🏠 SOHO Routers 1.3.1

LAN (Local Area Network)

A network located in a single location (e.g., a home or an office) with varying functions and capabilities.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

Networks located in different geographic regions that are connected by shared links (e.g., the Internet).

SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) Network

A category of LAN with a small number of computing hosts that rely on a single integrated appliance for local and Internet connectivity.

SOHO Router (Device Classification)

The single integrated appliance that forwards traffic between the LAN and the WAN (its primary function), though it has many other functions.

Why is the SOHO appliance called a "router"?

Because its primary function is forwarding traffic between the LAN (internal network) and the WAN (external network, like the Internet).

Router Function (OSI Layer)

Layer 3 (Network): Routing and forwarding traffic based on logical network addresses.