The Internet is an indispensable condition for the comfortable existence of absolutely every modern person. Today, online you can work, shop, chat with friends and watch TV. Finding a person who would not need the Internet is almost impossible. Moreover, more and more people refuse to watch stationary TVs in favor of network broadcasts.
To connect to the Internet, routers or network routers are most often used, which allow you to use all the benefits of Wi-Fi. However, in connection with this, users quite often have questions: "WAN - what is it? How to configure it? What is it for?". Consider these items in detail.
WAN: what is it?
This is a solution that is widely used when connecting routers or routers to the Internet. With proper equipment setup, communication will be of high quality and reliable.
The abbreviation itself stands for Wide Area Network, which translates as "global area network." A WAN connector is also often referred to as 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. LAN is flaunted over several of them, and only one is signed by Internet or WAN. Experienced computer scientists also call this port UpLink.
However, it is worthwhile to understand not only the question “WAN - what is it?”, But also with how it differs from other connectors. After all, outwardly everyone looks absolutely identical.
How WAN differs from LAN
As mentioned above, the ports are very similar in appearance, so they are easy to mix up. However, if you plug the Internet cable into the LAN connector, absolutely nothing will happen. The fact is that this port is designed to create 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 directly the Internet, you must connect to the global network, that is, to the WAN. This is the only way to enjoy all the benefits of online shopping and chatting with friends from anywhere in the world.
Thus, it becomes obvious that these two ports are in no way interconnected. The Internet is often called the largest WAN network. That is why very often the router stands for the abbreviation Internet. This helps users not to miss the plug and start using the Internet without any problems.
So, with the question "WAN - what is it?" figured out, now it's time to consider the connection settings. If you don’t want to delve into all the intricacies of the router’s interface, you can call your Internet service provider and ask the 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 consider WAN settings in more detail. 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 that you need:
- Connect one end of the cable (usually blue) to the router (into the LAN connector), and the other to the laptop or PC network card.
- Turn on the device and wait until the computer is fully loaded.
- Open a window of any Internet browser and enter the IP address of the router in the address bar. To find out, just specify the model of the router. Also, the desired address is often indicated on the package 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 that, you need to perform a few more manipulations to connect the WAN.
Browser Settings
In order to start using the wireless network, you must perform the following steps:
- Enter the login and password from the router (most often "admin" and "1234").
- Enter the device settings .
- Open the WAN menu. If there is no such inscription, then find the necessary Setup.
- Fill in all the fields. All necessary data are specified by the provider, sometimes they can be found in the contract itself.
- Specify the type of data transfer L2TP or PPTP.
- Create a password and a name for the router.
- Select the type of encryption (optional).
- Enter the address of the access point.
- Select "Automatically Obtain DNS Address".
After that, you need to save all the changes.
Parameter Update
If necessary, you can activate the "firewall" in the same menu. To do this, just check the corresponding item. Then click the “Save” button and wait for the updates to load.
After that, you can pull out the LAN cable. Better restart your computer. Now you can connect the Internet cable to the WAN port on the router and find the wireless network on the computer. At the next stage, just enter the password from the router and start using the Internet.
On some routers there are WAN miniport ports. They are designed for high speed internet. Today, only some providers (for example, Rostelecom) provide such a service.