A small office/home office (SOHO) network serves a very small business or home with about 1 to 10 users. Its design favors simple, low-cost connectivity over the layered architectures used in larger networks. section 15.4 section 15.0
A typical SOHO network commonly centralizes these functions in one wireless router:
- Router: forwards packets between the local network and the internet. section 15.4
- Ethernet switch: connects wired end-user devices. section 15.4
- Firewall: blocks connections originating from the internet. section 15.4
- Wireless access point: connects Wi-Fi clients; some models also provide modem functionality for particular internet connection types. section 15.4
Typical SOHO deployment
A home or small business can connect its wired devices, Wi-Fi clients, and internet service through one wireless router. Most such networks use one internet connection, so a service loss is inconvenient rather than an enterprise emergency. section 15.4 section 15.5
Figure 15.11 A wireless router functions as a router, a switch, a firewall, and a wireless access point.
Use the diagram to identify how one wireless router combines routing, switching, firewall, and wireless-access-point roles. section 15.4
