What is a router? ｜ Basic knowledge necessary for connecting to the Internet [Basics of the Internet]

Even if you know the word "router", few people may be able to explain it in detail. It's a machine that routes, but I'm getting more and more confused as to "routing?" In short, routers are essential machines and devices for using the Internet. I will also explain what to do if you have trouble connecting to the Internet at home. Please help us in case of emergency.

Contents What is a router?Recommended router How to connect to a router Why can't I connect to the Internet when connecting to a router?

What is a router?

Some kind of device is required to connect a computer or smartphone to the Internet.

The ONU + router is a new device required when using the Internet using optical lines or telephone lines. ONU is provided by the provider Internet connection company.

A router (in this article, a NAT router used by an individual is used as a router) must be purchased by each individual, just like a personal computer or smartphone. When choosing a router, esoteric words such as "Wi-Fi 6", "11ax", "OFDM", "MIMO", "5GHz band", "wide band", "multi-stream", "Easy Mesh", and "about 1627Mbps" follow. Let's explain the points to choose on the net or at an electronic store.

Difference between modem and router

One modem is required for each connection line. A router (NAT router) makes it possible to use it on multiple PCs and smartphones. The router changes (routing) multiple IP addresses used internally to IP addresses used on the Internet.

For wired LAN, use a cable up to 100m per cable and connect to the Internet via a router + ONU. In wireless LAN, you can connect to a part of your computer or a modem built into your smartphone via a router + ONU or directly to a cellular mobile phone network using a modem. The role of the modem is to connect and communicate over long distances.

Wired LAN has different speeds such as 100Mbps, 1Gbps, and 10Gbps, wireless Wi-Fi has 11n, 11ac, Wi-Fi6 (= 11ax), and cellular has 3G, 4G LTE, 5G, and different speeds and connection methods.

Modem speeds and methods are listed in the catalog with the standard maximum speed, not the effective speed. Wi-Fi 6 uses a modulation scheme called "ODFMA" in addition to the older "MIMO". In most cases, the CPU processing of the personal computer or router is insufficient to use it at the maximum speed.

In the case of smartphones, it will often be slow due to the speed limit of the cellular mobile phone network.

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Recommended router

The speed at which ONU can be used differs depending on the contract with the provider company. Routers that support 10 Gbps are still expensive. Models from the 100Mbps era are also used, and routers are often the cause of slow Internet usage, and it seems that you are often surprised at the speed when you replace with the latest Wi-Fi 6 router. If you do not plan to increase to 10 Gbps in the near future, the router LAN should be a 1 Gbps compatible model.

The wireless Wi-Fi method is very difficult to understand. It is also difficult to understand that each has 2.4GHz and 5GHz. In the past, 2.4GHz and 5GHz were used properly depending on the distance that the radio could reach. If the destination access point has a and b with the same name, select a that uses 5GHz. It will be faster if you can make multiple connections with a connection. If the connection is unstable, choosing b is the basis for selecting a connection point.

If you check the product sales information site "Kakaku.com" Home> PC> Wireless LAN router (Wi-Fi router) page, you can see the sales of NEC Aterm, Buffalo AirStation, etc. Check the number of streams that support Wi-Fi 6 and increase the communication speed, and the throughput that represents CPU performance, and try to find the one that suits you.

How to connect the router

The router you use for the first time needs to be connected and configured.

For connection, follow the instructions that can be easily set up, and connect to the ONU provided by the provider company from the NAT router WAN connection port with the attached Ethernet cable. When the LINK LED lights up, you are done.

Some models can set the settings automatically, but usually, follow the instruction manual to access the router setting Web page and use the setting sheet sent from the provider company to set the ID and password. Some recent models have routers that allow you to set an ID and password from your smartphone.

If you cannot use it normally even if you set it according to the instruction manual, check it according to the instruction manual. If that doesn't work, see the support web in the manual. If that doesn't work, call the support center. A router that could be used without problems before moving may not be able to connect due to problems with the equipment on the station side even if the contract is the same after moving. If you have any problems, call the support center.

Why can't I connect to the Internet when connecting to a router?

When the Internet is not connected, it is important to determine "Is the router out of order?" "Is the ONU provided by the provider company, or is the other side (also called the upper level) out of order from the ONU?" is.

A huge group of devices is connected to the other side from the ONU, but if a failure occurs, the operator will respond quickly, so wait a few minutes and it will recover. If it doesn't recover after waiting a few minutes, suspect your router. First, let's reset the router (power ON-OFF). Normally, you can use it again in about 1 minute. If the router is out of order, the LED etc. will blink and you will not be able to restart normally.

If the router works, but it doesn't recover for tens of minutes, you will be notified on the provider's information site. Please access the information site from another route, for example, your smartphone. If it is a large-scale obstacle, it will be talked about on Twitter etc. so check it.

summary

It is a router that forgets its existence once it is set up, but it is an important device that we would like to review once every few years. Since it operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, there are some devices that can be rejuvenated by resetting occasionally. If you are aware that you are using a "router" to be able to connect to the Internet, you will be able to respond quickly when you cannot connect to the Internet.

Tadashi Sugita

Composition / Editing / Kyoto Medialine (http://kyotomedialine.com)