Wi-Fi router for dummies: purpose, operating principle, device connection. What is Wi-Fi and why is it needed?

Today, many families have several various types computer equipment: computer, laptop and others that are often used. All devices need the Internet, and they like it to be a wi-fi connection. And for this you need Wi-Fi router to provide Internet via Wi-Fi for all equipment.

Let's start with what is a Wi-Fi router?

Wi-Fi router (router) is a device for wirelessly connecting users to the Internet.

Router in English is router. And in Russian this word is translated as router. Therefore, a router and a router are one and the same.

It’s almost impossible to imagine any cafe or any office without wi-fi. In order to combine all these devices, a wi-fi router or router is required. And without it, it will simply be unprofitable or impossible to provide all this equipment with Internet access.

Why do you need a wi-fi router?

A Wi-Fi router, or otherwise called a router, is a device that helps build shared network between certain types computer equipment (computer, smartphone, printer, etc.) and connect them to the Internet.

New router models are different in that they can restrict access to certain sites with a high probability of danger. They can also encrypt traffic, also to ensure information security.

A home router usually comes with an antenna, a hardware unit, a cord, and a power supply.

The router, by its principle, receives certain signals from the Internet and transmits them to computer equipment, printers, even refrigerators and other “smart” electronic devices.

If this is expressed in simple words, then the wireless router (Wi-Fi router) connects the mini-server connected to the Internet with user devices.

All devices individually receive their own IP addresses. Moreover, thanks to the enhanced signal, several connected devices can use the Internet simultaneously. For example, some the latest models routers can connect up to 100 various devices.

By transmitting information to a computer, wi-fi routers also work in another direction, that is, they send certain information back to the Internet. For security, all signals are encrypted using WPA protection.

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What types of routers are there?

There are top, middle and bottom routers, if we consider the scope of their application. The first type includes high-performance models that connect networks of enterprises, firms and organizations.

Each device, designed to work in local (indoors, apartment, home, office) and global networks (connection to the “external” Internet, to an external network through one provider or several providers), can have about 50 ports.

The medium type is suitable for small networks. In such routers for local network there can be up to 8 ports and up to 3 for global network.

And the lower type of routers is used for home use and the local network of a very small office, which can have up to 2 global network ports, and the local network - up to 4 ports.

As for the connection method, the router can be

like wireless,
and wired.

In our apartments they are still quite often used wired routers.

The wire from such a router is connected separately to each computer. The inconvenience is that the wires must somehow be routed from the router to the location of the computer or several computers. Each computer needs a separate wire from the router.

Wireless wi-fi router can be used

both wirelessly using radio signal transmission,
so with wires, as in a wired router.

Many consumer devices, with the exception of desktop computers, can support two types of connections:

wired via LAN connector and
wireless via wi-fi.

For example, some laptops may support both types of connections. Probably, the wired connection is already fading into oblivion and wireless is confidently coming to the fore.

About local network

A wi-fi router has great capabilities in connecting many devices into a large network with an Internet connection or even without an Internet connection. You can establish communication between devices or equipment inside an apartment, home or office using a router.

A wireless connection within a local network allows the exchange of information without laying wires, which is often very convenient.

About connecting a Wi-Fi router

As practice has shown, a modern router is a durable and very reliable device. If you buy it and make it correct connection, then after that it can work for a long time without failures. There will be no need to reconfigure it or perform any other actions. As they say, I turned it on once and forgot for a long time!

Setting up the router is not difficult, and this procedure takes about 15-20 minutes. This can be done either by a representative of the provider or by the user himself using a disk that contains detailed instructions, or using the usual paper instructions, which may come with the router.

Some useful instructions for setting up the router and connecting to the router can also be placed directly on the router case in the form of stickers.

Sometimes people ask me something like this: send step by step instructions how to connect a Wi-Fi router on a laptop with an operating system Windows system 10. In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to a couple of points.

Rebooting the router is easy - you just need to disconnect it from the power supply, wait a few seconds (preferably a few minutes), and turn it on again.

Turning off the Wi-Fi router

Sometimes they ask whether it is worth turning off the router, for example, at night, and in general, how often it should be turned off.

The router does not need to be turned off, it can work constantly, that is, be constantly connected to the 220V network. If you wish, you can turn off the router, for example, at night, if this makes you sleep better, say, if the cute winking lights on the router panel are disturbing you.

To turn off the Wi-Fi router, you just need to disconnect it from the 220V power supply.

Electronics are designed in such a way that they do not like frequent switching on and off, so turning the router off and on often (for example, several times a day) is not very healthy. The router should either not be turned off at all, or turned off rarely.

When leaving for a long time - on vacation, to the country, on a business trip, it is better to always turn off the router. Because a router connected to 220V is seen by your Internet provider as a working device, that is, from the provider’s point of view, you continue to use the Internet. And it follows from this that upon your return you will most likely have to pay for the service according to the provider’s tariffs, although in fact you did not use the Internet.

About choosing a Wi-Fi router

When choosing a router, you need to determine for yourself what purposes it will be intended for and take into account the capabilities of the device. You shouldn’t buy a complex, high-performance device for your home that, say, is designed to serve a large office.

For home use Simple and cheap models are quite suitable. You just need to carefully ensure that the router has both a wired connection (if needed) and a connection via wi-fi (again, if this is needed to connect computers and gadgets to the Internet via wi-fi).

Quite often, providers, when offering you Internet connection services, simultaneously offer certain models of routers, and this is a good offer, consistent with the capabilities of the provider. Providers don’t even always sell such routers, and sometimes they simply rent them out for money or even for free, just so that you become their clients.

You also need to take into account the features of various devices that you plan to connect to the Internet via a router. For example, old PCs or printers only have a single LAN port for a wired connection to the Internet, which means you need a router with a wired connection.

And laptops and tablets can be connected wirelessly using Wi-Fi, which means in this case you can use a router that distributes the Internet via Wi-Fi.

Results

The router does not increase the Internet speed provided by the provider. IN best case scenario the router will maintain its previous speed. If a router divides the Internet between several devices, then for each device the speed may be even lower than the speed provided (declared) by the provider.

Modern router models support high Internet speeds, approximately 100 Mbit/s. For many, this speed is more than enough to surf the Internet comfortably and quickly.

There are routers that have enormous speed and functionality. Despite this, they operate more simply than other switches, such as telephone modems.

But if there are many devices (computers, laptops, gadgets) operating on the office network, then constant monitoring by specialists may be required to ensure that the operation of the routers is synchronized. Basically, users who install routers at home do not have such problems.

On this moment routers are quite common, and therefore a large number of manufacturers are starting to create devices entry level, which will subsequently replace complex routers of the upper classes. And life will become even simpler, the Internet will be more accessible.

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Comments: 15 to “What is a wi-fi router, what is it for and how to use it”

The provider said that the speed on my tariff plan is up to 100Mbit/s and they cannot provide more. This prefix “up to” 100Mbit/s is what 50, 60, 99...

Up to 100Mbit - this means from zero to... Much depends on the provider’s equipment, on the routing (signal passage) from the provider to your apartment, on who else is connected “on the route” and how these users use the Internet.
Still, before experimenting with an additional router or with the settings of an existing router, I would swap the TVs to make sure that the second (old) TV lacks the Wi-Fi signal strength. Otherwise, everything else may turn out to be meaningless.
And if the signal strength for the second TV is not enough, then I would first adjust the TV to receive a lower-quality signal. From experience working with video and TV, freezes are eliminated primarily by reducing the quality of the transmitted image.
Manipulating the router is unlikely to yield anything. Although you can try, why not?! The main thing is that if something happens, you can return to the previous settings of the router.
Also, if you go through the router settings, keenetic may suggest updating your software. You need to be mentally prepared for this. I agreed to install updates twice (in different time). And everything went well. Although the second time, at some point, at the very end of installing the updates, the router completely disconnected: both from the Internet and from the computer (from which I installed the updates). I had to turn off the router, and then turn it on again after a short pause. Everything worked out this time, and the router started working with the updated software.
Installed keenetic updates do not affect the Internet speed or Wi-Fi signal strength in any way...

Thank you Nadezhda for your answer. Maybe dig into the router settings. For example, increase its signal transmission power to 100% or try to send the signal only through the 5GHz channel. It’s interesting how the long-distance TV receives the signal through this channel.

Good afternoon. That's the problem. I live in a panel building apartment building. Purchased a zylex keenetic air WiFi router. Internet provider Wifire. Under New Year We bought a new Samsung TV and placed it in the room where the router is located. And the LG TV, which previously stood in this place, was moved to another room. The router was left in place, the Internet was connected to it, and the provider’s box was taken to LG. Both TVs are smart and have the Wifire tv app installed on both TVs. Question: On the second LG TV, the picture periodically freezes. What to do. The distance from the router is about 6m through three walls. Speed on LG 26-32 Mb/s.

Hello. 6 meters from the router to the TV is not much. A keenetic router usually “breaks through” a solid wall normally. If there are 2 main walls on the way, I don’t know, I haven’t tried, there may be a problem with signal transmission.
The problem with the picture freezing most likely does not arise due to the distance from the router to the TV. It’s just that before you bought a new TV, the signal from your router only went to 1 TV, but now it goes to 2 TVs. The signal and its speed are now divided in half. If both TVs are working at the same time, then the Internet speed from the provider may not be enough. More often than not, it will be the TV that is located far away that will react to the lack of speed.
Try not using the new TV and see how the old TV behaves. If the freezing on the old TV stops, then the problem is that there is not enough power of the router or Internet speed from the provider to service 2 TVs at the same time. TV is a serious load on the Internet. And 2 TVs are even more serious. Most likely, it’s still not enough speed from the provider, and not the power of the router; keenetic can’t handle anything like that.
For 2 TVs, it is better if an optical fiber goes from the provider to the apartment, rather than a wire. I don't know how it is with you. If a wire comes from the provider, then, I repeat, there may not be enough speed (power) for 2 TVs. Bandwidth The wires are much smaller than those of optical fiber.
If the problem is the Internet speed from the provider, then you can try changing the tariff to one with higher speed, even on a wire (but it will be more expensive).
Or you can try to adjust the quality on a second TV remote from the router - reduce the picture quality if the TV settings allow this. Then the amount of Internet traffic consumed by the second TV may decrease, and freezes may stop (there will be no need to change the tariff and no need to pay more). At least on a computer, if you watch TV on it, reducing the picture quality helps eliminate freezing of TV programs.
Wired connections are always faster than radio communications. Fiber optic connections are even faster. This has to do with the way signals are transmitted. By radio is one way, by wire is another way, and by fiber optic is a third way. Every time the connection gets faster and faster.
The signal strength of a wireless connection, of course, matters. But not everything depends on signal strength. There may be a strong signal, but at the same time a poor connection, for example, if a lot of users are simultaneously connected to the radio channel and are actively “downloading” information, for example, watching videos. Or the signal is strong, but at the other end the provider, say, has problems with the server for connecting to the Internet, and here again a strong signal will not help much.

In this note we would like to tell you what it is WiFi technology and how wireless Internet access is achieved using Wi-Fi routers. Nowadays, almost every person has the Internet at home. The Internet can be connected on a smartphone, tablet, laptop and other devices that a person uses outside the apartment (at work, on the road, etc.).

So, what is WiFi technology? There are quite a few ways to connect to the Internet, but general view The network can be classified into wired and wireless connection technologies. In the first case, the connection occurs using optical or network cable(you can find out by following the link). In the second case, various wireless data transmission channels are used, for example, GPRS, 3G/4G and Wi-Fi. This article will focus on the process of connecting devices via a Wi-Fi network. We will also describe the operating principle of a Wi-Fi router.

What is a Wi-Fi router and why is it needed?

If you say in simple language, then Wi-Fi is a connection organized through a special radio channel (it is through it that all data is transmitted from one device to another). On many modern laptops and tablets you can see the corresponding sticker. Having noticed it, users think that together with this device they will immediately buy the Internet (they will not have to connect it separately and pay money for it).

In reality, things are a little different. A sticker or “Wi-Fi” icon on a laptop only means that there is a module inside it that can receive the corresponding signal from another device. That device, in turn, must also take this signal from somewhere, for example, from a fixed access point or from a wired channel of an Internet provider. As for stationary Wi-Fi points, they are most often created in crowded places, in some public institutions (thereby attracting people to these institutions). A public hotspot is usually free, meaning it can be used by everyone without exception.

Also, an ordinary Wi-Fi router (or, as it is also called, a router) can be an Internet access point. Outwardly, it looks like a small box with antennas sticking up. To put it simply, the router’s task is to receive a wired signal ( wired Internet) and distribute it over several routes. Each route is intended for a separate device, for example, a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet computer, etc. Any modern Wi-Fi router can encrypt the network various types encryption: WEP, TKIP, CKIP, WPA And WPA2. If you are interested in the topic of setting up and connecting WiFi, we recommend reading our following instructions:

As you can see, wireless connectivity options are great and we have a lot useful instructions for setting up WiFi at home. Let's continue our story about the main culprit - the router. Accordingly, the input connector of the router is the LAN port. This is where the internet cable is inserted. The output connectors are also LAN ports. As a rule, one router has about 4-6 standard LAN ports. Through them, all external wired devices are connected - PC, laptop, game console or something else. In addition, you can use a wireless Wi-Fi connection to connect devices (which is why the Wi-Fi prefix is present in the name of the router).

The total number of devices connected to the “box” can be quite large; for example, you can connect several laptops, smartphones, and tablets at once. When connecting new devices you need to remember one thing important thing– on those devices that are already connected, it will decrease commensurately. Let's say only one desktop PC is connected to the WiFi router.

In this case, the Internet speed will be maximum (in relation to your tariff plan). If you connect another computer or laptop and use the Internet on it, the speed on both devices will be distributed evenly. If you connect a tablet or laptop, the speed on each device, subject to simultaneous use, will drop even more. That is, the speed drop will be significant drawback in the case when several devices are used simultaneously, and the overall Internet speed is not too high. In other cases, you can somehow adapt.

During connection and initial setup WiFi router you may not specify the addresses of specific devices to which the wireless signal will be transmitted. In this case, the router will distribute IP addresses dynamically (based on which specific devices are connected). However, it is best to specify addresses and allow connections only for certain devices, for example, your computer and phone. This can be done by creating a password for the network. It’s not difficult and will take a minimum of time. If you don’t have a password, your network can be used by neighbors above and below, random passers-by on the street, etc. The more “left” devices connect to the network, the slower the Internet speed on your devices will be.

This concludes our story about Wi-Fi wireless technology. We hope that now you understand what WiFi is and why you need a Wi-Fi router. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments.

If you've just bought a new Android phone and want to get the most out of it, the first thing you'll need to do is set up a Wi-Fi connection. This can be done at any service center, but such experience is an invaluable acquisition and will save a lot of time in the future. So, how to connect to wi-fi from your phone?

How to connect wifi on your phone

To connect to a Wi-Fi network from your phone, you need to make sure that you are within range of the wireless network and have Internet settings on your phone. These settings come and are installed automatically after installing the SIM card. The most simple solution will connect Wi-Fi at home using a router. You can also use public networks in restaurants, cafes, the subway and other places with an open (password-free) access point.

Advantages of mobile wifi:

it's free - unlike 3G modems, you don't have to pay for the traffic consumed;
quick update of applications and system programs - automatic configuration allows you to quietly update programs in any successful case;
portability - you can use the Internet while moving within the range of a router or access point, while a computer cannot give you such an advantage;
low energy consumption - using a Wi-Fi connection requires several times less battery power than using a 3G modem.

Today, free wireless communication points are available in almost every public institution, so accessing the Internet from your phone is not difficult. To connect wi-fi on Android, you just need to activate the corresponding function on your phone by going to settings.

How to set up wifi on your phone

Correctly setting up Wi-Fi on your phone is the key to uninterrupted and stable operation anywhere. This can be done in just a few minutes if you follow the step-by-step instructions.

Setting up wi-fi on your phone is as follows:

A list of wireless networks within range of which you are located will appear on the screen. Select the name of your router or a public network from the list and connect to it. If the connection attempt is unsuccessful, then the network settings are incorrect. When you connect to any network, you receive a temporary personal IP address. Most networks provide it automatically, but some require manual configuration to connect to.

How to set up wi-fi manually:

If, despite all your efforts, Wi-Fi on your phone does not connect, we recommend that you seek help from a specialist and do not try to fix the problem without knowing its origins. A consultant from a mobile communication center or a technical support specialist at a phone store can help you with this.

Today, perhaps, you will no longer meet a person who does not use a computer or does not have a PC at home. In addition, more and more services and programs necessary for work and leisure work when connected to the Internet.

also in Lately The situation is becoming increasingly popular when an apartment, house or office has not one device, but several (PCs, tablets, communicators, smartphones, etc.), each of which requires its own separate connection to the network.

The ability to connect several devices to the internet, while having one input signal point from the provider, is currently achieved using a router or router.

The router itself is a network device, the purpose of which is to transmit packet data between devices paired with it and the access point - the service provider. In addition, more expensive routers are equipped with a number of additional functions, among which:

the ability to set restrictions on access to sites that are potentially dangerous for software;
ability to connect a firewall;
the ability to encrypt network access and traffic distribution;
ordered distribution of traffic across access points, etc.

A standard router, which can often be found both in a private home and in a company office, public places ah, is a small-sized equipment consisting of a hardware unit, an antenna for transmitting a Wi-Fi signal, a power supply for connecting to the mains, patch cords (patch cords).

Photo – Equipment and connection of the router

A standard router is capable of organizing a network by connecting 4 PCs via a wired connection, as well as 5-10 devices for which Wi-Fi signal channels will be allocated. However, experts do not recommend completely loading the router, especially if it is not an expensive model of this device. Otherwise, the router may freeze and cannot withstand heavy loads.

Some router models may be equipped with USB ports for connecting a flash drive or hard drive. This feature will allow you to use the equipment as a file server, print server, etc. In addition, some models also boast support for 3G modems.

What you should pay attention to

When choosing a router, you should consider the following features and operating parameters of this equipment:

to organize a home connection or a network for a small office, a regular (non-professional) router from the mid-price range will be sufficient;
device support for IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11n standards is required will provide data transfer speeds via Wi-Fi up to 600 Mbit/s;
installation must support PPTP or L2TP, which will provide access to Internet communications from almost any provider.

How a wireless Wi-Fi router works

The principle of operation of the equipment is based on receiving and converting the recipient's address, which is “written” in the header of the information packet for its transmission, then the path along which the information is addressed is determined using the routing table. If the routing table does not provide any address, the information is not accepted and discarded.

Photo - Example of a user network working with a router

In practice, there are some other systems for transmitting data to devices paired with the router. For example, using the sender address or protocols upper levels headers. There are also cases when the router’s operation is based on the transmission of addresses of both the sender and the recipient, as well as filtering the transit stream of transmitted data.

How to install a Wi-Fi router: step-by-step instructions

In order to connect and configure the router yourself, you need to do the following:

The first thing they do to install the equipment is to connect all communications from the router to the PC and to the Internet signal transmission unit from the provider. To do this, insert an Internet cable into the connector called WAN, and insert the cable that comes with the router into one of the remaining ports; its other end is intended for the Ethernet connector on the back panel of the PC. After this, turn on the power to the device.
Next, move on to setting up the router software. The equipment setup is not standard and may differ depending on the router model and connection settings from the provider. Configuration can be done through any browser installed on your computer ( Google Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, etc.). To do this, you need to go to the administrative interface of the device by entering the combination of numbers in the address bar of the browser: 192.168.1.1. After pressing the Enter key, the equipment administration window should pop up. If this does not happen, then you should check the cable connection, make sure that the connection is running, and then try again.
The next step is directly Wi-Fi setup connections. If the router is equipped with a quick setup function, then you need to start the “Quick Setup” service and follow the prompts of the installation wizard. Among the setup steps there will be a selection of the following parameters: - type of preferred connection;
— type of Internet connection;
Next, you need to connect the Wi-Fi module itself directly. To do this, the installation wizard offers the following menu.

Photo - Module Wi-Fi connections signal

After these steps, the Internet connection should already be working. However, if the Internet speed is low or constant signal loss occurs, experts recommend choosing a specific channel (from 1 to 13), saving the settings. It is also worth taking care of the access password to the signal of the connected router. Otherwise, unauthorized connections are possible, which will also reduce traffic and make the router work slower.

After the router is connected and configured, all that remains is to connect the network card to your PC or laptop and use the device’s internet connection. On a laptop, you need to make sure that the special key that turns on Wi-Fi mode is pressed. If this operation is completed, you must connect the device to the network.

Photo – Network indicator

To do this, right-click on the network icon on the desktop toolbar, select the name of the installed network from the menu that opens, and click the “Connect” button.

Photo – Context menu with installed Internet networks on the device

The connection is made in a similar way for Windows 8; for other systems, the device is put into operation according to a similar scheme.

How much does a router for a computer cost?

Today, the electronics and computer equipment market offers its customers a wide selection of routers, differing from each other both by the manufacturer and by some functional features devices. These could be routers for a home network with a few connected devices or industrial equipment to provide access to the Internet for public places and large offices. Accordingly, considering functionality device, the cost of devices will vary significantly. By visiting a store or online store of electrical goods, the client can choose the appropriate equipment that will meet the requirements for it. At the same time, he will need to deposit an amount of money ranging from 1 thousand rubles. behind standard model up to more than 25 thousand rubles. for professional multifunctional devices.

Articles and Lifehacks

The designation “Wi-Fi” appeared for a reason; initially, such a name was presented as a result of a certain game to attract the interest of users. This name served as a consonance with another “Hi-Fi” designation - High Fidelity. Apparently, the decision was successful, so it stuck. If at the beginning they tried to decrypt Wi-Fi as “Wireless Fidelity”, today it is not disclosed in any way. Almost most smartphones have a Wi-Fi function that allows, but not all device owners can use this function. They simply have no idea how to use wifi on their phone.

Instructions - how to use wifi on your phone

Typically, a standard Wi-Fi scheme uses two or more access points and serves multiple clients. To get the opportunity to work on this network, you need to know how to use wifi on your phone. By the way, the minimum data transfer speed on a Wi-Fi network is 0.1 Mbit/s. In addition, Wi-Fi provides users not only with high speed, but also with freedom in choosing connection criteria. The user can work on the network almost anywhere and without laying a cable. This service also allows users to access the network mobile device. When using the Wi-Fi service, it is guaranteed full compatibility several equipments. However, Wi-Fi also has some disadvantages. In addition to Wi-Fi, other devices, such as devices with Bluetooth functionality, operate in the 2.4 GHz range - this leads to a deterioration in electromagnetic compatibility. It is known that in Russia any wireless access point, if it exceeds the 100 mW range, must pass mandatory registration, and this condition “scares off” communication providers. Using Wi-Fi is very simple - first you need to enable the Wi-Fi module in the phone settings. This allows the device to find a nearby point, and then you can connect.

How to use wifi on your phone correctly

The phone owner will have to select the required point or access from the list of found networks, which is not protected by a special password. After connecting to the desired point, you can launch an Internet browser and work using Wi-Fi on the Internet, without which it is impossible to imagine life these days modern man. On the smartphone market, devices with Adnroid support are now the most sold, and setting up Wi-Fi in such devices is not such a difficult process, no more difficult than doing it yourself. Just need to make sure that this function enabled on the smartphone. You will need to go to the “Settings” - “Wireless Networks” sections, and then make sure that there is a special icon next to the “Wi-Fi” option. If everything is done correctly, using a wireless connection will not be difficult.