Reassigning a WAN port to a LAN port in the router settings

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, there will be from 3 to 10 connectors on it. 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 PC network card.
Turn on the devices and wait until the computer boots up completely.
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 the data is nowhere to be found, 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 remove the 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. At the next stage, just enter the password for the router 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).

Internet connection interfaces are connectors that are located on the back of the router and on the side of the laptop or on the back of the system unit. Using these connectors, the computer and router can exchange data with each other and other devices they are connected to.

The interface for connecting to the global web is divided into two types: LAN and WAN. Let's look at both.

What is LAN

LAN is an abbreviation and in English it sounds like local area network. Translated, it means local network. Using this connector, all computers, televisions, and other devices that are located in any organization or even at home are connected.

On the router Depending on the variety, you can most often find 4 or 8 ethernet LAN ports. All of them are marked in yellow or any other color and numbered.

On some routers or switches, such interfaces may be a lot more, since devices are used to connect a large number of computers, for example, like in the picture below:

Routers connect all devices into a single local web, most often via a UTP or FTP LAN cable. UTP marking means that the cable is not shielded, and in the case of FTP, shielding is common to all 4 pairs. In principle, there is no large interference in houses that would dampen the transmission of information. This type of cable is also called twisted pair. It consists of four pairs of multi-colored wires through which information is transmitted and received. They are connected to the port in a certain sequence via an RG45 connector.

What is WAN

WAN is also an acronym. Sounds like a wide area network. Translated means global web. This interface provides an Internet connection for all devices on the local area or one computer. To connect to it, RG 45 connectors and corresponding connectors are also used. It connects to the router via a blue WAN port (sometimes another one, with the appropriate label) from the provider’s router.

To connect the router to the global web, the same cable is used - twisted pair UTP or FTP. There are several wire markings: FFTP, STP, SSTP. They all differ in the degree of shielding. It is worth noting that UTP is used here quite rarely.

In addition, there is such a thing as WWAN, which is essentially the same as VAN, but wireless cellular technologies are used to transmit information. The same goes for WLAN and WMAN.

What's the difference between WAN and LAN?

First of all, the difference between a local and a worldwide network is topology. For local it is peer to peer (translation equal to equal, usually without a server), for global it is client-server. To create a LAN network you do not need to purchase expensive equipment. A few computers and a router are enough. Transmission speed The local one always has more than the global one. But the geographical coverage of the global one is greater.

Depending on where the device is installed, the VAN and LAN may be assigned a different address. If we take a home router as an example, then WAN is assigned a global or external IP from the user’s point of view, and LAN is assigned internal or local.

From point of view security WAN is inferior to LAN. The printer can be shared on a local network. A web covering only local devices also has a limitation by the number of connections, while the wide area network has no such restrictions.

What is MAN

MAN is a network of a large city or metropolitan area network. Possesses high speed connection unlike the global one. It differs from the first two in that it connects devices located in different buildings. Of course, it is smaller than the global web, but larger than the local network.

Distance The area that this grid covers ranges from one to ten kilometers. The diameter of such a grid can range from 5 to 50 kilometers. MAN is not owned by one company, but usually includes several groups or providers who pay for the equipment.

If we look at a regular router, on the back panel we will see several ports with a signature and one with a signature. Externally, all these ports are identical, but for the functioning of the router, confusion between them is unacceptable.

Concept of WAN and LAN

WAN - Wide Area Network- a global computer network that covers and connects many computer systems around the world.

LAN - Local Area Network- a local area network that unites a limited number of computers in a relatively small area.

Difference between WAN and LAN

The difference between WAN and LAN lies in the purpose of the networks. WAN is an external network that connects groups of local networks and individual computers, regardless of their location. Network participants can interact with each other, taking into account the limitations of connection technologies (mainly data transfer speeds). The global Internet is the most famous, but not the only WAN network today. LAN is a local network, internal, connecting individual computers, network segments and groups of networks located in close proximity to each other. Interaction with each other is provided by both wired and wireless technologies.

Thus, on routers, the WAN port is for connecting a cable with an Internet connection, and the LAN ports are for connecting your local devices.

LAN networks can cover up to several kilometers of territory, and communication between network sections is provided by high-quality, high-bandwidth cables (most often twisted pairs). WAN networks do not limit the territory, but their organization also uses telephone lines that do not differ in the quality and speed of data transfer. In addition, WANs can be based on more modern communication networks. When organizing a LAN, a direct topology is used; when organizing a WAN, a mixed hierarchical topology is used.

At the data link level of the OSI model, LAN and WAN networks use different data transfer protocols: for LAN these are Ethernet and 802.11 (as a rule), for WAN - PPP, HDLC, Frame Relay. In LAN networks, the communication channel is used by one client; in WAN networks, the communication channel is shared between network clients.

1. WAN - external, global network, LAN - internal, local network.
2. WAN is not limited to a territory; LAN cannot be very long.
3. In routers, the WAN port is intended for an Internet connection, and the LAN port is for local user devices.
4. The number of LAN clients is limited.
5. LAN bandwidth is usually higher; high-quality cables are used to organize it.
6. LAN uses Ethernet and 802.11 protocols, WAN - PPP and others.
7. In a LAN, the communication channel is used by one client, in a WAN - by several.

Our short article today will be devoted to an element of routers called WAN. We will try to answer the questions of what it is and what functions it performs.
It is very likely that you once tried to set up a router yourself and turned to some forum for help. And it’s even more likely that in such a situation you were advised to connect the cable to WAN connector or go to the WAN tab and set the correct settings there.
As you might have guessed, there are two things on the router of the so-called WANs. Firstly, this is the connector, which is located on the router body, into which it is actually connected internet via cable, paved Internet provider. Based on the example of different manufacturers, the back panel may look different:

This connector is also called differently RJ-45. More often WAN connector on routers it is painted blue. The first WAN has already been dealt with.

Under the second meaning of the word WAN Hidden is nothing more than an item in the router settings. You probably already know how to access the control panel from our previous publications. By the way, some router models, in particular TP-LINK, tab WAN called simply "Internet".

The settings that are in it actually allow the router to connect to the Internet. I would even call it the most important point in setting up the router. Therefore, enter the data given to you by your provider very carefully. Quite often, at this stage of setup, mistakes are made, and then questions arise as to why the router is not functioning fully.