WAN vs LAN port, What you should know

Have you ever seen a router? Have you noticed a router with the words WAN port and LAN port logo or two different ports? In this post, I will explain what a WAN and LAN port are, WAN vs LAN port, and their roles in a router.

What’s the WAN port?

WAN is the initial letter of the English word Wide Area Network, which stands for Wide Area Network. The WAN port connects to external networks such as cable, DSL, LAN, switches, etc. It is the gateway between the router and the external network. A router usually has only one WAN port, which some manufacturers identify in yellow.

What’s the LAN port?

LAN stands for Local Area Network and connects to an internal network, mainly to a PC, etc. It acts as a” transportation hub” for the home or office. Most routers have 4 LAN ports. Some manufacturers use the color blue to indicate it, but note that the color does not indicate the port type; it is just to differentiate them.

Difference between WAN port and LAN port

comparison term	WAN port	LAN port
number of ports	usually one	usually three or four
markings	marked as WAN, Internet, or yellow port	Labeled as LAN, Ethernet, or blue Port
joint	ADSL, cable, fiber optic, and other external networks	PCs, laptops, TVs, and other local network devices
spend and bandwidth allocation	limited by the external network environment	depends on router performance and settings
safety	vulnerability to external attacks and security risks	less susceptible to external attacks, with lower security risk
IP address allocation	public lP address	private lP address
routing protocols	BGP, OSPF	Static Routing, RlP
use	the WAN port provides Internet lP to the router.	provide the lP address for devices connected to this port

Router connection

A router is a device that implements packet forwarding. It works like this: first, it receives a packet from the network, then recognizes the destination address, looks up the routing table to choose the best path, and finally, forwards the packet to the next router or target device.

The wireless router consists of four main components: the power connector, the reset button, the WAN, and the LAN port, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 1: Router main Components: WAN and LAN port, reset button, power connector

The general connection is shown below.

Conclusion

Although the two ports above have different functions and characteristics, they are indispensable and complementary in practical applications.

Without WAN ports, we can’t access the Internet to obtain abundant resources, but at the same time, our network equipment may also receive attacks from external networks. Without LAN ports, we can’t realize the sharing of resources under the same LAN and the expansion of the network.

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