Router WAN port versus LAN port

Sterlingtimes

If an Openreach modem is plugged into a LAN port on a router rather than a WAN port, will it work?

Will the Openreach modem work with a router that has many LAN ports but no WAN port?

grumpycrab

What is this router with no WAN port?

Sterlingtimes

grumpycrab wrote: »

What is this router with no WAN port?

It is a Talk Talk Super Router. I was just wondering whether I could get a better synch speed to inserting the Openreach Modem if it is possible to do so. The Super Router has four LAN ports and one labelled Broadband.

Roland_Sausage

On your router, the port marked broadband is the WAN port.

If it's an RJ11 port (DSL) rather than an RJ45 port (ethernet) , then it's not going to work.

Sterlingtimes

Roland_Sausage wrote: »

On your router, the port marked broadband is the WAN port.

If it's an RJ11 port (DSL) rather than an RJ45 port (ethernet) , then it's not going to work.

Thank you, on my older routers the WAN and LAN sockets are mechanically identical.

Roland_Sausage

Sterlingtimes wrote: »

Thank you, on my older routers the WAN and LAN sockets are mechanically identical.

They may look the same but perform very different functions.

I've Googled a picture of the TalkTalk superhub and it does have the red WAN port for an external modem as well as the RJ11 marked broadband (also a WAN)

Possibly the one you have is a different model and only has the RJ11 WAN.

GunJack

you can use the TT router with either input

esuhl

Sterlingtimes wrote: »

If an Openreach modem is plugged into a LAN port on a router rather than a WAN port, will it work?

Will the Openreach modem work with a router that has many LAN ports but no WAN port?

I haven't tried, but I don't think so. This is just conjecture, and I'm sure any experts will correct me if necessary, but...

I imagine that the WAN port is on the public side of your router, allowing you to connect a single device to a public IP address assigned by your ISP.

The LAN ports are for your own private network. Internet traffic passes through the router, which interfaces the WAN and LAN.

Essentially, if you plug the OpenReach "modem" into a LAN port, you'd be trying to connect directly to your ISP's single IP address without routing or NAT, so you wouldn't be able to attach more than a single device... if it even works.

I have seen some cable modems with an RJ45 socket that is marked WAN/LAN, so maybe the device can tell whether you have plugged in an Internet connection or a LAN device and can switch to the appropriate mode...?