Today, perhaps, you will no longer meet a person who does not use a computer or does not have a PC at home. Besides, everything more services, programs necessary for work and leisure, work when connected to the internet.
Also, recently the situation has become increasingly popular when an apartment, house or office has not one device, but several (PCs, tablets, communicators, smartphones, etc.), each of which requires its own separate connection to the network.
The ability to connect several devices to the internet, while having one input signal point from the provider, is currently achieved using a router or router.
Photo – Networking with multiple paired devices
The router itself is network device, the purpose of which is to transmit packet data between devices paired with it and the access point - the service provider. In addition, more expensive routers are equipped with a number of additional functions, among which:
- the ability to set restrictions on access to sites that are potentially dangerous for software;
- ability to connect a firewall;
- the ability to encrypt network access and traffic distribution;
- ordered distribution of traffic across access points, etc.
A standard router, which can often be found both in a private home and in a company office, public places, is a small-sized equipment consisting of a hardware unit, an antenna for transmitting a Wi-Fi signal, a power supply for connecting to the mains, patch cords (patch cords).
Photo – Equipment and connection of the router
A standard router is capable of organizing a network by connecting 4 PCs via wired communication, as well as 5-10 devices for which channels will be allocated Wi-Fi signals. However, experts do not recommend completely loading the router, especially if it is not an expensive model of this device. Otherwise, the router may freeze and cannot withstand heavy loads.
Some router models may be equipped with USB ports to connect a flash drive to them or hard drive. This feature will allow you to use the equipment as file server, print server, etc. In addition, some models also boast support for 3G modems.
What you should pay attention to
When choosing a router, you should consider the following features and operating parameters of this equipment:
- for organization home connection or a network for a small office, a regular (non-professional) router from the mid-price range will be sufficient;
- device support for IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11n standards is required will provide data transfer speeds via Wi-Fi up to 600 Mbit/s;
- installation must support PPTP or L2TP, which will provide access to Internet communications from almost any provider.
How a wireless Wi-Fi router works
The principle of operation of the equipment is based on receiving and converting the recipient's address, which is “written” in the header of the information packet for its transmission, then the path along which the information is addressed is determined using the routing table. If the routing table does not provide any address, the information is not accepted and discarded.
Photo - Example of a user network working with a router
In practice, there are some other systems for transmitting data to devices paired with the router. For example, the use of the sender address or upper-level header protocols. There are also cases when the router’s operation is based on the transmission of addresses of both the sender and the recipient, as well as filtering the transit stream of transmitted data.
How to install a Wi-Fi router: step-by-step instructions
In order to connect and configure the router yourself, you need to do the following:
- The first thing they do to install the equipment is to connect all communications from the router to the PC and to the Internet signal transmission unit from the provider. To do this, insert an Internet cable into the connector called WAN, and insert the cable that comes with the router into one of the remaining ports; its other end is intended for the Ethernet connector on the back panel of the PC. After this, turn on the power to the device.
- Next move on to configuration software router. The equipment setup is not standard and may differ depending on the router model and connection settings from the provider. Configuration can be done through any browser installed on your computer ( Google Chrome,Opera, Internet Explorer, etc.). To do this, you need to log into the administrative interface of the device by entering address bar Browser combination of numbers: 192.168.1.1. After pressing the Enter key, the equipment administration window should pop up. If this does not happen, then you should check the cable connection, make sure that the connection is running, and then try again.
- The next step is directly Wi-Fi setup connections. If the router is equipped with a quick setup function, then you need to start the “Quick Setup” service and follow the prompts of the installation wizard. Among the setup steps there will be a selection of the following parameters: - type of preferred connection;
— type of Internet connection;
- Next, you need to connect the Wi-Fi module itself directly. To do this, the installation wizard offers the following menu.
Photo - Module Wi-Fi connections signal
After these steps, the Internet connection should already be working. However, if the Internet speed is low or constant signal loss occurs, experts recommend choosing a specific channel (from 1 to 13), saving the settings. It is also worth taking care of the access password to the signal of the connected router. Otherwise, unauthorized connections are possible, which will also reduce traffic and make the router work slower.
After the router is connected and configured, all that remains is to connect the work network card on a PC or laptop and use the device with the internet. On a laptop, you need to make sure that the special key that turns on Wi-Fi mode is pressed. If this operation is completed, you must connect the device to the network.
Photo – Network indicator
To do this, on the desktop toolbar on the network icon, click right click mouse, select a name from the drop-down menu established network, click the “Connect” button.
Photo - Context menu with Internet networks installed on the device
The connection is made in a similar way for Windows 8; for other systems, the device is put into operation according to a similar scheme.
How much does a router for a computer cost?
Today, the electronics and computer equipment market offers its customers a wide selection of routers, which differ from each other both in the manufacturer and in some of the functional features of the device. These could be routers for home network with a few connected devices or industrial equipment to provide access to the Internet for public places and large offices. Accordingly, considering functionality device, the cost of devices will vary significantly. By visiting a store or online store of electrical goods, the client can choose the appropriate equipment that will meet the requirements for it. At the same time, he will need to deposit an amount of money ranging from 1 thousand rubles. for a standard model up to more than 25 thousand rubles. for professional multifunctional devices.
Almost every home already has several devices with Internet access. In order to connect them into one network and connect to the global network, a router is used. From this article we will learn what a router is and why it is needed.
IN this moment Most Internet users have already forgotten about wired device connections.
Definition of a router and its purpose
A router is a special network device for distributing the Internet signal received from the provider among users. Despite the abundance of models with varied functionality, their main purpose is:
- creating a home network (with sufficient range);
- implementation of Internet access as an access point for several devices;
- increasing network coverage area.
Types of routers
By connection method to the computer
- External - in the form of a separate unit connected to a PC via a network cable or via Wi-Fi.
- Internal - built into the body. The advantage is that it does not take up space on the table.
By use:
- Home - ordinary models for use at home.
- Automotive - compact 3G routers that operate from a car cigarette lighter or battery.
- Mini-routers are compact models for the home with limited functionality.
- Routers for TVs.
- 3G-Wi-Fi router - equipped with a SIM card slot, battery powered.
Main functions
Internet access type
ADSL- connection works via telephone line, through which you can make calls and use the Internet at the same time. Maximum speed- several tens of megabits per second.
Ethernet (FTTB)- fiber optic cable. The fastest type of connection. The speed offered by providers is up to 100 megabits, and in rare cases - up to 1 gigabit.
3G/LTE- allows you to distribute mobile Internet. The speed is limited by the capabilities of the telecom operator and the quality of coverage.
There are combined models capable of distributing a network obtained from different sources. You should find out what technology your Internet access provider uses. Models of the latter type are usually sold in mobile phone stores.
Communication standard and connection speed
Today there are several communication standards with different speeds:
- 802.11a - up to 54 Mbit/s;
- 802.11 b - up to 11 Mbit/s;
- 802.11 g - up to 54 Mbit/s;
- 802.11 n - up to 600 Mbit/s;
- the latest 802.11 ac - over 1 Gbit/s.
Absolutely all 2015 models are equipped with support for the 802.11 n standard, and more and more models are equipped with support for 802.11 ac, however, they are still very expensive.
How does the communication standard affect the quality of work? It all depends on the Internet speed, according to the conditions of your tariff plan. When the router is old or does not support high-speed standards, it will simply reduce the speed of the Internet channel. The most budget models, according to manufacturers, are capable of exchanging data at speeds of up to 150 megabits, although in practice it is somewhat less. More advanced devices provide up to 300, and the most sophisticated - up to 600 and even 1200 Mbit/s.
It is a very rare Internet provider that offers speeds above 100 Mbit, which should be enough even for the lower threshold. Very high speeds are needed when you either connect many devices to the network or exchange huge amounts of data between them.
Number of antennas and range
The range depends on many factors: the number of walls and their material, the number of antennas, and whether it is from 10 to 100 meters. The cheapest and lowest-power Wi-Fi routers are equipped with one antenna, while more expensive and more powerful models are equipped with two, three or more. In principle, the simplest router is quite enough for an apartment or small house.
Don't assume that a large number of antennas will increase Internet speed indoors
Data encryption
Cybercrime has reached unprecedented levels, and when you think that using the Internet at home, your data is completely safe, you are deeply mistaken. If the communication channel is not sufficiently protected, attackers can easily intercept data such as logins and passwords, and financial data. Be sure to encrypt your Wi-Fi communication channel!
All routers support WEP, WPA/WPA-2 communication security standards. The latter is considered the most reliable, we recommend choosing it.
Connection interfaces
Each router can distribute the Internet not only via Wi-Fi, but also via wire. Most models are equipped with four ports. What can they be useful for? For example, you have desktop computer or an interactive TV set-top box, then you can connect them via cable, because it is still a more reliable connection and does not suffer from speed drops like Wi-Fi. In this regard, he is better. In cheaper models the port local network operates at a speed of 100 Mbit/s, and more expensive devices are equipped with 1 Gbit/s ports.
The presence of a USB slot will allow you to connect memory cards, external hard disks, and then the data stored on them will become available to other network participants. And by connecting a printer, you can print from any device and anywhere in the house.
A user who cannot technical reasons connect to a traditional provider, the ability to connect a 3G modem will come in handy. In any case, its presence will become a backup option, a safety net in case of problems with a regular connection.
Conclusion
A Wi-Fi router is a very necessary device in the arsenal of equipment for an active user. World Wide Web. You now know what it is for and how it works. We hope you found the information useful and improved your computer literacy. We will be glad to receive your comments with feedback on the material.
Today, many families have long had a couple of computers or laptops, and sometimes both. Plus to all this also smart phones, and maybe a tablet. And, of course, the center of entertainment for every family member is the big one. Up to a certain point, everything usually goes fine, as long as everyone in the house uses their devices, but then the desire for something more appears.
This requires a home wireless network. It helps to get rid of unnecessary wires, be more mobile, and, of course, makes all the media content accumulated by family members available to everyone.
Such home wireless network is organized at wi-fi help router that distributes a signal to many devices that support wireless connection. Or you can join the giveaway using network cables, but for this you will need to register IP addresses for each connected device.
For greater comfort in accessing content, use a NAS server. This can be either separate system unit With several HDD drives, and a ready-made boxed solution. Such home server allows you to connect via wireless network any device and watch HD videos, music, play games and much more, and most importantly, store it all on your disks. The home server is also connected to the wi-fi router.
The most common Internet connection options
- With dynamic IP (Auto IP or DHCP)
- With a static IP address (Manual configuration of the WAN IP address setting field, mask, gateway...)
We will consider the 2nd option, with a static IP address. As soon as you select it, the fields for entering static connection parameters will become active - “Setting up the WAN IP address”, which must be filled in according to the data received from the Internet provider.
Click “No” and fill out all the fields one by one.
It is worth noting that in this case the IP address and other network parameters are fixed, they should be entered exactly as specified by the provider.
If you select the option with a dynamic IP address, or PPPoE or L2TP, then the setup is simplified and the router will receive all connection parameters from the provider automatically. Only for the last two connection types you need to specify the name and password provided by the provider (or in rare cases, the “Service Name”).
Complete the settings by clicking the "Apply" or "Save" button.
In some cases, the provider binds the user to a MAC address ( physical address) of his computer so that no one else can connect instead of him. In this case, attempting to access the Internet using the router will become impossible.
To avoid this, the MAC address of the router's external interface should be changed so that it matches the MAC address that your ISP assigned you to (usually the address of your computer's network interface).
This operation is called MAC address cloning, although this function in the router’s web interface does not always have the same name.
To clone the MAC address of your computer, which was connected by cable to the Internet before installing the router, enter it in the MAC field of the “Special requirements of the Internet service provider” section in the WAN section, Internet connection tab.
Save the settings by clicking the "Apply" button.
How to find out the MAC address of a computer
To find out the MAC address of your computer and enter it when setting up an Internet connection on the router,
do the following:
1. Click on the computer icon in the task tray (tray), click “Network and Sharing Center”
and in the window that opens, select “Local Area Connection”.
2. Click on the "Details" button to see the MAC address.
The MAC address will be located in the Physical Address field.
Configure Wi-Fi settings manually
If you did everything correctly and specified the correct connection parameters, then after rebooting the router you will have access to the Internet from the computer on which you made the settings. Open your browser and type
address of any website, for example . The site page has opened, so you can start
to setting up a wireless network (wi-fi).
In the router web interface menu, select the “Wireless” section, “General” tab.
Please note that some routers support wireless networks in two bands at once (5 GHz and 2.4 GHz). Set up your wireless network in the more popular 2.4 GHz band.
Specify the wireless network operating mode. The best option — universal setting, ensuring compatibility with both new and old versions Wi-Fi standard. It is called “Mixed” or “Auto” (automatic mode).
Enter the network SSID (Network name that will be displayed when scanning) in the field of the same name. Select a security option in the “Authentication method” field, I recommend WPA2-Personal, read why in the Wi-Fi section. Enter the password (or key) in the WPA Pre-Shared Key field. This key and network name (SSID) will be required to set up access on your wireless devices, so it is recommended that you save them to a file or write them down somewhere safe.
It is recommended to hide the SSID so that your home wireless network was not visible from the outside, but you will still be able to connect to it, since you already know the SSID. To save the settings, click on the “Apply” or “Save” button. By the way, a wireless network in the 5 GHz band is configured in the same way.
Attention! Be careful when updating your router firmware. The need for it is determined incorrect work router and communication problems. Carefully read the section of the user manual about updating the router software and strictly follow the recommendations. Updating the router firmware is a last resort; you should not resort to it unless absolutely necessary, since initial setup There is no such need for a wireless network.
P.S. I would be very grateful if you point out those points that need to be examined in more detail.
Few people bother studying the capabilities of their Wi-Fi router. There is Internet, and that's fine. In fact, a good Wi-Fi router can do a lot of cool things. And to use all the features, you don’t need to have special knowledge, download alternative firmware and study hundreds of pages on forums. Let's show you how it worksusing the example of a router, which can be bought for 2,500–2,700 rubles.
1. Connect your network to your neighbor's Wi-Fi. Or anyone else
Let’s say a signal from a nearby cafe reaches you. Or a neighbor, out of the kindness of his heart, gave you the password for his Wi-Fi. Instead of connecting to the network from a smartphone, tablet or computer, connect to it through a router, and then use it from the router free internet. This function is called "" (WISP), and it has several advantages:
- Better signal. If on a smartphone a wireless network shows one or two bars and works somehow, then from a router the same network will give its full speed, and the connection will be much more stable.
- Safely. You never know how security will fare on an unfamiliar Wi-Fi network. By connecting to someone else's Wi-Fi through a router, you are protected by the security measures built into it and do not expose your devices and their contents to someone else's network.
- Backup Internet that connects automatically. If something suddenly breaks down with your main provider, the router will automatically switch to the backup channel, and you most likely won’t even notice it and will be able to continue using the Internet.
- Backup Internet from a smartphone. Often, when there are problems with the Internet, we use our smartphone as an access point. The signal from it is weak and hits close. Create an access point on your smartphone, connect to your router as a “wireless provider”, and you will get a good, stable connection on all your devices.
2. Use multiple providers on one router
This feature is called Multi WAN. It allows you to connect as many providers as there are ports on your router, and additionally add a USB modem.
Let's say you have Internet access from two providers at once. One is the main one, the second is a reserve one with the cheapest tariff. This good practice, which allows you to stay online even if something happens to your main provider.
In order not to swap cables every time, not to reconfigure the router or computer, and not to do other time-consuming and energy-consuming things, just connect both cables to the router. The main port goes to the standard port (usually a different color), and the backup port goes to any other port. Configure the router once, and in the future everything will work and switch automatically.
3. Distribute the Internet from a USB modem through a router
This is possible if the router has a USB port, and you have a USB modem from a cellular operator, with which you can access the Internet from a laptop from anywhere.
Connect the modem to the router's USB port and run quick setup By . Now you have a backup Mobile Internet, which will turn on automatically if problems arise with the main provider.
This life hack will allow you to use a Wi-Fi network not only at the dacha, where there is no landline Internet, but also while traveling. You can find an adapter on the Internet to power the router from the cigarette lighter in your car. Connect a USB modem to the router, and all your passengers will be able to use the Internet while traveling - provided, of course, there is a cellular network signal.
If you have an external HDD, connect it to the router via USB.
Activate the ability to download torrents in the router settings.
You can launch and manage downloads remotely through the My.Keenetic Android app.
Downloading and distributing torrents through a router occurs without the participation of a computer. By default, download and upload speeds are set so as not to clog the entire channel. You can change the speed in the settings. You won’t get more than 5 MB/s from the budget Keenetic Omni, but the Internet will not slow down when downloading.
The router can not only download, but also broadcast video to a TV via DLNA, and in the torrent settings you can select sequential torrent downloading to start watching a movie before the download is complete.
5. Access your router and home devices from anywhere
A free proprietary service, KeenDNS, is available to all “kineticists”, replacing any other DDNS services (such as No-IP and DynDNS) in a situation where you have a white but dynamic IP address.
What to do if the address is gray, as, for example, almost everyone has mobile operators for the connection described above via a USB modem or a backup one?
KeenDNS solves this problem:
- It allows you to connect to the router even with a gray address using a convenient name like home.keenetic.link without the hassle of obtaining and registering an SSL certificate;
- Provides access behind the gray address not only to the router, but also to the devices connected to it (for example, a heating boiler control system or the already mentioned torrent downloader) by a convenient name like device.home.keenetic.link.
- Connects to your home network via a pervasive SSTP tunnel that's easy to set up on Windows or an Android app.
6. Create Time Machine backups
Apple has stopped producing its routers, but the need to backup the MacBook has not gone away.
Enable backup Time Machine in the router settings by . You will again need an external hard drive - now it will also become a backup storage. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to format it in Apple file system HFS+, because the router can make backups on an NTFS disk.
If you need high speed Reserve copy, Keenetic Omni may not cope. Look towards top routers Keenetic Giga or Ultra.
7. Control your flash drive from your smartphone without an OTG cable
This function will allow you to record or view files if you don’t have a computer at hand, and your smartphone does not support OTG, or the OTG cable has disappeared somewhere.
Connect the flash drive to the router and run it on your smartphone file manager like ES Explorer with support for network access. You will have full access to the contents of the flash drive, regardless of its file system.
8. Turn your router into a telephone exchange. Or something else
You can plug not only a modem or disk into the router’s USB port, but also a branded DECT set-top box. With it, your router will work as a wireless telephone exchange with support for up to 6 handsets. Everything necessary for this can be done without special knowledge.
Support for third party software packages () official firmware turns the router into a real Swiss army knife with a bunch of bells and whistles. You can install the rTorrent torrent client, an Asterisk IP-PBX telephone exchange, another DLNA server, and much more into the router. In routers Keenetic, the main firmware does not change, and you do not lose the warranty.
9. Save on VPN
Thanks to recent events on the Russian Internet, everyone now knows about VPN and its benefits.
Using a router, you can save a lot by purchasing just one license for one device from some good VPN provider, but use the service on all your devices at once.
To do this, just enable VPN not on one of the devices, but directly on the router. Now any smartphone, tablet or computer connected to the router will automatically access the Internet via VPN. If this does not suit you, go to your router settings and specify which gadgets should work through the VPN and which should not.
If you only want to use a VPN to improve your online security, you don't need overseas VPN servers, which means you don't need to pay for them. If you have a white IP, you can safely access the Internet through your own VPN while away from home. As a bonus, you'll have access to your home network and its content from anywhere in the world.
10. Make Wi-Fi faster and more stable
Most routers operate in the 2.4 GHz band. When several routers are located nearby - for example, in an apartment building - they interfere with each other. Imagine a bazaar: a bunch of people, everyone is shouting, nothing is clear. It’s the same with routers, only the quality and speed of the Internet drops.
The range is divided into several channels. For example, Vasya’s neighbor’s router works on channel 6, and Petya’s on channel 11. The router can monitor the current congestion of channels and even automatically switch to the least populated ones, but neighboring routers may also have the same function. What to do?
Create as many networks as your router allows. Give the networks different names so that your neighbors don’t figure out your cunning plan (and don’t forget to set passwords). All networks you create will be on the same channel. For any Wi-Fi analyzer, the channel will seem overloaded, and therefore it will consider it inappropriate to create a mesh in it. This means that the channel will remain entirely at your disposal.
Why can't my router do this?
Much depends on the developer of the router software. Some devices receive updates and all the newest features, while others remain stuck. old version. Users of the latter have to wriggle out and install custom firmware at their own risk, thereby losing the warranty on the device.
Keenetic uses a single operating system, which is constantly being improved and adds new features to all router models. 
It doesn’t matter whether you use the top-end Keenetic Giga or the budget Keenetic Lite - you will always have the latest version of the operating system with all the new features.
Naturally, hardware limitations play a role. Cannot be used software update Grow a USB port for your router. A device designed only for 2.4 GHz will never learn to operate in the 5 GHz band. But if the device’s hardware meets the requirements for operation new feature, then you will receive it regardless of the model of your Keenetic.