB ports 2.0, which can be connected to external devices with the possibility of organizing shared network access to them. So, when connecting to a printer router via the USB 2.0 interface, we also get a print server, and when connecting external hard disk - a network storage device of the NAS (Network Attached Storage) type. In addition, in the latter case, the software used in the routers even allows you to organize an FTP server.

There are router models that have not only USB ports, but also a built-in hard drive, and therefore can be used for network data storage, as FTP servers for access both from outside and from the internal network, and even serve as multimedia centers.

Setting up the router

Despite the apparent similarity in functionality of broadband wireless routers, there are significant differences between them, which ultimately determine whether a particular router is suitable for your purposes or not. The fact is that different Internet providers use various types Internet connection. If we are talking about connecting one computer (without using a router), then there are no problems, since user operating systems (for example, Windows XP/Vista) contain software, which support all connection types used by providers. If you use a router to connect your home network to the Internet, then it is necessary that it fully supports the connection type used by the provider (we will look at connection types in the section on setting up the WAN interface).

Almost all routers aimed at home users have built-in quick setup software (setup wizards) or auto-configuration tools - for example, Quick Setup, Smart Setup, NetFriend, etc. However, you need to keep in mind that there may always be a provider that does not will support the function automatic settings specific router. In addition, the presence of such functions does not mean that by pressing one “magic” button you will immediately cope with all problems and configure your router. After all, even in order to get to this “magic” button, you will have to make some settings network interface on the computer.

For the above reasons, we will not rely on the router's automatic configuration capabilities and will consider the most universal method its manual step-by-step configuration.

It is advisable to configure the router in the following sequence:

• Gaining access to the router's web interface.
• Configuring the LAN interface and built-in DHCP server.
• Configuring a WAN interface with organizing an Internet connection for all computers on the local network.
• Setting up a wireless network (if there are wireless clients).
• Setting up a firewall.
• Configuring the NAT protocol (if required).

The first step in setting up the router is to gain network access to its settings via the web interface (all routers have a built-in web server).

Let's take a closer look at the steps of setting up the LAN interface and the built-in DHCP server, as well as setting up the WAN interface. We will not talk about setting up a wireless network, firewall and NAT protocol in this article - separate publications will be devoted to these issues.

Gaining access to the router's web interface

To access the router's web interface, you must connect a computer (laptop) to the LAN port. The first thing you need to find out is the IP address of the router’s LAN port, the default login and password. Any router, being a network device, has its own network address (IP address). In order to find out the IP address of the router's LAN port and password, you will have to look through the user manual. If the router has not been used before, its settings coincide with the default (factory) settings. In most cases, the IP address of the router's LAN port is 192.168.1.254 or 192.168.1.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, and the password and login are admin. If the router has already been in use and its default settings have been changed, but you do not know the IP address of the LAN port, or the login and password, then the first thing you will have to do is reset all settings (return to factory settings). To do this, all routers have a special recessed reset button. If you press it (with the router's power on) and hold it for a few seconds, the router will reboot and restore its factory settings.

In addition to the ability to quickly return to factory settings, most routers have a built-in DHCP server that is activated by default. This allows you to easily connect to the router, since a computer connected to the router's LAN port will automatically be assigned an IP address of the same subnet as the router's LAN port itself, and the IP address of the default gateway will be used. router LAN port address. But in order to take advantage of this opportunity, you need to make sure that in the properties network connection The computer used to connect to the router’s LAN port has the Obtain IP address automatically function installed. It is activated by default for all network interfaces, and if after installing the operating system the network connections on the computer were not specially configured, then most likely you will be able to access the router settings immediately after connecting to its LAN port on the computer.

Attention! If your computer has already been connected to the Internet, then it is likely that you are using different network connection settings than the default settings. Before changing anything, write down all settings.

If so in a simple way If you cannot connect to the router, you will have to first configure the network interface of the computer connected to the router. The point of the setup is that the network interface of the computer that connects to the LAN port of the router and the LAN port of the router have IP addresses belonging to the same subnet. Let's assume the router's LAN port has an IP address of 192.168.1.1. Then the network interface of the connected computer must be assigned a static IP address 192.168.1.x (for example, 192.168.1.100) with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. In addition, you must specify the IP address of the router's LAN port (in our case, 192.168.1.1) as the default gateway IP address.

Naturally, setting up a computer's network interface depends on the operating system used. We will show how to make such a setup using the example of the most popular operating system Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (English version) and operating system Microsoft systems Windows Vista (Russian version).

Setting up the network interface of a PC running Microsoft Windows XP SP2

If you are using the Microsoft Windows XP SP2 operating system, to assign a static IP address to the network interface of your computer, click the icon My Network Places(Network Neighborhood) right-click and in the context menu that opens, select Properties(Properties). In the window that opens Network Connection(Network Connections) select the icon Local Area Connection(Local Network) and by right-clicking on it, go to the item again Properties. After this a window should open Local Area Connection Properties(Network connection properties), which allows you to configure the network adapter (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Local Area Connection Properties Dialog Box

On the tab General select the protocol Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on the button Properties. A window will open allowing you to set the default computer IP address, subnet mask and gateway. Check the box in this dialog box Use the following IP address: and enter in the appropriate text fields IP address and subnet mask (Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. Setting a static IP address, subnet mask
and gateway IP addresses

Once the computer's network interface has been configured, you can access the settings of the router itself. To do this, enter the IP address of the access point (192.168.1.1) in the address field of your web browser. If everything is done correctly, the access point (router) settings dialog box will open. You may first need to enter your username and password (they are in the documentation).

Setting up the network interface of a PC running Microsoft Windows Vista

If you are using the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, to assign a static IP address to the network interface of your computer, click the icon Net right-click and in the context menu that appears, select Properties. In the window that opens Network connections Network connections(Fig. 5), which displays all network adapters installed on the computer.

Rice. 5. Network connections window with a list of network adapters

Having selected in this window the network adapter (if there are several of them) with which the computer is connected to the LAN port of the router, right-click on it and select the item in the context menu that opens Properties(Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. Select the network adapter connected to the router,
and right-click on it

In the properties window of the selected network adapter that opens (Fig. 7), on the tab Net you need to highlight the item Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and press the button Properties. Next, a window will open that allows you to set the computer’s IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway IP address. Check the box in this window Use the following IP address: and enter the IP address, subnet mask and gateway IP address in the appropriate text fields (Fig. 8).

Rice. 7. Network adapter properties window

Rice. 8. Setting a static IP address, subnet mask
and gateway IP addresses

After the computer’s network interface has been configured, in the window Network Sharing Center with shared access You can make additional settings for the newly created local network. Initially, this network is given the name default (Private network) - fig. 9.

Rice. 9. Displaying the properties of the newly created local network

If you select a link Settings opposite the local network name, then in the window Setting up network location(Fig. 10) you can specify the name of the created network connection (for example, Home network), select the icon for this connection and the network location type ( Public or Private). In the case of a home network, it is better to set the placement type Private, because this will allow your computer to discover other computers and devices on the local network and make it possible for them to discover your computer.

Rice. 10. Setting the properties of the created network connection

After the network properties have been set, in the window Shared Network Center you can view the full network map by clicking on the link View full map . Since in our case there is only one computer connected to the router (gateway), and the Internet connection has not yet been configured, the network map will look as shown in Fig. 11. If you move your mouse pointer over the computer or gateway icon on this map, a tooltip will display the IP and MAC addresses of the network adapter or LAN port of the router, respectively.

Rice. 11. Diagram of the created network

Once the connection between your computer and the router’s LAN port has been configured, you can access its settings. This is done in the same way as in the case of the Microsoft Windows XP SP2 operating system: the IP address of the access point (192.168.1.1) is entered in the address field of the web browser.

Configuring the LAN interface and built-in DHCP server

The first thing we recommend doing after gaining access to the router settings is to configure its LAN interface. It is considered good practice when, when a new computer is connected to the router (either via a wired or wireless interface), its network interface is configured automatically. To do this, you need to configure the DHCP server built into the router and set the default gateway IP address used for connecting PCs.

In addition, when configuring the LAN interface, you can change the default IP address and subnet mask of the router's LAN port. However, it only makes sense to change these router settings when there are compelling reasons for doing so. In most cases, changing the IP address and subnet mask of the router's LAN port is not required, which means that setting up the LAN interface consists only of setting up a DHCP server and setting (if it is not set automatically) the IP address and subnet mask of the default gateway, which will be used for computers connected to the router.

The router's LAN interface is configured in the IP config section. Its name may be different, so you just need to find the section in which the network interfaces (WAN and LAN) of the router are configured. As a rule, in the same section there is a subsection that allows you to configure DHCP server settings (in our example it is called DHCP Server).

The DHCP server is configured in the following sequence:

• Allow the use of a DHCP server for computers connected to the router.
• Specify a pool of IP addresses reserved for allocation.
• Set the time interval during which the dynamic IP address allocated to the computer does not change.
• Specify the default gateway IP address that computers connecting to the router will use.
• Assign IP addresses to DNS and WINS servers.

Different router models may have different ranges of IP addresses reserved for the DHCP server. But don’t think that the bigger it is, the better. It's unlikely that you'll ever need to connect more than ten computers to your router at home, so for home routers, the range of IP addresses reserved for the DHCP server is completely uncritical. In any case, it includes more than 30 addresses, which is quite enough. If we are talking about using a router in an office, then it is desirable that this range be 253 IP addresses (there are no more within the same subnet, since one IP address is reserved by the router itself). For example, these could be addresses from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254. Naturally, all IP addresses reserved for the DHCP server will belong to the same subnet as the router’s LAN port. Moreover, if you change the IP address of the router’s LAN port, the pool of IP addresses reserved for allocation will also change - thus, both the IP address of the router’s LAN port and all reserved addresses will always belong to the same subnet.

Using a DHCP server on a router does not mean that you cannot set static addresses on computers connected to the router and configure the network interface manually. It’s just that in this case, the address assigned to the network interface of the computer connected to the router will not be used by the DHCP server for dynamic allocation.

After allowing the use of a DHCP server on the router (usually this option is activated by default), all that remains is to register the IP address of the Default Gateway, which must be the IP address of the router's LAN port (in our example - 192.168.1.1 ). There is no point in changing other settings.

An example of setting up a DHCP server is shown in Fig. 12 (ASUS WL-566gM wireless router is used as an example). After making all changes, you must reboot the router (otherwise the changes will not take effect). For this purpose in different models routers are used various buttons- for example Finish or Apply and Restart, etc.

Rice. 12. Setting up a DHCP server in the ASUS WL-566gM router

After setting up the LAN interface and DHCP server in the router, you can return to the settings of the network interface of the computer connected to the router.

In the network adapter properties window, which allows you to set the computer's IP address, subnet mask and default gateway IP address, check the box Obtain an IP address automatically(Fig. 13). This example uses the Windows Vista operating system. For operating room Windows systems XP SP2 settings are made in the same way.

Rice. 13. Configuring the network adapter to automatic
obtaining an IP address from the router's DHCP server
(when using Windows Vista OS)

When the changes take effect, the computer will briefly lose connection with the router, but then it will be restored and the router settings will become available again.

Naturally, the question arises: why did we spend so much time setting up a DHCP server on the router if we already had access to the router’s settings? The fact is that in order to gain access to the router we had to configure the network interface of the connected computer. If there is only one computer, then you don’t have to configure a DHCP server, but if there are two or more computers, then to connect them into a local network based on a router, you will have to perform a similar configuration of the network interfaces of all computers and not get confused in the IP addresses, so that Do not assign the same network address to several computers. It is much easier to configure a DHCP server on the router once, and activate the function of automatically obtaining an IP address on all computers connected to it (it is activated by default). Then all computers connected to the router will be automatically assigned IP addresses. In addition, if in the future you have to reinstall the operating system on any computer, you will not need to remember all the settings of the network controller, since they will be made automatically when you connect to the router.

In conclusion, we note that the DHCP server function applies to computers connected to LAN ports not only via network cables, but also via a wireless interface, that is, through the wireless access point integrated in the router.

Setting up the WAN interface

At the next stage of setting up the router, you need to configure the WAN interface, which will provide Internet access. There are quite a few options for setting up a WAN interface, and in each specific case it is determined by the type of connection that the Internet provider uses. Let's look at all the popular connection types used by providers.

In Moscow there are more than 300 home network providers involved in connecting end users to the Internet. Sometimes up to ten providers can provide Internet connection services in one home. Unfortunately, on the websites of home network providers the settings they use are not indicated. Therefore, when choosing a provider (if there are several in your area), you should call the service technical support and learn about all the nuances of connection.

In general, choosing a provider is by no means a trivial task. In this case, it is necessary to take into account not only tariffs, but also factors such as the quality of the communication channel, type of communication, availability of home network resources and much more. For example, in Moscow there are still home network providers whose contracts stipulate that the user is prohibited from using a router to connect several home computers to the Internet. So what, you say, how will he find out? Elementary! The fact is that any router is also a NAT device, therefore, by analyzing network packets (and the structure of packets sent by a NAT device differs from packets sent by a regular network controller), the provider can easily determine whether you are using a router or not. As a rule, on the websites of such providers you can find prices for connecting a second computer to the Internet. What can I say? It is better not to deal with such providers at all.

Another circumstance that must be taken into account when choosing a provider is providing access to home network resources. It is produced free of charge (which is important if you do not have unlimited tariff) and at full network interface speed (100 Mbit/s). Home networks contain collections of films and music, game servers and servers with various software, file sharing networks between home network users. In addition, many home networks are pooling their local resources, providing users with even greater capabilities. Therefore, you should under no circumstances neglect such an opportunity as using local resources of your home network.

I would also like to draw the attention of readers to the fact that some unscrupulous providers are engaged in banal deception of users. For example, instead of the promised bandwidth of 4 Mbit/s, they can actually limit traffic to 2 Mbit/s. Often the promised bandwidth is realized only in one direction - from the provider to the user, and traffic in the opposite direction is cut.

However, there are many more examples of how providers scam users. Fortunately, there are many forums where all this is discussed. However, let's return to the main topic of our article.

So, if we talk about the main types of connection, we can note the following:

• allocation of a dynamic IP address;
• allocation of a static IP address (usually bound by MAC address);
• Internet connection using the PPPoE protocol;
• connecting to the Internet using the PPTP protocol;
• Internet connection via L2TP protocol.

Let's look at each connection type in more detail.

Dynamic IP address allocation

From the user's point of view, the simplest way to connect to the Internet when using one computer is to allocate the user a dynamic IP address. However, if you have a router, the connection procedure becomes somewhat more complicated.

When just one computer connects to the Internet without using a router, there is actually no need to configure the computer's network interface, since with the default network controller settings, the computer immediately has access to the Internet. Let us recall that by default the network interface is configured to automatically obtain an IP address, subnet mask, gateway IP address, and DNS and WINS server IP addresses. In this case, the router WAN port is configured automatically using the provider's DHCP server. However, in some cases you may need to manually set the IP addresses of the DNS server and gateway (although this is rare).

If you use a router to connect to the Internet, its WAN port is configured in exactly the same way as the network controller of a computer connected to the Internet without using a router. That is, in the settings of the router’s WAN interface, you must specify the Dynamic IP connection method (all routers support this type of connection). The problem, however, is that most routers, unlike PC network controllers, cannot automatically obtain the IP addresses of the default gateway and DNS servers (primary and secondary). Therefore, these addresses will most likely have to be entered manually. An example of such a setting in the Gigabyte GN-B49G router is shown in Fig. 14.

Rice. 14. Configuring the router’s WAN interface when using the connection type
with dynamic IP address allocation

Naturally, the question arises: where to get these same IP addresses of the gateway and DNS servers? Indeed, in the case of dynamic settings, providers focus on connecting to the Internet using just one computer, which is able to receive all the settings automatically. But most routers cannot automatically receive settings. In order to find out the IP addresses of the default gateway and DNS servers, you must first set up an Internet connection for one PC (without using a router). Next you need to run the console command ipconfig/all. To do this, launch the command console on your computer (in the window Execute(Run) dial cmd command) and type the command ipconfig/all. This command will display a list of all network controllers installed on the computer (if there are several) with their settings ( network addresses) and MAC addresses (Fig. 15). In the same window you can find out the IP addresses of the Default Gateway and DNS server. All that remains is to write down these addresses so that you can later use them when setting up the router.

Rice. 15. Clarification network settings controller

Once all the necessary IP addresses are registered in the router, all computers connected to the router via LAN ports and wireless interface will have access to the Internet. Moreover, the Internet connection is activated immediately after turning on the computer (as long as the router is turned on). Please note that if your provider, in addition to Internet access, provides a connection to home network resources, then no problems arise with simultaneous use of both the Internet and home network resources (we will discuss such problems later).

Another problem with using a dynamic IP address is that very often this type of connection is combined with MAC address binding. A MAC address is a unique identifier for a network device. No two MAC addresses are the same - no matter what type of network equipment you are talking about. Binding by MAC address means that the provider controls the MAC addresses of the network controllers of the computers from which they access the Internet, that is, a MAC address filter is configured on the provider’s side. If, for example, the connection to the Internet was initially set up on one computer and a binding was made by MAC address, then an attempt to access the Internet from another computer (for example, you bought a new PC) will no longer be successful. The problem, of course, can be solved, but to do this you need to tell the provider the MAC address of the new computer.

If several computers are connected to the Internet using a router, the binding must be made to the MAC address of the router's WAN port. In principle, you can call your provider and ask them to enter a new MAC address, but you can do it easier. Almost all modern routers have such a function as MAC address spoofing. That is, any MAC address can be assigned to the WAN port. If the router is installed after you have set up an Internet connection using one computer, then it is enough to assign the WAN port of the router the MAC address of the network controller that was used in the computer to set up the Internet connection.

The MAC address of the network controller can be found in the same window where the IP addresses of the default gateway and DNS server are indicated (see Figure 15).

Having opened the router's web interface, you need to assign a new MAC address to the WAN port. Note that this function can be implemented in the router not in the settings section (IP config) of the LAN and WAN interfaces of the router, but in some other one. For example, in wireless routers Gigabyte this function is located in the Change WAN MAC section (Fig. 16).

Rice. 16. Changing the MAC address of the router WAN port using the example of a router
Gigabyte GN-B49G

One last issue to mention about connecting to the Internet using a dynamic IP address is that your ISP's default gateway and DNS server IP addresses may change from time to time. Therefore, if your Internet suddenly disappears, do not rush to call technical support. It is quite possible that you just need to change the gateway and DNS server IP addresses on your router. Of course, periodically reconfiguring the router is an extremely unpleasant task, but what to do - in some cases this is the only possible way. The good news is that the IP addresses of the provider’s gateway and DNS server change quite rarely. In addition, some router models, like the PC network controller, are capable of automatically obtaining the IP addresses of the default gateway and DNS servers.

Allocation of a static IP address

The connection method with the allocation of a static IP address (Static IP), from the user's point of view, is also very simple, although the number of settings that will have to be made is slightly greater than in the case of a dynamic IP address. Actually, there is no difference between these connection methods, except that in the first case, the provider’s DHCP server is used to configure the network interface and the configuration occurs automatically, and in the second, all settings must be entered manually.

Having selected a connection type with a static IP address in the settings of the router's WAN interface, you must specify the IP address of the WAN port, the subnet mask, the IP addresses of the gateway and the primary and secondary DNS servers. All this data is provided by the provider when you connect to the Internet. An example of such a setup on the Gigabyte GN-B49G router is shown in Fig. 17.

Rice. 17. Configuring the router’s WAN interface when using the connection type
with allocation of a static IP address

Almost always, when using a connection type with a static IP address, MAC address binding is used. We have already described what additional settings need to be made in the router in this case. It only remains to note that when using this type of connection, the user does not have problems with simultaneous use of both the Internet and local resources of the home network.

Connecting to the Internet using the PPPoE protocol

PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) is also quite often used by home network providers. It is supported by all routers, which means there is no problem of router incompatibility with the connection type.

The use of a connection via the PPPoE protocol opens up wide opportunities for providers to account for user access to the network. Thanks to this technology, the provider can easily restrict users' access to the Internet and keep track of their traffic. PPPoE technology runs a PPP session over an Ethernet network.

At the same time, user authentication using the PAP and CHAP protocols, dynamic allocation of IP addresses to users, assignment of gateway and DNS server addresses, etc. are supported.

The operating principle of PPPoE is based on establishing a point-to-point connection over a common Ethernet medium. The process of functioning of PPPoE is divided into two stages: first, devices communicate their addresses to each other and establish an initial connection, and then a PPP session is launched.

All clients are allocated private addresses and are asked to log in via PPPoE.

From the user's point of view, setting up a connection using the PPPoE protocol cannot be called simple. Even if you set up an Internet connection on just one computer (without using a router), you will have to open a lot of dialog boxes. In principle, the process of setting up an Internet connection on a computer using the PPPoE protocol is similar to the process of setting up an Internet connection using an analog modem.

In addition, the PPPoE protocol has another inconvenience for the user. The fact is that in order to simultaneously access the Internet and access the local home network, it is necessary to make additional (and by no means trivial for novice users) settings. That is, with a normal Internet connection setup, simultaneous access to the Internet and home network resources is impossible. However, we will talk about these subtleties later, but for now let’s look at setting up an Internet connection using the PPPoE protocol when using one computer (without a router).

Setting up a PPPoE connection using one computer

The sequence of settings and the appearance of the dialog boxes depend on the operating system used, so we will consider two options for setting up the connection - for Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (English version) and Microsoft Windows Vista (Russian version).

For Microsoft Windows XP SP2 operating system

When using the Microsoft Windows XP SP2 operating system, to create a new network connection, you must run New Connection Wizard Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications > New Connection Wizard(Fig. 18).

Rice. 18. Launching the Network Connection Wizard

New Connection Wizard(New Connection Wizard) click on the button Next and move on to the section New Connection Type(Network connection type). In this window, check the box Connect to the Internet(Connect to the Internet) - fig. 19.

Rice. 19. Setting the network connection type

Getting Ready(Preparations in progress) select the method for creating a network connection. Here it is necessary to note the point Set up my connection manually(Establish connection manually) - fig. 20.

Rice. 20. Setting the network connection setup method

Next we move on to the section Internet Connection(Internet connection) - fig. 21, in which you set the type of equipment for connecting to the Internet, and select the item Connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name and password (Through high speed connection prompting for username and password).

Rice. 21. Selecting the type of equipment for the Internet connection

In the next section called Connection Name(Connection name) You must specify the connection name (ISP Name). In principle, this name can be anything, for example, the connection can be called Internet (Fig. 22).

Rice. 22. Setting a name for the Internet connection

Further in the section Internet Account Information(Details account on the Internet), you must enter the data received from the provider, that is, the user name (User Name) and password (Password). To avoid errors, the password is entered twice: in the Password(Password) and in the field Confirm Password(Confirmation) - fig. 23. If you are the sole owner of the computer, that is, if there are no other users with other profiles, or you want this Internet connection to be available to all users of this computer, then you can check the box Use this account name and password when anyone connects to the Internet from this computer(Use the following username and password when connecting any user). If there is only one Internet connection on the computer (which is most likely), then we also check the box Make this the default Internet connection(Make this connection your default Internet connection).

Rice. 23. Setting a username and password

At the final stage of creating an Internet connection, you can check the item (Add a connection shortcut to the desktop) - fig. 24.

Rice. 24. Adding an icon for the created Internet connection to the desktop

Once you have completed creating a new connection using New Connection Wizards it is necessary to produce it additional settings so that you can use it to access the Internet. To do this, left-click on the icon of the created connection and in the Internet connection window that opens, enter the user name and password again (Fig. 25). In order not to repeat this procedure every time you access the Internet, check the box (Save username and password) and check the box Anyone who use this computer(For any user).

Rice. 25. Setting up an Internet connection

Operating system Microsoft Windows Vista

If you are using the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, to create an Internet connection using the PPPoE protocol, click the Net right-click and in the context menu that opens, select Properties. In the window that appears Shared Network Center Select the link on the left side by clicking on it with the left mouse button. After this a window should open Connect to the network(Fig. 26), in which you need to select the item Internet connection.

Rice. 26. Launching the Internet Connection Wizard

At the next stage, select the type of Internet connection - High speed with PPPoE(Fig. 27) and in the next window enter the username and password received from the provider (Fig. 28). All you have to do is press the button Connect, after which an attempt will be made to connect to the Internet. Actually, this completes the creation of a new Internet connection.

Rice. 27. Selecting the type of Internet connection

Rice. 28. Setting a username and password

Next in the window Shared Network Center select the link on the left side Connect to the network by clicking on it with the left mouse button. After this a window should open Connect to the network, which displays the created Internet connection. Having selected the created Internet connection in this window, right-click on it and select the item in the context menu that opens Properties(Fig. 29).

Rice. 29. Go to the Properties window for the created Internet connection

On various window tabs Properties Once the Internet connection has been created, you can check whether the settings are correct.

As we have already noted, from the user’s point of view, the main problem with a connection using the PPPoE protocol, in addition to the complex setup, is that the created Internet connection does not provide simultaneous access to both the Internet and the resources of the local home network. To access local network resources, another network connection is created. The process of creating it is quite simple and is no different from connecting with a dynamically allocated IP address using the provider’s DHCP server (how such a connection is configured has already been described in the corresponding section). As a result, the user has two connections: to the Internet and to local network resources, but they cannot be used simultaneously, that is, you can access either the Internet or the provider’s home network. Of course, this is inconvenient, especially when multiple devices are connected to the Internet. This problem can be solved by using one Internet connection for simultaneous access to both the Internet and local home network resources. To do this, you need to create a so-called static routing table.

Before you start creating a table static routing, you need to find out the IP address of the default gateway that is used when connecting to the Internet. For this purpose in command console run the ipconfig command, after which a list of all connections with their settings will be displayed. By choosing to connect to local resources, write down the IP address of the Default gateway.

The command syntax is as follows:

ROUTE –p ADD ,

Where destination- IP address of the host (server) in the provider’s local home network; netmask- network mask for the host IP address in the provider’s local home network; gateway- Default gateway IP address.

Thanks to the key –p, the routes will be remembered and restored after the computer is restarted. However, if you make a mistake, you risk disrupting your connection to both the Internet and the local network. If this happens, enter the reset routes command route –f and restart your computer. After rebooting, you can try executing the ROUTE command again.

The specific IP addresses of the provider's local network servers can be found from the provider itself, for example, on its website.

As an example, we will give commands for adding static routes used in the Konkovo.Net network:

• ROUTE –p ADD 192.168.0.0 MASK 255.255.0.0 addressgateway> ;
• ROUTE –p ADD 10.0.0.0 MASK 255.0.0.0 addressgateway> .

To check the added routing table, enter the ROUTE PRINT command (Fig. 30).