What is a local area network (LAN). What is the difference between WAN and LAN, what's the difference? What is the difference between LAN and WAN ports and what are they for?

Hello! Perhaps the question in the title of the article seemed somewhat strange to you, but there is still a semantic load in it. Surprisingly, such questions bothered some of my readers and met me several times in various forums. Progress and competition in information technology a few years ago laid the foundation for production smart TVs. Many modern models (depending on the line) have a LAN connector on their board, but some consumers after buying a TV get from this network connector is not what they expected. So why LAN connector on the TV?

Recently, manufacturers are building a network Ethernet port in TVs not only supporting the Smart TV function, but also in those models where this function does not exist. If you do not know what Smart TV is, then watch this short video.

With TVs, where Smart TV is provided, everything is clear, but here is the on-board LAN connector for models where this function does not sometimes lead consumers into bewilderment ...

Delivering the cherished dream from the store home, they try to connect it to the Internet and are surprised to find that there is no application and browser in it. Hmm, but it also has a LAN LAN input, which means that there is an Internet connection.

However, in this situation, they are right on the part ... The Internet really does exist, but for other purposes, but everything in order.

Having shaken some knowledge, you have a much higher chance to buy exactly what you want, and not what other people will advise you.

Secondly, if you have already become the owner tV Smart  TV, then in this case you can access the Internet via the LAN input and various "buns". You can connect the TV to a direct (using the provider cable) or through, and if there is a built-in Wi-Fi module, then wireless network. If you see the message "Optional" in the Wi-Fi line, then there is no built-in wireless module, but you can connect an external Wi-Fi adapter  from the manufacturer.

There is no Smart TV function on the TV, and there is a LAN port.

On one of the forums, a person wrote that his TV did not connect to the Internet, and after he pointed out the model, it turned out that there is an Ethernet port in the model, but there is no built-in browser ... After some time such discussion appeared on the site in one from discussions about connecting a TV. Both on the forum and in the comments on the site it became clear that this port can only be used for flashing the TV and there are no smart options in it.

I do not know how much it is advisable to update the firmware on the network, although this is certainly and convenient, but I have already heard from experts as recommendations that it is better to update the TV software not through the Internet, but USB flash drive (s). The fact is that the update software  over the network can lead to its incorrect installation, and the previously downloaded update to the drive from the official site during installation has a minimal probability of failure. But the last word for the manufacturer. Is not it?

From myself I will add that it is quite possible the presence of the LAN connector on the TV can be used not only for updating the firmware, but also for DLNA technology. Look at the characteristics of the TV and if you see there support this technology, then you can connect the TV to the computer and transfer media streams. That is, you can either by means of the Ethernet port and the TV media content (photos, video).

If you find a bug, please select the text fragment and click Ctrl + Enter.

And its installation, each of us has dealt with lAN connectors  and WAN. They are designed for different purposes, but are used together, which often causes confusion. Let's see what they are, what is the difference between them.

Through the WAN jack connect the Internet cable, through the LAN - local devices

What is LAN

This type of connection will allow you to merge into a local environment a number of computers that are a short distance from each other.

When buying a router, you can see on its back side four identical nests of the same type. All of them are designed to connect several PCs in one access point.

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

What is a WAN?

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

There are many global networks, but the most famous and often used is the World Wide Web. It is preferred by the majority of customers at different distances, since it is not limited territorially, is created through telephone wires and more modern technologies.

Today, many users search the Internet for such information: LAN - what is it and why is it needed? Of course, a very simple and short definition can be found on the worldwide network. It sounds like this: LAN is the local network. That's all.

But this transcript does not give absolutely nothing, especially if you have to deal with this with a novice user. For some reason, many authors of articles on the Internet believe that if you throw a lot of incomprehensible phrases, people will immediately read the entire article and consider the site on which it is posted, very authoritative and important.

In fact, this approach only complicates the whole situation. Therefore, we will try to explain what LAN is, in simple language, so that even a child can understand it.

If you still do not understand something, write about it in the comments, we will be happy to answer all your questions. So, let's start with a simple theory.

Theoretical page

So, LAN stands for Local Area Network. It really translates as. To put it more simply, LANs are several interconnected computers, and other devices that can connect to the network. And they are combined among themselves either with the help of cables, or with the help of. In Figure 1 you can see a fairly vivid example of a local network.

Fig. 1. Example LAN

As you can see, here the main element of the network is a router that is connected to the Internet (WAN). Remember this abbreviation, we'll talk more about it.

In the meantime, let's analyze the scheme shown above. On it numbers indicate the network segments, and specifically:

3. A DVD player connected to the router using a cable. To do this, the router has special LAN connectors, which are usually indicated in yellow. In most cases, these connectors 4.

As we mentioned above, a LAN connector is used to connect to the router through the cable. We can see this in Figure 3.

Fig. 3. Router - rear view

As you can see, in this model everything is standard - 4 LAN connectors, but there is one more and it already differs in blue. Actually, this is WAN (remember, we were talking about the fact that this concept should be remembered?). To more accurately understand what LAN is, you can compare it with this most WAN.

By the way: Both LAN and WAN connect through the most common cable with the RJ45 tip shown in Figure 4. We mentioned above that, for example, segment number 3 in Figure 1, that is, a DVD player, connects to a router with using a cable. This cable is a normal twisted pair  with RJ45 tips on both sides. That's so simple!

Fig. 4. Tip RJ45

Compare LAN and WAN

Let's start with what a WAN is. Again, to put it simply, this is the Internet. That is, it is the same network, but not local, as LAN, but global. It includes all devices and millions of local networks. WAN stands for Wide Area Network. On this same network, each user can access the resources of another computer or other device that can be connected to the network.

By the way: This information is stored on servers. To put it simply, this is a huge number of large capacity disks, assembled into one large device that can provide this information.

Fig. 5. Example of a production server

Differences between LAN and WAN:

1. Dimensions. Usually the local network covers small areas, for example, an apartment or some kind of industrial premises. But the global network is spreading all over the globe.
2. Number of users. Of course, many more people can connect to the global network than to the local network. There, the equipment is used much more powerful, and in general, very many people usually connect. At this calculation.
3. Type of services. LANs have their own services, such as a file access service, a printer service and so on, in general, all that is needed for a small network. But the global network uses, for example, a routing service (determining the route of information flow through the nodes of the network) and much more that is necessary for working in large networks.

Regarding the distance or area that these two types of networks can cover, we have already mentioned above that the global network extends to the entire surface of the globe. Accordingly, it can work on distant spacecraft, if they are connected to any device within the network.

So, it's interesting that local networks can also reach quite large sizes. The largest to date, such a network had devices that were located at a distance of 14 000 km from each other. These were space stations and orbital centers. Although usually a local network covers the same offices, houses, businesses or a small group of buildings.

Hello, dear readers!! This article is the first in the section "Smart home". The task of the new rubric is to describe in simple terms the basics of interaction with modern devices in our home.

For example, take modern TVs. In our time it is already quite difficult to find a TV without Smart TV technology, and even more difficult, it is almost impossible to find a TV without a LAN connector or a wi-fi module.

That's where the question arises: why all these bells and whistles are needed? Since you have to spend money on them, so it can be at the same time and learn the benefits of these innovations? The answer is simple: "Of course it is!".

Obviously, the LAN connector is used to allow the TV to enter the home network via a network cable. This is done so that you can use the network technology, no matter with access to the Internet or without access.

So, let's talk briefly about the network technologies used in TVs. There are two. This is Smart TV and DLNA.

Smart TV technology

This technology allows you to connect the TV to the Internet, for example through the LAN connector, which we are talking about in the article. After connecting the TV can play streaming video from the Internet, as well as a number of additional opportunities, such as installing applications that will expand the functionality of the TV.

Here's a simple example. You connect the TV to the Internet, install an application to watch movies and TV shows. As an option - Amediathek (this is an online cinema). After that, you have access to a huge number of different films and serials in a very decent quality. You can forget about the cinemas :)

DLNA Technology

If the TV is older and does not support Smart TV technology, it still most likely has a LAN connector. I'll explain why it's needed.

In addition to Internet access, you can also configure access to home network. Suppose you have a media server at home. I mean a computer that stores a lot of multimedia information (movies, music). By properly tuning the home network, we can make the TV able to access the folders with the content of this media server.

This procedure will help us to watch movies and music downloaded from the Internet through an intermediary (media server) on the TV.

Obviously, to connect the TV to the network we need a LAN connector. That is, even if the TV is not able to connect to the Internet, all the same, the presence of a network connector is justified.

Conclusion

In the following articles, we'll talk in more detail about Smart TV technology, DLNA, and about setting up a home network and a media server. Subscribe to the site updates to avoid missing new interesting articles.

I also have a small request to you. Write, please, in the comments, whether you will be interested to read articles about the foundations of organizing a smart house in your home. Perhaps the audience of this site is not so interested in technologies that are at the forefront of progress. Or are they interesting? ;)

Thank you for your attention and see you soon!

If you want to know what a WAN is, or how a WAN differs from a LAN, then you have come to the address. Now we will try to figure out what kind of technologies, connectors, connections, what they are needed for and what is the difference.

Hello! Perhaps the question in the title of the article seemed somewhat strange to you, but there is still a semantic load in it. Surprisingly, such questions bothered some of my readers and met me several times in various forums. Progress and competition in information technology several years ago laid the foundation for the production of smart TVs. Many modern models (depending on the line) have a LAN connector on their board, but some consumers after buying a TV get from this network connector is not what they expected. So why LAN connector on the TV?

Depending on what the answers are to these questions, we will determine the cause of the problem.

The computer does not see a connected LAN cable

In this case, when the network cable is connected, no messages or activity on the part of the latter appear. Icon network connections  crossed out in red, and if you move the cursor over it, the message "No connection" appears. Everything looks exactly the same as if the cable were not connected at all.

In the window Configuring the interface for an Ethernet connection  in field Use connectorspecify one of the LAN ports (in our example LAN1) that will work as a WAN port.

USB  - Universal Universal Serial Bus - Universal serial bus is a serial data interface for medium-speed and low-speed peripherals in computer technology.

The symbol of the tree-like USB block diagram is a geometric figure (a large circle, a small circle, a triangle and a square) located at its ends.

The USB cable is four-wire (4 copper conductors). The cable uses two twisted pair wires to receive and transmit data, and two power conductors. Due to this, peripheral devices can be connected without their own power supply.

For USB, there are 3 modes of operation:

To check serviceability network card  you must go to the "Device Manager" of your computer. To do this, proceed as follows:
At you it can be called differently. If there is a nearby exclamation point, then it works incorrectly. Try reinstalling the driver. Just need to download from the manufacturer's site and run the installation manually, and not through the task manager. It may be that the router does not work LAN connector.

Important: if you do not work LAN port  laptop, do not make hasty conclusions. Possible options - a lot: from improperly configured software and router to bend the cable or damage the network card.

Connection without Internet access (yellow triangle with exclamation point)

This problem looks like this:

Connection Status "Without access to the Internet"  as if it speaks for itself, the intern does not work. But, there is a connection to the router. As a rule, this error may appear due to wrong setting  router. When there is no connection to the Internet. There is a detailed article on this issue.