{"id":5402,"date":"2022-04-25T15:06:15","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T15:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/?p=5402"},"modified":"2022-05-10T12:55:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T12:55:11","slug":"lan-vs-wan-ports-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/lan-vs-wan-ports-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"LAN vs. WAN Ports: What’s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’re like most people, you probably think of the LAN ports on your router as the ones that you use to connect your computer to the internet. But what about the WAN port? What is it and why is it different from the LAN ports?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The internet connection that most people have in their homes is what’s called a broadband connection. The router that provides the connection to the internet for your home network likely has multiple ports on the back of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two of those ports are typically labeled “WAN” and “LAN.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What is a WAN Port?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A WAN port is a network port that is used to connect a device to a Wide Area Network (WAN).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A WAN is a computer network that spans a large geographic area, such as a city, state, or country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WAN port on a router is the port that’s connected to the modem. The modem then connects to the internet service provider (ISP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WAN port on your router is the one that’s used to connect your router to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"home-network-diagram-with-modem-router-8627692\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The image above shows how this home network works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The router is in charge of routing traffic between your local network devices and your modem. Each network device can now connect to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your router is connected to the modem, that allows access the internet. Your local network devices, such as printers, TV, laptops, mobile phones etc, are connected to the router, either wirelessly or wired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What is a LAN Port?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A LAN port is a network port that is used to connect a device to a Local Area Network (LAN). A LAN is a computer network that spans a small geographic area, such as a home, office, or building. The LAN ports on your router are the ones that you use to connect your computers and other devices to your router.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

WAN Port Vs LAN Port Differences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The main difference between WAN and LAN ports is their function. WAN ports are used to connect a device to the internet, while LAN ports are used to connect devices to a local network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WAN port is typically labeled with a different color and labels than the LAN ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the WAN port may be labeled “Internet” or “WAN.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The LAN ports are typically labeled with numbers, such as “LAN Port #01” or “Ethernet”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also check your router’s documentation to see if it has more information on the specific ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WAN ports<\/th>LAN ports<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Connects to your modem<\/td>Connects your local network devices<\/td><\/tr>
Labeled Internet or WAN<\/td>Labeled LAN or Ethernet<\/td><\/tr>
Only 1 port on your Router<\/td>4+ Ports on your Router<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While WAN and LAN ports both connect devices to networks, they are used for different purposes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WAN port is used to connect a device to the internet, while the LAN ports are used to connect devices to a local network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you know which port you need to use before connecting any devices to your router.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How to find the WAN Port on your router<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The WAN port is typically labeled with a different color and label than the LAN ports. For example, the WAN port may be labeled “Internet” or “WAN.” You can also check your router’s documentation to see if it has more information on the specific ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example on this Linksys home router, the WAN Port is Yellow and labeled “Internet” and the LAN Ports are Blue and labeled “Ethernet” 1,2,3,4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned before different manufacturers will have different labeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Router Dual WAN ports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most routers have a single WAN port and four LAN ports. But, some have two WAN ports and six or eight LAN ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of ports that a router has depends on the model and make of the router.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some routers, like this one from Cisco, have two WAN ports and 4 LAN ports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dual WAN Ports can come in handy if you want to connect to two different internet sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you could connect one WAN port to a cable modem and the other to a DSL modem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

DSL Ports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A DSL port is a network port that is used to connect a device to a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DSL is a technology that uses the telephone line to provide high-speed internet service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DSL port on a router is the port that’s used to connect your router to the DSL modem. The DSL modem then connects to the DSL service provided by your ISP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

WAN Port is unplugged<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are having difficulty connecting to the internet it is a good idea to check your routers cables haven’t been removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find that the WAN port on your router is unplugged, you will not be able to connect to the internet. Make sure that the WAN port is plugged into the modem before trying to connect to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Best WAN Cables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The WAN cable that is used to connect your router and modem can be a normal ethernet cable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get the best quality signal to your router it is recommended that you use a CAT5e or CAT6 cable for the connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAT5e Ethernet cables can handle 1g bit per second over a distance of 30 meters. CAT6 can handle 1g bit over a distance of 100 meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should also make sure that the cable is as short as possible to minimize signal loss. You should always use a full copper cable, and not copper-coated aluminum (CCA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eCan I use the WAN port for LAN?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eNo, the the WAN port on your router is different from the LAN ports. The LAN ports are used to connect devices within your local network, such as your computer, printer, and smart TV. The WAN port is used to connect your router to the internet.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eDo all routers have a WAN port?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eYes, all routers have at least one WAN port.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eWhat is a WAN Port?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eu003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eA WAN port is a network port that is used to connect a device to a Wide Area Network (WAN). The WAN port on your router is the one that’s used to connect your router to the internet.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eDo I plug Ethernet into WAN or LAN?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eYou will use Ethernet cables to connect your home network devices, such as your PC or DVR, to the LAN ports on your router. WAN is only used to connect the router to the modem.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eu003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eHow do I know if my port is a WAN or LAN?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

u003cmeta charset=u0022utf-8u0022u003eThe WAN port is typically labeled with a different color than the LAN ports. For example, the WAN port may be labeled u0022Internetu0022 or u0022WAN.u0022 The LAN ports are typically labeled with numbers, such as u0022LAN Port #01.u0022 You can also check your router’s documentation to see if it has more information on the specific<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Why do routers have more than one WAN port?<\/h3>\n
\n\n

Most routers have more than one WAN port, which allows them to connect to multiple WANs. This can be useful if you want to connect to both a cable modem and a DSL modem, for example.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re like most people, you probably think of the LAN ports on your router as the ones that you use to connect your computer to the internet. But what about the WAN port? What is it and why is it different from the LAN ports? The internet connection that most people have in their homes is what’s called a broadband connection. The router that provides the connection to the internet for your home network likely has multiple ports on the back of it. Two of those ports are typically labeled “WAN” and “LAN.” What is a WAN Port? A <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5403,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5402"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5745,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5402\/revisions\/5745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}