Routers use different network interfaces to connect separate networks together.
Before the prevalence of the Internet, most business networks were considered autonomous systems and did not connect with other networks. Computer networks in the home were practically nonexistent. In 2010, the Internet is used to connect all kinds of different networks together. When packets of data need to be transferred between two separate networks, including the Internet, a router must be placed between the two separate networks to communicate with each other.
Instructions
1. Connect a cable from each separate network into a separate interface on the router. Each separate network requires its own interface on the router. For example, if three Ethernet networks are to be connected, each network provides an Ethernet connection between the router and the rest of the network. In business networks, it is often the case that the router interface connecting to the local network uses an Ethernet connection, while the interface connecting to the leased WAN line uses a serial connection.
2. Log in to the router's configuration interface. Some routers use a command-line interface, while most routers offer a web-based GUI. A command-line interface requires either a direct terminal connection with a console cable, or a virtual terminal connection with a telnet or SSH client. Web-based configurations only require a web browser. View the router's user manual for details.
3. Configure the network settings for each network interface on the router using either the command line or the web-based GUI. This includes the router interface's IP address, subnet mask and default gateway. For example, with two connected networks, one interface might use the IP address 192.168.1.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and a default gateway of 192.168.1.1. The second interface might use the IP address 192.168.2.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and a default gateway of 192.168.1.1. In this example, all traffic from the 192.168.2.0 subnet destined for the 192.168.1.0 subnet passes through the router.
Tags: default gateway, interface router, mask default, mask default gateway, separate networks