Looking for quick run-down on what all this Wi-Fi network stuff means and does? Learn a little more about networking in general and the AyrMesh network in particular here.

The Ayrstone AyrMesh Gateway Hub must connect to the internet physically, using an Ethernet cable, and at a protocol level, which means  it speaks the same language over the Ethernet wire as the equipment to which it connects.

Most Internet Service Providers provide some piece of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) to which you connect a computer or a router. For instance, if you get DSL Internet access through a phone line, you will have a DSL modem connected to your phone line. If you have Cable access, you will have a Cable modem connecting to your cable. Satellite service operates from a satellite service box, and, fixed wireless access has a radio mounted to the roof or wall of your house, pointed to a nearby tower. Some people even have Internet access via the cellular phone system.

What they have in common is that each of them has an Ethernet connector, which is the one of the keys to connecting your AyrMesh system to the internet. The other key is the protocol used on the Ethernet port.

The AyrMesh system depends on using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) as the “language” it “speaks” on the Ethernet cable, so it must be connected to something that also “speaks” DHCP. A few CPE units use DHCP, but most use different protocols such as PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) or even static IP addressing (you have a fixed internet address).

Most Cable Modems and Satellite Modems provide DHCP, so you can plug the AyrMesh Hub directly into them (although you may have to reboot the Modem before it will recognize the AyrMesh Hub). Many "fixed wireless" systems also provide DHCP. Most DSL modems (except for newer units with a built-in router) and some other systems do not, however.

If your CPE unit uses some protocol other than DHCP, you need a piece of equipment to “translate” the protocol of your CPE unit into DHCP; that equipment is a Router.

Routers are simply devices that connect networks and make sure that the packets go to the correct network. Most “consumer-grade” routers have a single input (usually called the “WAN port,” indicating it is connected to the “Wide Area Network,” the internet). They usually provide a single output, which typically feeds into a switch (usually with four ports) and a wireless access point, which are together called the “LAN ports,” meaning they are connected to your private Local Area Network. The router makes sure that packets that are destined for the internet get to the internet, and packets destined for your LAN get to your LAN.

Some CPE units even have routers included in the package – an example is the D-Link unit shown to the left. The “LAN” ports on home routers almost always provide DHCP, so the AyrMesh Gateway plugs into one of the LAN ports of the router.

The majority of consumer-grade routers today have a wi-fi access point built in to them. The wi-fi signal from these routers can interfere with the AyrMesh signal, especially when you are close to the router. For this reason, we strongly suggest turning off the wi-fi capability of your router when you install the AyrMesh system.

Backing up a little bit, please note that I mentioned that there is a single “LAN port” on the router connected to a four-port switch and a wireless access point. You see the wireless antennas and the four ports on the back of the router, but those are actually not part of the router – they are a four-port switch and a wireless access point that have been added into the same box with the router.

A switch is simply a box that multiplies the number of ports available in your network - think of it as the networking equivalent of an outlet strip for electricity. It works by simply transferring packets between the ports on the switch – it doesn't route traffic between different networks, it just moves traffic on a single network. As such, a switch can be connected to your network wherever you need extra ethernet ports for your LAN.

Switches are handy if your router's LAN ports are full, for instance, and you need to plug in your AyrMesh Gateway Hub – simply disconnect one device temporarily, plug in the switch, then plug that device (and the AyrMesh Gateway Hub) into the switch. It will work exactly as if it was plugged directly into the router.

A switch is also handy if you put an AyrMesh Remote Hub somewhere and want to connect more than one device to it: simply plug a switch into the AyrMesh Remote Hub and you have several more ports for wired devices on your AyrMesh network.

Here's a diagram that shows how all these components can fit together in a household network:

Using a router, the Ayrstone AyrMesh network, and some switches can enable you to have a very capable, flexible network for your home and business, saving you time and money.