How does a Wireless Router Work?
Welcome to Dev Odyssey Home Networking!
This episode covers the basics of home networking, including what your home router and modem do to get your devices access to the internet. With our sample Linksys/Cisco E1200 router, you will see what list of services are packed into that tiny router you have at home.
With all the services that go into your home router and modem, its nothing short of excellent electrical and computer science engineering that get your systems access to the world wide web. In addition, you will see some of the possibilities that allow you to control your network at the lowest levels, that will enhance your security during these uncertain times with internet usage at its highest.
Refer to the show notes below for a video summary.
Your Router:
Makes / Defines a home network, usually with IP Range of 192.168.1.1/24. Can also be anything in range of 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, or 192.168.0.0/16, https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1918
The Home network is like a neighborhood, this creates your neighborhood.
Does Network Address Translation (NAT). Maps your Public IP Address to your Internal Network. This Public IP is what identifies you to the Internet.
NAT is like the main road that leads into your neighborhood.
Subnet Mask: Defines size of network, can also be written in short hand “CIDR” notation (Classless Inter-Domain Routing). This defines the size of your neighborhood.
Default Gateway: The standard way you get to the Internet.
This is like the Entrance to the neighborhood (If its gated, this makes more sense).
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): Gives your devices IP Addresses, and Manages them.
This is like the Post Office, that assigns an Address to your house.
Firewall: This Allows, Drops or Blocks Traffic to and from the Internet:
They are like the traffic light at the entrance of your neighborhood.
Executed via Rules. Rule order is extremely important.
TCP/UDP: (Transmission Control Protocol / User Datagram Protocol): These are the way data is structured, in packets, that leaves your devices and goes out into the network. TCP requires a handshake, and acknowledgement that data was received. UDP does not require acknowledgement
This is like letters or packages being sent throughout a neighborhood.
Port Forwarding: They direct traffic and tell anyone coming into your network where to go
They are like the Neighborhood Directory (Like a phone book?), saying where you should go, based on where you’re headed, when you reach the neighborhood.
Deploys Wifi: Wireless signals that allow devices to communicate over radio frequencies onto a TCP/IP Network. This is another way to connect to a network, giving you freedom and mobility.
MAC Address Filter: Filters out devices based on their MAC Address. Not considered to improve security, since MAC Address can be spoofed.
For more insight into router and network security, at a high level, take a look at the videos below!
Your Router is Not Secure
• How to Secure your Router - What Not ...
Your New Router is More Secure
• How to Secure Your Router - What You ...
To learn more about network basics, click the links below to understand how they work.
IP (Internet Protocol)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interne...
MAC Address
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_add...
DHCP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic...
DNS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_...
NAT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network...
Subnet / Subnet Mask
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subnetwork
Gateway
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway...)
RFC1918
https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1918
IETF
https://www.ietf.org/
Firewall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewal...)
Port Forwarding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_fo...
TCP/UDP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmi...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Da...
Wireless/Wifi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi
Questions about this episode, Home Networking or Network Security? Ask in the comments!