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SECURITY ITEM: The router that TCT is selling is a wireless router. This means that it allows wireless connectivity to the Internet. In order to ensure that other computers don’t connect to your wireless router without you knowing, TCT strongly recommends that you follow all of the instructions that accompany the router, starting with inserting the EasyLink Advisor CD into your computer that will be connected to the router and following the on-screen prompts and procedures to get it setup in a secure manner.
What is an IP address? An IP address is the unique address that every device on the Internet must have. In order for your computer to send messages to an Internet server – such as www.tctwest.net, which has its own IP address – your computer must have a return address so that the server knows where to send its reply message back to. This process is very similar to the postal mail service. In order for your mail to get to where you want it to go, the destination must have a unique address and likewise for them to send you mail, you must have a unique address.
How does a router share a single IP? A router that can share a single IP address is known as a NAT router. NAT stands for “network address translation.” A NAT router keeps track of all the computers in your home or business that access the Internet, where they go, etc. As messages go through the router on their way to an Internet server, it “translates” the private IP address that your computer has into the public IP address from us and forwards it on to the Internet server. When the Internet server responds back to the public IP address on the NAT router, it looks up which computer that response is supposed to go, translates the IP address back to the private one and forwards it back to the right computer.
If I don’t have a public IP now, what do I have? Today, we have a large, centralized NAT router and with the exception of a handful of subscribers, everyone has a private IP address that we translate to a public IP address as those messages go to the Internet.
Why is a public IP address better? The NAT process imposes several limitations that for most residential subscribers aren’t a problem. However, these limitations surface during specific types of activities; primarily gaming, instant messaging (e.g. MS Messenger or Yahoo Instant Messenger), file sharing (e.g. Limewire) and other sorts of interactive-types of activities. In addition, NAT can cause problems with Internet phones (e.g. TCT’s Vontel, Skype, etc.). By providing you a public IP address, many of these types of activities begin to function as you would expect them to.
If NAT causes problems and my router at home would be a NAT router (to share the connection), wouldn’t I still have the same problem? You’re right that NAT in your home’s NAT router will cause the same problems as our centralized NAT for interactive-type activities. However, because your NAT router will have the public IP address and it is entirely under your control, you have the flexibility of configuring your NAT router to allow better communication “through it” to your computer. With centralized NAT, you don’t have that flexibility.
With a public IP address, are there additional security risks to me? Good question. There are additional security risks that you need to be concerned with. However, these security risks are largely mitigated by using a NAT router. Even if you only have one computer, TCT strongly recommends that you use a router. If you decide not to use a router, TCT strongly recommends that you turn on the firewall on your computer. However, not all computer operating systems have a firewall. If in doubt, please use a router.
I already have a router installed. Do I still need to purchase and install a new one? No, you do not need to purchase a new router. The router you already have installed is performing the necessary functions.
