What is LAN and How do I set up ?

[mynameisjohndoe2024]

Look, this is going to sounds really newbie, and I must admit I dont really know much about LAN and how it can be utilised. We use a TUF GAMING AX6000. and have a number of clients accessing wirelessly. HOW, or even can I, have those clients access
the Router via LAN and can they access Internet via LAN ?. Perhaps someone could please explain and advise the advantages there may be.

Thanks

 

[thiggins]

"LAN" is an acronym for Local Area Network. But in common use it means an Ethernet connection vs a Wireless LAN (WLAN) connection.
A device needs an Ethernet port and cable to access wired LAN. The advantage is usually speed, but more so reliability and consistency of speed/throughput.

 

[mynameisjohndoe2024]

"LAN" is an acronym for Local Area Network. But in common use it means an Ethernet connection vs a Wireless LAN (WLAN) connection.
A device needs an Ethernet port and cable to access wired LAN. The advantage is usually speed, but more so reliability and consistency of speed/throughput.

Ah right so what I will need is a WLAN since all the clients access the router wirelessly. Just trying to work out if THAT works by those wireless clients accesssing the WLAN and
THEN from there accessing internet ?. I am thinking of more control over reports and logs. If all clients come in via WLAN before accessing internet I guess it will then Log
all websites visited ?. Correct or wrong ?

Thanks

 

[Justinh]

Frankly, I don't understand the query. If your device is connected to your network and you have Internet access, then your clients already are connected to the router and the WLAN.

device network connection -> router -> Internet

All of that activity is logged (unless you turn it off) in the router. Log in to the router web interface and check out the logs (different logs are in different places).

You might need to be more specific in your question.

 

[mynameisjohndoe2024]

Frankly, I don't understand the query. If your device is connected to your network and you have Internet access, then your clients already are connected to the router and the WLAN.

device network connection -> router -> Internet

All of that activity is logged (unless you turn it off) in the router. Log in to the router web interface and check out the logs (different logs are in different places).

You might need to be more specific in your question.

Sorry. At the moment clients access the Router and straightout onto the internet. The trouble is where they use HTTPS we cannot know throught the Logs (I dont think) what exact websites
they are visiting, thus I wondered if having them use a WLAN would allow us to catch those httpS requests ?.

Thanks

 

[PunchCardBoss]

cannot know throught the Logs (I dont think) what exact websites

I think you are missing an understanding of DNS (Domain Name Servers) and it's role in the Client > Router > Internet connection process.

Just because a client types in a website domain name into a client's browser does not mean they ever reached it.

Your router and DNS does a lot of communicating in the background that your router logs are not likely to show.

In the graphic below, the "DNS Resolver" is inside and a component of your router.

 

[Justinh]

The trouble is where they use HTTPS we cannot know throught the Logs (I dont think) what exact websites
they are visiting

I don't think there is any advantage in which network connection type is used. System Log > Connections will give you the destination IP addresses being accessed; look for port 443 for httpS requests.

 

[Clark Griswald]

Every time I see the question "what Is ...?" my brain immediately thinks of:
What Is Internet?

EDIT: @Tech9
"Very few home users know details about networking. No need to make fun of it."
Hey, this is me, Clark Griswald, and I clearly don't know enough about networking to ridicule anyone Not making fun, rather internally smiling at the broadness of the question, and/or the lack of "googling" for a basic answer.

 

[Tech9]

At the moment clients access the Router and straightout onto the internet. The trouble is where they use HTTPS we cannot know throught the Logs (I dont think) what exact websites they are visiting

You have one tool only to give you clues what web sites were visited, regardless of http, https access or your DNS servers choice - Web History in Adaptive QoS section. Enable it and hope it works well because it often freezes on many models Asus routers. If your goal is Parental Controls you have it available as well with Web & Apps Filters. Nothing else you can control on your router and the logs you'll find somewhat useless for this purpose.

 

[AntonK]

Every time I see the question "what Is ...?" my brain immediately thinks of:
What Is Internet?

And I think of my children when they were little: "Why is the sky blue?", "What is a star?"....

 

[Tech9]

Very few home users know details about networking. No need to make fun of it.

What @mynameisjohndoe2024 has to know is all their home devices are already on the LAN side of the router by default and nothing needs to be changed or optimized. When the devices need access to Internet the router takes care of it on the WAN side. If the router WAN/LAN settings are at their defaults, Firewall is enabled - all good. What they want to monitor, how DNS works - unrelated, perhaps subject of another discussion.

 

[AntonK]

Very few home users know details about networking. No need to make fun of it.

What @mynameisjohndoe2024 has to know is all their home devices are already on the LAN side of the router by default and nothing needs to be changed or optimized. When the devices need access to Internet the router takes care of it on the WAN side. If the router WAN/LAN settings are at their defaults, Firewall is enabled - all good. What they want to monitor, how DNS works - unrelated, perhaps subject of another discussion.

I realize in retrospect it looks like I was making fun of the post via my wording, but I wasn't (or I didn't mean to). I was just playing off of Clark Griswold's "What is the Internet" riff. The kinds of questions kids ask, and general "What is..." questions, when applied to extremely broad topics is interesting.