The WAN port is a specialized network connection that allows you to access your home or office network remotely. It can be used for telecommuting, backing up data, and more. But what exactly is it?
A WAN port is a device that connects to the Internet and provides an interface to your local area network (LAN). WAN ports are also called Internet Protocol (IP) gateways because they use IP addresses to route traffic between networks.
When someone logs into a WAN port from outside of the LAN, they have access to all resources on the LAN as if they were physically present at the site where the WAN port was installed. The person accessing a remote computer through a WAN port may have limited rights, depending on the permissions given to the port. Several more critical WAN ports are available, including hardware, software, and virtual.
What Is A WAN Port?
A WAN port is an abbreviation for ‘wide-area network.’ A vast area network (WAN) typically refers to computer networks that extend over large geographical areas – more significant than the space within a single building, e.g., offices in a company. As opposed to a local area network (LAN) which usually covers a smaller physical area, e.g., a single office or building at a university campus where several departments are located.
A WAN port is a port that enables you to access the Internet through your computer. You can access WAN ports through a wireless connection or a wired connection. However, most laptops now use wireless connections to connect to the Internet.
How Many Types Of WAN Ports Are There?
There are six WAN ports: secure, unsafe, faked, public, open, and private.
- Secure means that the connection between your computer and the Internet is unbreakable.
- Unsafe connections might be intercepted by a third party or unprotected by a firewall.
- Hackers could take over faked connections to appear as if they come from another source.
- Public connections don’t require any login credentials, and anyone can access them without login credentials.
- Open connections allow the host to see the IP address of all users connecting through them.
- Private ports allow end-to-end encryption where only the sender and recipient can see what’s being transmitted.
What Are The Advantages Of Using A WAN Port?
- WAN ports are highly advantageous because they present lower latency than other connections.
- There is also no interference on the connection, making it ideal for gaming or multimedia applications where high-speed connections are required.
- This is also a cost-effective solution for businesses whose human resources work from home, as downloading data is faster than broadband.
- A WAN port can connect with a local area network to play multiplayer games online or transfer large amounts of data between computers on the same LAN.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Using A WAN Port?
- The disadvantages of using a WAN port are that the devices on the same network experience some instability.
- The sheer size of this type of connection is also a disadvantage because it takes up more bandwidth.
- However, the most significant disadvantage is that if your device goes offline for any reason, all of your device’s data can be lost.
How Can You Choose A WAN Port?
When choosing a WAN port, it is essential to look at the features and speed of each. A faster connection will improve your experience with the Internet and allow you to do more things online. Also, when choosing ports, consider the number of devices you have and how they will be used.
If one device is going to be used all of the time, choose a port with a faster connection speed. On the other hand, if you have a lot of devices that will be used sporadically, choose a slower speed.
Conclusion
WAN ports can connect a wide variety of different networks and devices. WAN ports are often the best choice for providing network access in remote areas where fiber-optic cables cannot be run, such as when constructing new buildings or private property without an available power source. In the case of fiber, WAN ports can usually be used instead of a service provider for dial-up connections. A WAN port is also helpful in WAN connection type.
It is also possible, but not very common, to use a virtual private network (VPN) for this purpose. A VPN will allow users to establish their private network over the public Internet, useful for business purposes.
