Comparison Cisco RV345-K9-G5 vs Cisco RV082-EU

How the router connects to the Internet or other external network.

Almost all modern routers have ethernet network connectors for this purpose, however, in addition to them, other connection options can be provided — both wired ( ADSL, SFP / SFP + optics) and wireless (mobile access via 3G / 4G modem or SIM card). Here are the features of each option:

— Ethernet. A standard LAN network cable connector (“twisted pair”) is the most popular modern wired connection format in computer networks. Widely used both in "local" and to provide access to the Internet. This standard is somewhat inferior to SFP / SFP + (see below) in terms of speed and noise immunity, but it is much cheaper. The speed of work in modern versions of Ethernet can reach 10 Gbps (see "Connection speed of WAN ports"), theoretically, a further increase in throughput is possible.

— SFP / SFP + (optics). A connector for transmitting network traffic over a fiber optic cable. The main advantage of such a cable is complete insensitivity to electromagnetic interference. And data transfer rates can reach 2.7 Gbps in the original SFP and 16 Gbps in SFP+. At the same time, maintaining this standard is not cheap, and the benefits mentioned are not often needed in fact. Therefore, SFP / SFP + is found mainly in mid-range a...nd top-level routers.

— ADSL. Connecting to the Internet through a fixed telephone network using ADSL technology. The key advantage of this connection is the ability to use existing networks without laying additional wires; at the same time, Internet access is completely separated from telephone communication and traffic does not interfere with voice calls. On the other hand, the bandwidth of ADSL is very low by modern standards (less than 24 Mbps), moreover, the data transmission speed is noticeably lower than the reception speed. This can create problems for video communication and some other specific tasks. So nowadays ADSL is used less and less.

— 3G/4G modem (USB). Internet connection via mobile network using a separate 3G or 4G modem connected to the USB port. This feature can be useful where there is no full-fledged wired connection (for example, in rural areas), and also as a fallback option in case the main communication channel fails. And the type of network supported depends mainly on the modem used (the compatibility of the router with different models needs to be specified separately, but most often there are no problems with this). As for specific types of networks, most 3G modems work in UMTS networks (the same ones that are massively used by mobile phones); the data transfer rate in such networks can reach 75 Mbit / s (however, usually it is much lower). Less common are 3G modems for EV-DO networks based on CDMA — this standard has lower speeds (up to 14.7 Mbps) and not as extensive coverage as UMTS, however, both the equipment and the connection itself can be cheaper. And the designation "4G" means only one type of networks — LTE; it provides speeds up to 173 Mbps, but is not as widespread as 3G.

— SIM card. Another option for connecting to the Internet via mobile networks is its own SIM card slot provided in the design of the router. This option is convenient because you do not need to buy an additional device (modem) for mobile Internet — you just need to purchase an operator's SIM card. On the other hand, due to the built-in mobile communication modules, such routers themselves are more expensive than analogues for USB modems. In addition, the connectivity options in them are limited by the characteristics of the module: for example, a router for 3G networks will not be able to fully use 4G networks (whereas a USB modem can usually be changed to a more advanced one). As a result, this option is relatively rare in modern equipment.

The number of standard RJ-45 network connectors of the Fast Ethernet format, provided in the design of the device.

Fast Ethernet is the most modest of the wired connection formats over a twisted-pair network cable in our time - it provides data transfer rates up to 100 Mbps. Nevertheless, even this speed is often enough for relatively simple tasks that are not associated with large amounts of data.

As for the number of connectors, it corresponds to the number of network devices that can be connected to the "switch" directly, without the use of additional equipment.

The number of standard Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 network connectors provided in the device design.

As the name suggests, these connectors provide data transfer rates up to 1 Gbps. Initially, Gigabit Ethernet was considered a professional standard, and even now the real needs for such speeds arise mainly when performing special tasks. Nevertheless, even relatively inexpensive computers are now equipped with gigabit network adapters, not to mention more advanced technology.

As for the number of connectors, it corresponds to the number of network devices that can be connected to the "switch" directly, without the use of additional equipment. At the same time, it is worth noting that in some "switches" individual connectors of this type are combined with optical SFP or SFP +. Such connectors are marked "combo" and are taken into account both when counting RJ-45 and when counting SFP / SFP +.

In this case, dedicated LANs mean directly marked network connectors designed for wired connection of LAN devices - PCs, servers, additional access points, etc. The number of ports corresponds to the number of devices that can be directly connected to the equipment by wire.

The number of USB ports provided in the design of the router. USB is a universal interface used in computer technology to connect peripheral devices for various purposes. One of its uses is to connect a 3G modem (if provided, see “Data entry (WAN-port)”), but this is not limited to this: in fact, the options for using USB ports directly depend only on the capabilities specified in the router firmware. So, in some models, you can connect a flash drive or an external hard drive to this connector — to update the firmware or even organize an FTP server directly on the router. And for other peripherals — printers, cameras, etc. — USB connection can be used to work as network devices (however, such functions are rare in standard firmware).

The presence of a console port in the router. This connector is used to control the device settings from a separate computer, which plays the role of a control panel — a console. The advantage of this format of operation is that access to the functions of the router does not depend on the state of the network; in addition, special utilities can be used on the console that provide more extensive capabilities than a regular web interface or network protocols (see "Management"). An RS-232 connector is often used as a console port, but in modern routers this role can also be played by a separate Ethernet input (not used for any other purpose).

The security features provided by the device. Among the most common features of this kind are MAC address filtering, web content filtering, DoS protection, antivirus, antispam, and DMZ. Here is a more detailed description for each item:

— MAC address filtering. The ability to restrict network access for individual devices using data about their MAC addresses. Recall that the MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to each network device. And this function allows, for example, to open Internet access only for certain computers in the office, or to limit the connection to a closed corporate network for devices that are not on the “white list”.

— Protection against DoS attacks. A set of tools (software and sometimes hardware) to protect against DoS attacks. DoS (Denial Of Service — "denial of service") in a simplified form can be described as an attack on a computer system using a huge number of requests that the system cannot handle; as a result, access is difficult or impossible for ordinary users. Protection against such attacks can be carried out, in particular, by filtering suspicious requests or limiting the number of responses to requests per unit of time. However, the specific functionality and features of this protection should be specified s...eparately.

— Web content filtering. This function allows you to restrict or completely prohibit access of local computers to certain web resources. At the same time, filtering can be configured according to different criteria: by domain names, by categories (“adult” content, high traffic consumption, entertainment topics, etc.), by the type of content on the page (video, large images, certain scripts, etc.). n.) and others. Specific filtering features should be specified separately; however, anyway, this function allows you to set additional access rules. For example, it can be used to block access to non-work-related sites for employees in the office, or enable a parental filter on a home network.

— Antivirus. Antivirus — a tool for detecting and neutralizing malware — installed directly on the router. It is mainly used to analyze and filter network traffic, while many antiviruses are able to work in two directions — both for incoming and outgoing traffic. This allows not only to protect the network from outside attacks, but also to detect already infected local devices and prevent the distribution of confidential information, virus copies and other unwanted data. On the other hand, this feature increases the load on the router and can significantly slow down the connection speed. Therefore, it makes sense to use an antivirus on a router mainly in cases where individual devices on the network are poorly protected (or not protected at all), or if maximum protection is fundamentally important. It is also worth considering that the specific capabilities of the antivirus may be different, for each model they should be specified separately.

— Antispam. A built-in set of tools that allows you to analyze incoming mail traffic for spam and automatically filter these messages at the router level, preventing them from passing any further. This not only reduces the load on mail systems in the local network and facilitates mail filtering, but also has a positive effect on security: messages with malicious content simply do not reach the recipients. Note that when talking about antispam, they usually mean protection for classic email; for other communication methods (Viber, Telegram, etc.), such tools are not used for a number of reasons.

— DMZ. An abbreviation that stands for "demilitarized zone". By itself, this function allows you to create a segment in the local network that is open to external access; such a segment may host, for example, the company's Internet services. In its classic form, the DMZ is separated from the rest of the local network by a firewall, which provides the necessary security. At the same time, in some routers, this term may mean DMZ-host mode — a kind of "simplified version". When operating in this mode, the server open for external access is not separated from the local network, which simplifies setup, but reduces security; therefore, the DMZ host is found mainly among low-cost models designed for home use and small businesses.

— Built -in. The built-in power supply does not take up space on the outside, but can significantly increase the size and weight of the entire router. Because of this, this option is quite rare — mainly among rack-mount models (see "Form factor"), where an external unit can create significant inconvenience, as well as among the most powerful desktop routers, for which dimensions and weight is not critical.

— External. Theoretically, the external placement of the power supply requires additional space, and therefore is not as convenient as the internal one. In fact, most blocks of this type are quite compact in size and are equipped with “plugs” for sockets right on the case — in other words, the block is installed on a socket, and from there the wire stretches to the router. And the absence of power circuits and transformers inside the routers has a positive effect on their compactness. Thanks to all this, this option is very popular among desktop models (see "Form factor"), primarily entry-level and mid-level.