Configure Router
In today’s technologically-advanced environment, there has been an influx of technical products and devices that assist in fulfilling the requirements of a wide customer base that is reliant on the Internet for business, online services, communication, and data sharing, among others.
Routers are network devices that forward packets of data towards a particular destination. It is used to connect to different networks through information exchange by routing to those networks. A router is located at the network connection point, which is called gateway. In order to configure routers, it is essential to know the attributes of the same.
Routers comprise a specialized Operating System (OS), RAM, NVRAM, flash memory, and processors. Processors may be one or more depending on network requirements. High-end Routers perform a lot of parallel processing and hence constitute specialized application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) and many processors. They operate at the Network Layer, which is Layer 3 of the OSI Model. Router configuration depends on whether it is a wired or wireless router. A router makes use of routing protocols such as Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), or Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). Mostly, Routers that are specifically used for connecting ISPs and large companies utilize the BGP for exchanging routing information.
Configuring a router involves a good understanding of the underlying concept and it is possible to perform the task with a few standard guidelines. Basic router configuration needs a network router – wired or wireless, and a network adapter to enable all the devices to connect to the router, a Web browser, and an Internet modem if required. A computer in a network is connected to the router and the administration tool of the router is opened using a web browser. On logging in, password encryption is done for security purpose. In router configuration, information such as the Internet connectivity details, the static IP fields (as in the case of having a static IP address from the provider) should all be set. After verifying connectivity to the Internet, other computers are added to the router and network security features appended.
As the core routing protocol of the Internet, BGP is used by high-end programmable routers for routing and forwarding information. After configuring a router, which is the basic step, comes the crucial task of how the connectivity is established among the network and the standard protocols used. When a router is manually configured, static routes determine the routing function. This is not preferred due to the constant changes that need to be made by a network administrator and lack of automated routing during network outages. BGP as an advanced routing protocol has its own master routing table and maintains the connectivity to the network.
A router that is configured and which uses BGP has its own limitations due to its intricate structure. Employing a full mesh configuration in BGP decreases the performance of routers. A predominant problem arises from the use of multiple routing tables, which slows down routers, bringing about latency, and ultimately leaves the end user with an unreliable network connection. Added to this, cooperation between service providers was required to ensure smooth functioning of BGP enabled routers. These factors led to the emergence of technology, which provides redundancy, reliability, and speed in WANs. FatPipe Networks has penetrated the market with its unique technology offerings, which provides the highest levels of WAN optimization, reliability, security, and bandwidth management. FatPipe’s patented router clustering technology is the preeminent substitute to BGP load balancing.
FatPipe’s line of products comes as a welcome relief to a wide customer base that is dependent on robust WANs to meet business continuity goals. FatPipe Networks offer a refined, flexible solution for WAN redundancy and dynamic load balancing of both inbound and outbound data traffic. FatPipe’s WARP solution dynamically load balances across multiple lines and considerably increases WAN efficiency. It is advantageous because it does not require BGP programming, and features Auto Failover and Policy Routing.
