Broadband, or high-speed, Internet connection is what many users currently use in their domicile. Along with high-speed Internet, many users may also use a router to allow multiple computers to connect to the Internet. This post will describe how a router is used to connect multiple computers. To make it more straightforward to understand, I will use where you live as a comparison to how your computer is connected to the Internet.
What is an IP Address?
IP addresses are a series of numbers in the type: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn, where nnn is a one to 3 digit number. An IP deal with is pleasing to a person computer on a network, akin to how your domicile has a multiple deal with. For an Internet connection, an IP deal with is supplied by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In just numerous cases, your ISP may provide you with more than one IP deal with, which permits you to connect multiple computers. As you will see later, notwithstanding, you can still connect multiple computers with a single IP deal with.
Connecting a Single Computer
Connecting a single computer to your high-speed Internet is totally simple to do. Simply connect a network cable into your modem, after which into the network card in your computer. Your computer will then be assigned an IP deal with out of your ISP. For instance, if your ISP assigned you the IP deal with of 24.24.50.17, then your computer will have that IP deal with.
When you make a request to a server, such as for a Web page, the Web server knows which IP deal with made the request. The feedback is then sent through the Internet and back to your computer. This is akin to when any one sends you mail to your domicile. The deal with on the mail permits it to be delivered to your domicile and not somewhere else.
Connecting Multiple Computers
How can multiple computers connect if only one deal with is assigned? When you make a request for a Web page, how does it know which computer requested that page? Let's take our domicile analogy one step added. Let's say instead of living in a domicile, you live in an residence. When any one sends you mail, they not only include your deal with but also an residence number. This number is internal to your residence building and each residence has its own pleasing number. Similarly, multiple computers can connect to the Internet if they every person and each had there own pleasing local IP deal with. This can be handled by a router.
A router is a piece of hardware that connects directly to the modem. Each computer is then connected to the router, instead of the modem. Now instead of your computer having the IP deal with supplied by your ISP, your router now is assigned that IP deal with. This is akin to your router acting as the residence building.
The beauty of a router is that it can assign its own local IP addresses. When you connect a laptop to the router it now receives one of the IP addresses assigned by your router, akin to how every person and each residence has it's own number. Now when you make a request for a Web page, the request is sent employing an identical ISP deal with, but this time it is assigned to the router. When the Web page is returned, the router receives the request, and sends it locally to the computer that requested the page.
The router also has its own local deal with that is akin to the local IP addresses of the computers. So now the router has two addresses assigned to it: an exterior one provided by your ISP, and a local one provided by it. This permits the router to connect to both the Internet and the local network.
Note: The 192.168.xxx.xxx deal with are special IP addresses reserved for Local Area Networks (LANs).
Managing a FTP or Web Server on Your Network
Let's take a analyze this scenario. You have a router connecting multiple computers to the Internet. But now you wish to create a FTP or Web server. No trouble. You setup the necessary software on a laptop in your network, told any one outside your network the local IP deal with of your FTP server and that they try to connect. They then discover that they can't connect. Why? Its akin to any one mailing whatever to you by just specifying your residence number and no deal with.
The IP deal with assigned to your computer is local to your network. You can connect to that computer from within your network, but not from the Internet. You will need to use your ISP-assigned IP deal with (the one assigned to your router) to have any one from the Internet connect to your FTP server. The trouble is that your router is assigned that IP and not your computer, and since an IP deal with has to be pleasing, how can two computers have an identical IP? The reply: they can't, but they do not need to.
Routers have the capacity to ahead feedback on a port to a exact computer. A port is a numbered channel that archives can be sent through on a network. You cannot physically see it as it is a virtual channel used extensively in networking for sending/receiving archives. For FTP servers the default port is 21; notwithstanding an alternative port can be used.
Open your router setup and look for the port forwarding various. Specify the internal IP deal with of your FTP server and the port number after which save that feedback. Now when a user tries to entry your FTP site, they must use the ISP IP deal with that is assigned to your router. The router will then notice that the archives is being sent on port 21 after which ahead it automatically to your FTP server. A Web server can be setup an identical way, but its default port is usually eighty.
Note: By default a router will dynamically assign IP addresses to the computers connected to it. This means that the first computer to connect to the router will get the first available IP deal with, and an more straightforward will get the second, and so on. If you manage an FTP server, it may be more straightforward to assign a static IP deal with to the computers to confirm that the FTP server eternally has an identical IP deal with.
This article described the right way to connect one or more computers to one Internet connection. It is large to remember the following:
If you have one computer connected directly to the modem, then that computer will be assigned the IP deal with out of your ISP.
When employing a router, the the router will be assigned the IP deal with out of your ISP. Any computers connected to the router will be assigned a local deal with by the router.
A router will have the ISP IP deal with and a local IP deal with. This permits it to connect to both the Internet and your network.
When surroundings up a laptop as a FTP, Web, or other server to communicate over the Internet, it is large to use the router's IP deal with to entry your server. You will then need to ahead the necessary port to your server.
For excess guiding principle, please read the Technically Easy blog.
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