Should I Enable Wan Blocking? Top 99 Best Answers

Block WAN Ping Block WAN Ping causes the WAN public IP address on the broadband router not to respond to ping commands. Ping public WAN IP addresses is a common method used by hackers to test if your WAN IP address is valid and supports a network. Discard PING from WAN side

The firewall is an essential part of your network security, but only if it’s properly configured. One area that is often overlooked and misconfigured is the egress filter.

Egress filtering controls traffic attempting to leave the network. Before an outbound connection is allowed, it must pass the filtering rules (i.e., policies). These rules are set by the administrator.

Almost every UTM firewall offers outbound filtering (also called outbound filtering). However, it is never enabled by default. The out-of-the-box setup typically allows any computer on the network to connect to any host through any port.

Because it’s disabled by default, many small and medium-sized organizations never use outbound filtering. But if you’re serious about security, then it’s an absolute must.

Why should I use output filtering?

Output filtering is essential. It prevents outbound connections to dangerous and unwanted hosts. It won’t meet all your security needs, but there are many reasons to use it:

Interrupt malware

If a computer on your network is infected with malware, an egress filter can prevent it from connecting to the malware’s command server. And when the malware tries to export the machine’s data, the egress filter can prevent it from connecting to the target.

Block unwanted services

Suppose users are not allowed to surf the web or chat with friends on Skype. An outbound filter can block the ports and protocols used for these services, preventing users from accessing them. It can also limit the block to only certain source IPs or IP ranges.

Stop contributing to attacks

Egress filtering is also good for the larger community. Blocking certain types of traffic prevents your computers from being used for DDoS attacks, malware hosting, spamming and botnets.

Better awareness of network traffic

Using an egress filter will make you more aware of the unauthorized activity on the network.

For example, the filter in AccessEnforcer gives you valuable logging information under network alerts. When a computer tries to make unauthorized connections, warnings appear in the logs, letting you know to investigate the cause.

Where to use an egress filter

The best place to deploy egress filters is at the edge of the network. This is where a UTM firewall like AccessEnorcer is usually placed, making it the perfect choice for the task.

Everything on the network has to go through the firewall in order to leave. The only hardware beyond the filter is the modem.

How to configure output filtering

There are two approaches to output filtering: default-allow and default-deny.

Default allow policy

This is the easiest type of egress filter to deploy. All outbound traffic is allowed unless a policy says it’s not allowed.

This approach can feel like playing network wack-a-mole. The admin needs to allow all traffic and find and weed out the bad traffic.

Generally, policies are created to block traffic using unnecessary or heavily abused protocols and destination ports.

For example, the SANS Institute recommends blocking outbound traffic using the following ports:

MS RPC – TCP and UDP port 135

– TCP and UDP port 135 NetBIOS/IP – TCP and UDP ports 137-139

– TCP and UDP ports 137-139 SMB/IP – TCP port 445

– TCP port 445 Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) – UDP port 69

– UDP port 69 syslog – UDP port 514

– UDP port 514 Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) – UDP ports 161-162

– UDP ports 161-162 Internet Relay Chat (IRC) – TCP ports 6660-6669

This list is just a starting point. There are still many moles to beat. For example, if the organization does not require FTP, TCP port 21 can also be blocked.

Outbound policies can also prevent specific source IPs from making outbound connections. This can be useful to block terminals used for payment processing that need to be PCI DSS compliant.

Default Deny Policy

An exit filter that is denied by default is usually more secure (provided it is properly configured). It blocks all types of outbound traffic unless a policy says it’s allowed.

Unfortunately, many small organizations do not use default-deny, even though it is in the best interests of their security to do so. This is because default-deny can be disruptive.

With default-deny, every application that uses the Internet—such as email, IM, and web browsers—must have a policy that allows it to forward traffic. The problem is that most small organizations do not understand the full scope of the systems and applications they use, and therefore do not know what types of traffic need to be routed.

Network administrators know they need policies to route common types of traffic, such as e.g.:

HTTP – TCP port 80

– TCP port 80 HTTPS – TCP port 443

– TCP port 443 DNS – UDP port 53

– UDP port 53 SMTP – TCP port 25

– TCP port 25 NTP – UDP port 123

– UDP port 123 FTP – TCP port 21

But there are many other types of outbound traffic that the company needs to function normally – and most administrators are not familiar with them.

Instead of hitting the network hood, they have to look for needles in the network haystack. Often they will:

Set up the default filter to deny outbound traffic. See which applications are no longer working. Examine the network logs to uncover the associated traffic. Create a new policy to allow the traffic

Additionally, when a new application is deployed to a computer, the administrator will likely need to create a new egress filter policy to allow it access to the Internet.

Many organizations don’t want to bother setting up default-deny, so use default-allow even if it’s less secure.

Deny default filtering by IP address

Default-deny also lets you allow specific IP addresses and ranges to make outbound connections, and you can control the services they are allowed to use.

For example, if only one computer on the network needs to browse websites, you can create a policy that only allows that IP address to forward HTTP and HTTPS traffic (TCP ports 80 and 443).

Other good ideas:

Restrict outbound traffic to sources within your network’s IP subnet. This can help prevent IP spoofing attacks.

If you’re using a third-party email service, restrict SMTP and POP connections to the third-party servers.

If you are using an internal email server, allow only that server to make outbound SMTP connections

Restrict DNS queries to known and trusted DNS servers

This can be an excellent opportunity for a proxy server to further secure the network. The proxy can be set as the only allowed source for outbound traffic. Services can be restricted to selected protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS and DNS. Then all workstations can be set to only connect to the proxy.

This way, if a computer is infected, it cannot connect directly to the Internet.

Balance of safety and comfort

The process of identifying and allowing legitimate traffic is more than some companies are willing to put up with. Like everything in security, this is a balance between comfort and security. A default allow policy may be less likely to disrupt normal business operations, but it is also less secure.

Effective egress filtering isn’t easy to implement, but it’s worth the effort. And it might become more common in the future. For example, PCI DSS requires this, and other industry regulations may follow suit.

Egress filtering and even default deny are in the best interests of corporate security, even if they are sometimes inconvenient.

Similar resources

SANS Institute: Egress Filtering FAQ

SANS Institute: Perform egress filtering

DDoS Attacks: Trends Show An Increased Threat In 2015

Top Threats: Massive denial of service attacks

PCI DSS for IT Providers: Learn how the rules apply to your business.

An Internet Protocol address, also known as an IP address, is a series of numbers given to a computer or device so it can communicate on the Internet. And it’s incredibly important. After all, you couldn’t send and receive information without an IP address. In other words, without IP addresses, the Internet would be impossible.

And there are two types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. But what does that mean? What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6? We juxtapose them in our in-depth IPv4 vs IPv6 review to tell you everything you need to know about these two different internet protocol address types.

What is IPv6?

Internet Protocol Version 6 or IPv6 is the sixth iteration of the Internet Protocol and was created because the world was in danger of running out of IPv4 addresses. IPv6 works similarly to IPv4 – by providing unique, alphanumeric IP addresses that devices need to send and receive data on the Internet.

However, as you can imagine, an IPv6 address is much longer than an IPv4 address, which means you can create many more unique IP addresses than with IPv4. And when we say a lot more, we really mean it. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address and can provide 340 million IP addresses, while IPv4 is limited to 4.3 billion IP addresses.

However, IPv6 implementation by ISPs and/or network administrators can lead to various leaks and security issues. In this way, your personal information can potentially be compromised. In this situation, a VPN connection can help you avoid many possible problems.

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For those interested: An IPv6 address consists of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits. These are separated by colons, not periods.

An example IPv6 address looks like this: 2001:0db8:82a3:0000:0000:4a2e:0370:7337

Pros: More unique addresses, supported by new devices, no subnetting issues

Cons: Much longer than IPv4, not yet supported by all sites, possible system issues

IPv6 was first introduced in the late 1990s in hopes that it would replace IPv4 before we ran out of IP addresses. However, the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 has been slow. And the main reason is that it takes time and money to upgrade all the routers, servers and switches that have depended on IPv4 for so long. Although IPv6 is ready, it is a long time coming.

Here are some of the advantages of IPv6:

Routing becomes more efficient by reducing the size of the routing tables.

is made more efficient by reducing the size of the routing tables. Supporting multicast instead of broadcast allows bandwidth-intensive streams of packets to be sent to many destinations simultaneously, saving bandwidth.

For multicast instead of broadcast, bandwidth-intensive streams of packets can be sent to many destinations simultaneously, saving bandwidth. Autoconfiguration means that configuration tasks such as IP address assignment and device numbering can take place automatically.

means that configuration tasks such as IP address assignment and device numbering can be done automatically. Security features that provide data integrity, authentication, and confidentiality are built into IPv6.

What is IPv4?

IPv4 or Internet Protocol Version 4 was developed back in the early 1980s. And despite the invention of the more modern IPv6, IPv4 still carries most of the world’s traffic. IPv4 uses a 32-bit address and can support a maximum of 232 (or more than 4 billion) IP addresses.

An IPv4 address consists of four numbers, each ranging from 0 to 255. These are separated by periods. It is very likely that your IP address is an IPv4 address.

Here is an example of an IPv4 address: 192.168.1.1

Pros: Simplicity (easier to read and remember), existing infrastructure (most websites use IPv4), proven technology

Cons: Fewer resources (lack of new IPv4 addresses), subnetting issues

Of course, the fact that IPv4 has been around for almost 40 years poses a problem. IPv4 has a limit of 4.3 billion addresses, which sounds impressive. And by the early ’80s, that was considered far more than enough. But of course, as the internet grew globally, we quickly ran out of IPv4 addresses. And by the mid-1990s, engineers had to find solutions to create more IP addresses.

Today everyone uses multiple devices to connect to the Internet, including smartphones, laptops and tablets, as well as traditional desktop computers. And as the Internet of Things means more devices than ever need IP addresses, developers had to find a more permanent solution to this problem.

IPv4 vs IPv6: What’s the difference?

IPv6 not only has many more IP addresses, but also more features than IPv4. First, IPv6 supports multicast addressing, which allows bandwidth-intensive data such as multimedia streams to be sent to multiple destinations at the same time. This will reduce bandwidth and things will run smoother.

The most important differences between IPv4 and IPv6 can be found in our table:

IPv4 IPv6 address 32 bits (4 bytes) 128 bits (16 bytes) Packet size 576 bytes required, optional fragmentation 1280 bytes required, optional fragmentation Packet fragmentation Routers and sending hosts Sending hosts only Checksum Has a checksum Has no checksum Multicast ✔ ✔ Broadcast ✔ ✘ DNS records Pointer (PTR) records, IN-ADDR.ARPA DNS domain Pointer (PTR) records, IP6.ARPA DNS domain IPSec Optional Required Local subnet group management Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) IP to MAC Tesolution Broadcast ARP Multicast Neighbor Solicitation

IPv6 also helps devices stay connected to multiple networks at the same time. This is because the configuration features allow the hardware to automatically assign multiple IP addresses to the same device.

Nevertheless, IPv6 is not perfect. In fact, it’s actually no faster or more secure than IPv4 at the moment. And since IPv4 is so much more mainstream than IPv6, you may find IPv4 a better fit for your needs. Finally, IPv6 does not yet work on all VPNs. And some systems have problems handling IPv6 routing.

IPv4 vs. IPv6 Security: Which is More Secure?

IPv6 was designed with security in mind, so when implemented correctly it is more secure than IPv4. IP Security (IPSec) is a set of IETF security protocols that promote authentication, security, and data integrity built into IPv6.

When IPv6 first came out, it required encrypting Internet traffic using IPSec, a popular encryption standard. This makes IPv6 secure because encryption scrambles the content of your internet traffic so anyone who intercepts it cannot decrypt it.

However, IPSec can also be implemented on top of IPv4, which means that IPv4 has the potential, at least in theory, to be as secure as IPv6. Of course, since it can be expensive to implement, this has not found widespread acceptance.

Of course, as we move from IPv4 to IPv6, we expect an increase in IPSec usage. But until then, some experts claim that IPv6 users are actually at greater risk of security issues than IPv4 users, although IPv6 will ultimately be more secure in the future.

What is IPv6 tunneling?

Some ISPs use transition technologies such as IPv6 tunnels. This technology allows private networks to communicate with each other even if one of them uses an IPv4 address and the other uses an IPv6 address.

However, IPv6 tunneling can leave users vulnerable to cyber security threats like DoS attacks. In addition, hackers target IPv6 tunnel users with reflection attacks and packet injection.

Since this transition to IPv6 is likely to take many more years, these transition methods will likely be around for a while. So it’s worth considering that the transitional technology could leave you vulnerable to hacking.

IPv4 vs IPv6 Speed: Which is Faster?

In speed tests, IPv4 and IPv6 delivered the same speed on direct connections. In fact, IPv4 has occasionally been slightly faster, if at all.

In theory, IPv6 should be slightly faster since there are no wasted cycles on NAT translations. However, IPv6 also has larger packets, which can make it a bit slower in some cases. So, if anything, IPv4 can work a little faster. But there really isn’t that much of a difference.

Do you need both IPv4 and IPv6?

If possible, it is better to leave both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses enabled. For example, using only IPv6 can create accessibility issues, since only about a third of the internet supports IPv6 addresses.

Likewise, disabling IPv6 can cause certain problems, especially if your router is already using an IPv6 address. However, you should leave IPv6 enabled even if you are using an IPv4 network or installing a VPN that supports IPv6, such as NordVPN. Otherwise, some Windows functions (e.g. Quick Assist) may not work properly.

IPv6 and VPNs

Most VPNs work with IPv4. If you are using a VPN that uses IPv4 and try to access a website that runs on IPv6, your VPN may be redirecting your traffic to an external IPv6 DNS server. This means your traffic would exit its secure VPN tunnel, meaning your traffic is no longer completely private.

This could leave you vulnerable to a DNS leak, which could mean your original IP address, and therefore your location, could be exposed. It might also disrupt the service of the website you are trying to access. It also means your ISP can monitor your online activity, effectively rendering your VPN useless.

However, some VPNs offer IPv6 leak protection. So if you’re using IPv6 and want to make sure your data is protected from leaks while using your VPN, you’ll want to make sure your VPN supports it.

For more information on IPv6 leak protection, see later in this guide.

VPNs with IPv6 support

Most VPNs currently do not support IPv6. But there are some who do. Here is a list of VPNs that support IPv6:

NordVPN has built-in IPv6 leak protection to prevent data leaks.

has built-in IPv6 leak protection to prevent data leakage. PureVPN offers IPv6 support along with IPv6 leak protection to keep your online activity safe and secure at all times.

offers IPv6 support along with IPv6 leak protection to keep your online activities safe and secure at all times. CyberGhost is one of the few VPNs that supports 100% of IPv6 addresses. In a pledge to consumers, CyberGhost pledged that all of its servers will support IPv6, although ISPs aren’t already offering it.

Perfect Privacy offers the possibility of an IPv6 address, even if your provider does not offer it.

offers the possibility of an IPv6 address, even if your provider does not offer it. hide.me VPN uses a dual-stack configuration to provide IPv6 connectivity to support both IPv4 and IPv6.

uses a dual-stack configuration to provide IPv6 connectivity to support both IPv4 and IPv6. AirVPN has deployed full IPv6 support on its VPN servers.

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What is UPnP?

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is something we’ve probably all come into contact with without realizing it. If you’ve ever bought a new printer and discovered that your computer, phone, and tablet can automatically detect the device, you’ve lived UPnP. If you fancy playing that song a little louder from your phone by sending it to Alexa or another wireless speaker, that’s UPnP.

Often combined with another widely used acronym IoT (Internet of Things), UPnP was simply designed to make communication between devices easier and more convenient. In short, UPnP helps automate the process of device discovery and connectivity over a network.

However, with the rise of data breaches and a more security-conscious population, is UPnP safe? First we have to explain briefly how it works.

How does UPnP work?

From a consumer perspective, UPnP is the easiest thing in the world. You bring a new device home, connect it to the network, and suddenly all other devices on that network can talk to it automatically. All the dirty work is done behind the scenes. If we broke it down and took a look at what’s actually happening, here’s what we’d see:

The device joins the network The device is given an IP address The device is given a name and appears under this name on the network The device reaches other devices on the network and communicates

It’s important to note that an IP address is not a requirement for UPnP, as many devices related to the Internet of Things (e.g. smart light bulbs and smart coffee makers) can communicate via Bluetooth or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

The dangers of UPnP

Many claim that UPnP is insecure by design. It is a protocol designed to automatically open ports to a firewall and allow an outsider to access a server hosted on a local computer protected by that firewall.

This can be compared to mounting an industrial lock on a door that protects all your valuable items and leaving the key in the lock for everyone.

In that sense, UPnP effectively renders firewalls useless. For example, each Trojan could set up a listening IRC server, RAT server, or something similarly malicious and request that the firewall open the port. All in all not ideal.

UPnP Security Risks

There are a number of common security risks associated with UPnP that many cite when recommending disabling UPnP.

Interestingly, in 2001, the FBI’s National Infrastructure Protection Center advised users to disable UPnP because of a buffer overflow in Windows XP. Many people refer to this recommendation when explaining why UPnP is potentially dangerous.

However, this problem actually has nothing to do with UPnP itself, and after the bug was fixed by a security patch, the NIPC quickly corrected its advice.

Baldy implemented UPnP on routers

Many of the issues associated with UPnP threats can be related to security issues during implementation. Router manufacturers have historically not been good at securing their UPnP implementations, which often results in the router not properly validating inputs. Malicious applications can therefore easily exploit poor UPnP implementations to execute commands or redirect network traffic.

Malware using UPnP

Common malware such as trojans, viruses, worms and more can use UPnP once they have infected a computer on your local network. UPnP can allow such programs to bypass security protocols and software that the router would normally block. UPnP essentially assumes that all programs are legitimate and allows them to forward ports. This is a real issue that many are concerned about, and if this is a sticking point for you, you probably need to disable UPnP.

Flash UPnP attack

One might think that only malware could abuse UPnP in this way, but the Flash UPnP attack seems to invalidate that idea. When you access a website running a specific Flash applet, that applet can send requests to your router to forward ports. Fortunately, if this happens to you, a firewall will prevent the attacker from exploiting vulnerabilities in your network services.

However, on some routers, Flash applets can cause serious damage by changing the primary DNS server with a UPnP request. This could result in your traffic being redirected to another website, creating endless opportunities for data theft and fraud.

Should You Disable UPnP?

Ultimately it is a matter of opinion. UPnP is convenient, but it comes with some pretty serious security vulnerabilities, some of which cannot be mitigated by security solutions. We recommend that you should disable UPnP if you don’t use port forwarding at all. If you occasionally use port forwarding, consider forwarding without using UPnP, which is entirely possible.

Heavy Port Forwarding users have a choice to make. Are you willing to give up security for the convenience of UPnP? The chances of you being compromised by UPnP are pretty slim, but the consequences could be huge. In the end it’s up to you!

Are the concerns about UPnP security justified?

While it’s usually recommended to disable UPnP on your router (which many do as a matter of principle), some have questioned whether this is necessary. When UPnP first came out in 2011, there were some glaring implementation issues that allowed it to be configured over the internet. This meant anyone could open any port on it. In the last ten years, however, the software vulnerabilities in the routers have been patched several times for security reasons.

UPnP is therefore not inherently dangerous if your router is up to date and has the latest firmware updates and your connected devices are malware free. UPnP becomes a problem when a connected device is infected with malware as it can spread to your local devices. However, if this is the case, most malware does not require UPnP to be enabled in the first place.

So what can you do?

You can disable UPnP on your router if you want peace of mind. However, if an attacker wants to infiltrate your network and wreak havoc, most of the time UPnP is not required to do so. In fact, cyberattacks are so commonplace today that the question isn’t if it’s going to happen to you, it’s when.

Many IT teams and tech-savvy people hate the idea of ​​being beaten by cyber attackers. But the sad truth is that attackers will always be able to breach security defenses.

You can keep track of what the attackers want in the first place, the data. Monitor interactions with data using the Data Security Platform, which can detect anomalies and report changes to critical files and folders, including copy events.

Schedule a demo of the solution today to get a little insight into how the Lepide Data Security Platform helps monitor user behavior with files and folders.

What is WAN?

A wide area network (WAN) is a network that spans a large geographic area. Your modem sends and receives information to and from the Internet through its WAN port.

What is LAN?

A local area network (LAN) is the collection of wired and wirelessly connected devices in your home or office. This is your personal network. Your computer, phone, tablet, router, etc. make up your LAN.

Where are the WAN and LAN ports?

The WAN and LAN ports are located on the bottom of your Google Nest router or Google Wifi point. Google Nest Wifi points do not have WAN or LAN ports.

The WAN Port, One of the Most Important Ports on Your Router, But Where Is It? And how do you recognize it? The WAN port looks the same as the LAN ports on your router, but there’s one big difference between the two.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about WAN port. Where can you find it and what are the differences to the LAN connections.

What is a WAN port?

WAN stands for Wide Area Network, which is basically the Internet. The WAN port is used to connect the router to your internet connection. Your ISP has provided you with a modem that establishes the Internet connection. But to distribute the Internet connection across your home network, you need a router.

The router is connected to the modem as you can see in the network diagram above. This enables access to the Internet. All of your local network devices, like your computers, mobile phones, printers, are connected to your router either wired or wirelessly.

It is the router’s job to forward traffic between your local network devices and the modem. This allows any network device to access the Internet.

WAN vs. LAN port

In addition to the WAN port, you will also find LAN ports on the back of the router. Most routers have 4 LAN ports and only 1 WAN port. LAN stands for Local Area Network and is used to connect your local area network device to your home network. Devices connected to the LAN ports can see (connect) each other, which is useful if you want to access your network printer or NAS.

WAN ports are only used to connect your router to your internet connection. The WAN and LAN ports look the same and can even be placed next to each other. But internally they are separated with a firewall. This way devices connected to the WAN port (everyone on the internet) cannot access your devices connected to the LAN ports.

To summarize the main differences between the WAN and LAN port:

WAN port LAN port Connects to your modem (DSL, cable, fiber optic). Connects your local network devices. Labeled “Internet” or “WAN”. Marked with “LAN” or “Ethernet”. Only 1 port on your router. Often 4 ports on your router

How to find your router’s WAN port

You can identify your router’s WAN port by the label Internet or WAN. With most consumer routers, you can also recognize it by the different color. In the example below, you can see that the WAN port is colored yellow and labeled Internet.

The color is not the same for all routers. Some brands give the LAN ports a yellow or blue color, or make the WAN port gray. So the color alone is not an indication of what type of connector it is. The color is only used to distinguish the different ports on your router.

Router dual WAN port

Some routers have two WAN ports that allow you to connect two internet connections to your router. Depending on the router, these connections can be used for load balancing (dividing internet traffic between the two connections) or for failover.

An internet connection is primarily used for the failover. Only in the event of an interruption does the router switch to the secondary WAN connection.

You usually don’t need this, but if you have really slow or unstable internet connections, using a dual WAN router can be a good idea. For example, the following router is a good option for small office and home networks.

DSL port

With some routers you will also find a DSL connection. The DSL port is smaller than the WAN port and you can only plug in a phone line (with an RJ11 connector).

The DSL port can be used to connect your telephone line (DSL) directly to your router without the need for a separate modem. In this case, the router is a router/modem combination and can establish the Internet connection without a modem.

If you are using the DSL port, you do not need to use the WAN port. You can simply connect your router to the DSL cable (telephone line) and connect your home network devices to the LAN ports.

WAN port is not connected

If you see the WAN port in your router is not plugged in, there is a problem with your internet connection. The WAN port is connected to your modem, so put the ethernet cable between your router and modem and make sure both ends are connected properly.

If the problem persists, try restarting both the router and the modem first. If that doesn’t help, another good option is to swap the Ethernet cable between the router and the modem. Sometimes the cable or connectors get damaged which can lead to a bad connection between the two devices.

If you’ve swapped the cable and restarted both devices and still get the message WAN port is not connected, there is most likely a problem with your router or modem. Try connecting a computer directly to the modem. If it can access the Internet, the router is defective. Otherwise, most likely the modem.

WAN cable

The WAN cable used to connect the router and modem can be a regular Ethernet cable. I recommend using a CAT5e or CAT6 cable for the connection. CAT5e can handle 1 Gbit per second over a distance of 30 meters. CAT6 can handle 1 Gbit over a distance of 100 meters.

Always use solid copper cable and not copper clad aluminum (CCA), for example one of the following:

frequently asked Questions

Can I use the WAN port for LAN? No, the WAN port can only be used to connect the router to the modem. If you need more LAN ports, you need to buy a switch and connect the switch to one of the modem’s LAN ports. What is a WAN port? A WAN port is used to connect the router to your broadband modem. Do I connect Ethernet to WAN or LAN? You need to connect your home network devices to the LAN ports on your router. WAN is only used to connect the router to the modem.

Wrap up

I hope I found the information useful. If you have any questions, just write a comment below. If you want to learn more about setting up your home network, be sure to read this article where I explain more about it.

What is WAN? How wide area networks work

A wide area network (also known as a WAN) is a large information network that is not tied to a single location. WANs can facilitate communication, information sharing, and more between devices around the world through a WAN provider.

WANs can be critical for international businesses, but they are also essential for everyday use as the Internet is said to be the largest WAN in the world. Read on for more information about WANs, how they are used, how they differ from other networks, and their general purpose for businesses and individuals.

What is a Wide Area Network (WAN)?

As described above, wide area networks are a form of telecommunications networks that can connect devices from multiple locations and around the world. WANs are the largest and most expansive forms of computer networks available to date.

These networks are often set up by service providers who then lease their WAN to businesses, schools, governments or the public. These customers can use the network to forward and store data or communicate with other users regardless of their location as long as they have access to the established WAN. Access can be granted through various connections such as: B. virtual private networks (VPNs) or lines, wireless networks, cellular networks or Internet access.

WANs enable international organizations to carry out their essential daily tasks without delay. Employees from anywhere can use an organization’s WAN to share data, communicate with colleagues, or simply stay connected to that organization’s larger data resource center. Certified network experts help companies maintain their internal wide area network and other critical IT infrastructures.

UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is a service that allows devices on the same local network to discover each other and connect automatically using standard network protocols (such as TCP/IP, HTTP, and DHCP). Some examples of UPnP devices are printers, game consoles, WiFi devices, IP cameras, routers, mobile devices, and smart TVs.

UPnP can also change router settings to open ports in a firewall to make it easier for devices outside of a network to connect.

This service reduces the complexity of network devices by automatically forwarding router ports to new devices, eliminating the hassle of manual forwarding.

However, this convenience could come with significant security risks.

Is UPnP secure?

UPnP service becomes dangerous when connecting to devices infected with malware. Such connections enable DDoS attacks.

But when UPnP allows secure devices to connect, the established network is secure. So the original intent of UPnP technology is safe. It only becomes dangerous when infected devices are involved.

UPnP offers no configuration, meaning no human authentication is required to establish a connection. Ports are automatically forwarded to establish a connection when a UPnP request is received. With such an autonomous and liberal network mechanism, it becomes clear how easily infected connections can get out of control.

UPnP exploitation can lead to more than just connecting an infected device. Here are just a few examples of malicious actions possible with UPnP:

Connecting internal ports to the outward-facing side of the router to create gateways (“poking holes”) through firewalls.

Port forwarding router web administration details

Port forwarding to any external server located either on their surface or on the dark web.

Changing the DNS server settings so that a credential stealing website loads instead of legitimate banking websites.

Change administrative credentials

Change PPP settings

Change IP settings for all interfaces

Change WiFi settings

Change or terminate internal connections

Should I enable UPnP?

Because it’s so difficult to determine if a potential connection could facilitate malware infection, it’s a good idea to disable UPnP.

If port forwarding is an essential requirement (when you use VoIP programs, peer-to-peer applications, game servers, etc.), it is better to forward each port manually so that you have control over every connection established).

By default, most new routers have UPnP enabled, and many users are unaware that they are at risk of malware infection or data leakage.

The chart below shows the number of devices with UPnP enabled compared to the total number of devices analyzed in each category. As you can see, routers are at the highest risk of being targeted by a UPnP attack.

If you don’t really need the UPnP function, you should disable it.

Is UPnP dangerous?

Although the UPnP protocol is secure, it can facilitate insecure connections. A UPnP protocol could allow devices with critical vulnerabilities to connect to your network and sensitive resources.

The US Department of Homeland Security asked all companies to disable their UPnP after a 2013 cyberattack that affected tens of millions of devices. Although this was about 8 years ago, UPnP related cyber attacks are still being detected today.

To prevent such infectious connections from appearing, the entire attack surface associated with a UPnP connection must be updated with the latest patches. This includes routers, firewalls, antivirus software, and any IoT (Internet of Things) devices that are intended to be connected.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts a constantly updated list of Common Vulnerability Exposures (CVEs) for common devices and software solutions. Security teams should periodically review this list to learn about new patching requirements affecting existing or future UPnP connections.

The NIST National Vulnerability Database can be accessed here.

Visit Carnegie Mellon University’s website for more details on UPnP-specific vulnerabilities.

If you want to keep UPnP enabled despite the very real risks, check out the updated UPnP security specifications outlined by the Open Connectivity Framework.

How to disable UPnP

The process of disabling UPnP is unique to each router. Search online for instructions for your specific router.

Search Google for the following term:

How to disable UPnP for [name of your router]

The general process is as follows:

Type the IP address of your router (home network) as a URL in a web browser and press Enter. If you don’t know your router’s IP address, follow the instructions in this article. Select Advanced and then click NAT Forwarding. Disable UPnP connectivity.

UPnP should also be blocked at the Internet gateway to prevent unauthorized devices from accessing ports 1900/UDP and ports 2869/TCP (for Windows). To maximize security, all ports should be blocked except for those required for business operations – typically port 80/TCP is used on a daily basis.

How can cyber attackers exploit UPnP?

In general, router security policies are quite good at blocking hostile external connections, and an up-to-date firewall increases that resilience. But UPnP is able to bypass these security barriers by allowing unauthorized devices to poke holes in firewall policies to establish persistent malicious connections.

Such an attack begins with a malware injection, typically via a phishing campaign. After a trojan (or worm) is secretly installed, it bypasses the router’s firewall to set up a hidden backdoor for 24/7 remote access by cybercriminals.

Backdoors can go undetected for several months – giving cyber attackers plenty of time to do major damage.

Threat actors can do the following through a web server backdoor.

Exfiltrate Sensitive Data

Encrypt sensitive data and hold it hostage

Using the victim’s systems to launch a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.

Defacing a victim’s website

Examples of UPnP cyber attacks

Ever since the invention of Universal Plug and Play in 1999, there have been growing concerns about the security issues with this technology. The F.B.I even issued an official warning about the potential exploits of UPnP technology and IoT devices.

These warnings have been confirmed by the many cyberattacks made possible by UPnP technology

Some famous UPnP related cyber attacks are listed below:

Flash UPnP attack

First discovered in 2008, the Flash UPnP attack is a type of cyber attack that executes autonomously when a user interacts with a malicious SWF file (specially crafted Flash applet) running on a web page.

This action silently triggers a silent-step attack in which the victim’s router forwards its ports and exposes its connections to the entire Internet.

Although the name suggests otherwise, Flash UPnP attacks are not associated with Flash vulnerabilities

An activated and updated firewall gives you the best chance of defending against Flash UPnP attacks, although this is not guaranteed.

Mirai botnet attack

In 2016, cybercriminals carried out a colossal Denial of Service (DDoS) attack by compromising a network of IoT devices (mainly CCTV cameras) through UPnP technology. The cyber attack was so large that it caused an internet outage across most of the east coast of the United States.

Pinkslipbot attacks

The Pinkslipbot banking Trojan, also known as Qakbot and QBot, exploits UPnP to infect its victims. Infected computers are then used as HTTPS-based proxies to control servers to hide the malicious activities being performed.

Plinkslipbot malware steals banking credentials from US financial institutions using man-in-browser attacks and password theft.

This malware family was first discovered in the late 2000s and is still active today.

UpGuard helps companies mitigate data breaches

You can keep your cyber defenses up to date with the latest patches, but your providers may not. In fact, vendors often overlook their security posture, which is why third-party affiliates and supply chain attacks are responsible for nearly 60% of all data breaches.

This impressive statistic can be flattened by implementing a third-party attack surface monitoring solution like UpGuard.

UpGuard detects critical vendor vulnerabilities, including unpatched third-party software. UpGuard also offers vendor data leak detection and remediation to shut down risks before they evolve into data breaches, further reducing the risk of third-party data breaches.

Find out if you’re at risk of a data breach, click here to request your FREE security assessment now!

As you can see in the picture what is blocking mode and do I need to change it to standard mode?

and are the starting ip addresses and ending ip addresses ok or do i need to change something? What do you recommend ?

introduction

This article provides instructions on how to block Internet access for LAN clients using a Teltonika Networks device.

Blocking WAN (Internet) access

Access between your device and other networks is controlled by the firewall of your network device (router, gateway). Therefore, to set network access restrictions, you need to change the firewall configuration. For the Teltonika Networks devices, this can be done from the Network → Firewall page.

First, go to Network → Firewall → Traffic Rules page.

Side. Scroll down to the Add New Forwarding Rule section and create a rule like this: Create a custom name for the rule. Set “Source Zone” to lan. Set “Target Zone” to wan. Click Add.

All customers

To deny all LAN clients access to the Internet, set up the rule as follows: Set Protocol to Any . Set Action to Drop.

If you later want to undo the changes, you can delete or disable the rule.

Individual customer or a series of customers

To prevent a single LAN client from accessing the Internet, set up the rule as follows: Set Protocol to Any . Set the “Source Address” to the one you want to block. Set Action to Drop.

Alternatively, you can specify an IP address and netmask combination to include a range of addresses. For example, specifying 192.168.1.100/30 as the “source address” would mean a range from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.103.

since the “source address” would indicate a range from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.103. If you later want to undo the changes, you can delete or disable the rule.

Block a specific IP or network

To deny all LAN clients access to a specific IP address, set up the rule as follows: Set Protocol to Any . Set the “Destination Address” to the one you want to block. Set Action to Drop.

Alternatively, you can specify an IP address and netmask combination to include a range of addresses. For example, if you specify 10.0.0.0/8 as the “Destination address,” that would mean a range from 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255

since the “destination address” would indicate a range from 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255. If you later want to undo the changes, you can delete the rule or disable it.

Block a specific website(s)

If you want to connect with other users over the Internet, you need to open a WAN connection for each one. This requires all users to have a working internet connection and a public IP address.

About this task WAN connections are set up in the Shared Projects dialog box as follows:

procedure

What is WAN? How wide area networks work

A wide area network (also known as a WAN) is a large information network that is not tied to a single location. WANs can facilitate communication, information sharing, and more between devices around the world through a WAN provider.

WANs can be critical for international businesses, but they are also essential for everyday use as the Internet is said to be the largest WAN in the world. Read on for more information about WANs, how they are used, how they differ from other networks, and their general purpose for businesses and individuals.

What is a Wide Area Network (WAN)?

As described above, wide area networks are a form of telecommunications networks that can connect devices from multiple locations and around the world. WANs are the largest and most expansive forms of computer networks available to date.

These networks are often set up by service providers who then lease their WAN to businesses, schools, governments or the public. These customers can use the network to forward and store data or communicate with other users regardless of their location as long as they have access to the established WAN. Access can be granted through various connections such as: B. virtual private networks (VPNs) or lines, wireless networks, cellular networks or Internet access.

WANs enable international organizations to carry out their essential daily tasks without delay. Employees from anywhere can use an organization’s WAN to share data, communicate with colleagues, or simply stay connected to that organization’s larger data resource center. Certified network experts help companies maintain their internal wide area network and other critical IT infrastructures.

Wide Area Network (WAN) settings allow you to control how Google Nest Wifi and Google Wifi connect to the internet. The type of WAN connection you have is usually determined by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Contact your ISP if you have any questions about the settings to use.

In WAN Settings, you can view your WAN IP address and configure settings using any of the following connection methods:

Change WAN settings

To change your WAN settings, Nest Wifi or Google Wifi must be offline and your phone must be connected to your Nest Wifi or Google Wifi network. To do this, unplug the Ethernet cable from your router or primary WiFi access point and wait until the light blinks amber for Google Nest Wifi or orange for Google Wifi. Make sure your mobile device is still connected to your Nest Wifi or Google Wifi network.

Open the Google Home app. Tap Wi-Fi settings Advanced networks. Tap WAN. Choose DHCP, Static or PPPoE. Make changes, then tap Save.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is the protocol that allows a device (in this case, your router) to automatically obtain an IP address and other related information. If you had a different WAN type and want to revert to DHCP: Open the Google Home app. Tap Wi-Fi settings Advanced networks. Tap WAN. Choose DHCP. Tap Save . Learn more about DHCP Every device connected to the Internet has an IP address. It tells the internet where to send data, like a mailing address on a package. When you use DHCP, your Nest Wifi router or Google Wifi primary Wifi point will automatically ask the device connected to its WAN port, usually a modem, for an IP address. Your modem assigns an IP address to your router or primary WiFi access point for a set period of time. This is called the lease time. When the lease expires, the modem renews the lease and the router or primary WiFi access point usually uses the same address. DHCP assigns a new IP address to your router or primary WiFi access point after a reboot. DHCP is often the default setting used by ISPs because the process is automatic and requires no manual configuration.

A static IP address is an IP address that has been reserved specifically for your connection and does not change automatically. You know if you have a static IP because you reserved an address with your ISP. Open the Google Home app. Tap Wi-Fi settings Advanced networks. Tap WAN. Choose Static IP. Enter the IP address, subnet mask and Internet gateway provided by your ISP. When done, tap Save. After the changes are saved, reconnect the Ethernet cable to your router or primary WiFi access point and modem. Learn more about Static IP Most users don’t need static IP addresses for their router. You only need one if you want an external device or internet service to remember your device. Examples would be if you are running a server or want to access your home network remotely via its public IP. Most ISPs require a special account, often for businesses, to assign you a static IP address. This differs from your personal device with a static IP address. Your router can have a static IP address that is exposed to the rest of the internet. But individual devices connected to your router, such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet, can also be given static IP addresses that are used for your local network. These specific static IP addresses are not exposed to the outside world. Learn more about static IPs for your network devices.

PPPoE is the abbreviation for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. This means you need a specific username and password from your ISP before you can access the internet. This is typical for many DSL connections. If you don’t know your username and password, contact your ISP and ask for your PPPoE account name and password. You must enter this when manually configuring your WAN settings. Once you have your account name and password, you can enter your PPPoE information as follows. Open the Google Home app. Tap Wi-Fi settings Advanced networks. Tap WAN. Choose PPPoE. Enter your account name and password. Confirm the password, then tap Save. Reconnect the Ethernet cable to your WiFi access point.

Note: To protect your network, Google Wifi and Google Nest Wifi do not support the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) Protocol. WPAD can be easily hacked and reveal your surfing behavior or data. If your device has WPAD enabled, we recommend reading your device’s user guide to disable it.

Find a Nest Wifi or Google Wifi WAN IP