Smart WiFi plugs

kwikbreaks

AndyPix wrote: »

What on earth is an internal connection table ?

It's part of how NAT and stateful packet inspection firewalls work.

This is completely off topic and I'm a long way from being a technical writer but here we go...

A device on the local network with (say) IP 192.168.0.15 requests a web page (or whatever) from a remote server on IP 162.13.48.82

At some point 162.13.48.82 is going to respond but that response will go to the public IP of the router because that's the only IP the remote server sees.

So how does the router direct that response to the correct device?
Well when it handled the outgoing request it put an entry in its internal connections table detailing the internal and external IP (along with other stuff such as a timestamp to allow housekeeping routines to clean up) so when the reply comes it can route it to the relevant device.

Even web browsers will make more than one request at a time and a torrent client may make hundreds to the various machines in the torrent swarm. It will get replies to some immediately, others a little later, and some not at all. If the table isn't big enough to handle all those in progress connections it isn't uncommon for the software to curl up its toes and die.

Bod covered the black magic performed by those pesky wifi plugs.

Strider590

Well, yes and essentially these routers can't handle much more than 100 incoming connections. In fact 50 is usually enough to kill it. By contrast my Asus router is happy with more than 500.

In the context of the OP, i'm trying to point out that the typical home network might not be configurable enough and robust enough to allow direct control of multiples of these devices over WAN.

AndyPix

bod1467 wrote: »

. This then opens its own port in the router

Dear oh dear - are you sure ?

AndyPix

kwikbreaks wrote: »

It's part of how NAT and stateful packet inspection firewalls work.

This is completely off topic and I'm a long way from being a technical writer but here we go...

A device on the local network with (say) IP 192.168.0.15 requests a web page (or whatever) from a remote server on IP 162.13.48.82

At some point 162.13.48.82 is going to respond but that response will go to the public IP of the router because that's the only IP the remote server sees.

So how does the router direct that response to the correct device?
Well when it handled the outgoing request it put an entry in its internal connections table detailing the internal and external IP (along with other stuff such as a timestamp to allow housekeeping routines to clean up) so when the reply comes it can route it to the relevant device.

Even web browsers will make more than one request at a time and a torrent client may make hundreds to the various machines in the torrent swarm. It will get replies to some immediately, others a little later, and some not at all. If the table isn't big enough to handle all those in progress connections it isn't uncommon for the software to curl up its toes and die.

Bod covered the black magic performed by those pesky wifi plugs.

If you mean a NAT table then say so

kwikbreaks

You really do seem to have a bad attitude as well as only a partial understanding of things you are attempting to claim expert knowledge about.

So far you have...

Failed to recognise that routers can hang because their internal tables are too small.then !!!!!ed about the terminology used to explain the problem because it apparently wasn't technical enough.

Failed to comprehend that ISP provided routers may well have open ports to allow remote firmware updates

Made a complete dog's breakfast discussing router limitations and backtracking on what you say you meant.

Failed to understand how cloud devices work despite a kindergarten level explanation.

I really thing it's about time you stopped digging and bailed out of a topic that is clearly beyond your intellectual ability to grasp.

bod1467

AndyPix wrote: »

Dear oh dear - are you sure ?

I may have used simplified language, but the net effect is the same ... the wifi plug functions essentially like any other device connected to the LAN.

If you can't understand this, or merely want to act like you live under a bridge, so be it. I'm out.

getmore4less

Nothing new here

Plenty of uses for this sort of device.

A mains voltage relay with control via timers/remotes/web/GSM/...

Goes back years for home automation(remember x10).

As long as the relays are built correctly all is well.

Quite common now as a part of home heating/water systems
(but then they were always that way from timer switches now you can do it from anywhere.)

AndyPix

If you were trying to confuse the OP and start him worrying about stuff he didn't need to then congrats.

I fully understand all aspects of what has been discussed, I have been a network consultant/systems engineer for the last 20 years.

If you re-read your posts then you will see that the way in which you are describing what you are trying to say is lame.

I also bow out of this thread now before you cry.

Hope my answer was of use to the OP - And sorry if I hurt any egos - I am straight to the point and cant abide idiots or un-necessary tech speak to make yourself sound intelligent.

Andy

Strider590

AndyPix wrote: »

If you re-read your posts then you will see that the way in which you are describing what you are trying to say is lame.

People don't need to know all the terminology to know what they're talking about. Words come from test books, from worthless uni degrees. To me a lot of stuff is a thing and things are thingymebobs and widgets and whatchmaflips, but that doesn't mean I don't know how they work or why they work.

In the field of electronic engineering, any engineer that talks too much and uses too many big words, I consider to be just another BS'ing idiot (of which there are many).

Much like folk who drone on about cars and won't stop talking about the latest Porsche and all it's techonology, yet hand them a spanner and they suddenly turn to jelly.

kwikbreaks

I guess that's another id for the ignore list for some then...