Gigabit Ethernet
The number of standard Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 network connectors provided in the device design.
As the name suggests, these connectors provide data transfer rates up to 1 Gbps. Initially, Gigabit Ethernet was considered a professional standard, and even now the real needs for such speeds arise mainly when performing special tasks. Nevertheless, even relatively inexpensive computers are now equipped with gigabit network adapters, not to mention more advanced technology.
As for the number of connectors, it corresponds to the number of network devices that can be connected to the "switch" directly, without the use of additional equipment. At the same time, it is worth noting that in some "switches" individual connectors of this type are combined with optical SFP or SFP +. Such connectors are marked "combo" and are taken into account both when counting RJ-45 and when counting SFP / SFP +.
2.5 Gigabit Ethernet
The number of standard network connectors RJ-45 format
2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, provided in the design of the device. These ports are backwards compatible with lower speeds. This type of ports can be used in conjunction with NAS servers or, for example, with routers that support Wi-Fi 6/6E, where this format has also become widespread.
SFP (optics)
The number of optical network ports of the SFP standard provided in the design of the device. We emphasize that we are talking about "ordinary" SFPs; SFP+ data is usually listed separately.
Specifically, in switches, the marking “SFP” usually means a connector for fiber with a connection speed of 1 Gbps. Technically, this is not much compared to RJ-45 speeds; however, this connection format has a number of advantages. One of the main ones is a greater effective range: the mentioned gigabit standard works with a cable length of up to 550 m, and by the standards of optical fiber, this is still very little. True, the cable itself is sensitive to kinks and requires quite delicate handling; on the other hand, it is completely immune to electromagnetic interference. On the other hand, in general, the SFP format is noticeably less popular in network equipment than RJ-45; therefore, there are few ports of this type even in advanced devices (
1 port or
2 ports, less often more). It is also worth considering that there may be so-called combo connectors that combine SFP and RJ-45; the presence of such ports is specified in the notes, they are taken into account both in the calculation of RJ-45 and in the calculation of SFP.
SFP+ (optics)
The number of SFP+ optical ports provided in the device design.
The general advantages of fiber optics over regular Ethernet cables are longer communication ranges and insensitivity to electromagnetic interference. Specifically, SFP+ is a development of the original SFP standard; Such connectors operate at a speed of 10 Gbit/s as standard. As for the number of such ports, despite all its advantages, optical fiber in network equipment is still used quite rarely and most often there is only
1 port(less often
2 ports or more). It is also worth considering that there may be so-called combo connectors that combine SFP+ and RJ-45; the presence of such ports is specified in the notes; they are taken into account both when calculating RJ-45 and when calculating SFP+.
Of which dedicated WAN/LAN
The number
of WAN/LAN combo ports specified by the manufacturer in the device design that can be reassigned to work with both an external WAN and a local LAN. Such a solution allows to reduce the total number of connection ports and at the same time expand the functionality of the equipment for flexible adaptation to user needs.
Console port
The presence of a
console port in the router. This connector is used to control the device settings from a separate computer, which plays the role of a control panel — a console. The advantage of this format of operation is that access to the functions of the router does not depend on the state of the network; in addition, special utilities can be used on the console that provide more extensive capabilities than a regular web interface or network protocols (see "Management"). An RS-232 connector is often used as a console port, but in modern routers this role can also be played by a separate Ethernet input (not used for any other purpose).
CPU
The model of the processor installed in the device. The processor is responsible for processing network traffic and running software. Knowing its name, you can get more detailed data on the speed capabilities of the equipment and understand how much such a powerful or, on the contrary, mediocre element is needed on board. In new models of Wi-Fi equipment, coprocessors or so-called NPU modules are often installed, which relieve the load from the main processor.
CPU cores
The number of cores in the processor installed in the device. The core in this case refers to the part of the processor that executes one thread of instructions. Accordingly, the presence of multiple cores allows you to work with multiple threads simultaneously, which has a positive effect on performance.
CPU speed
The number of cycles per second that the processor produces in its normal operating mode. A clock is a single electrical impulse used to process data and synchronize the processor with the rest of the computer system. Different operations may require fractions of a clock or several clocks, but anyway, the clock frequency is one of the main parameters characterizing the performance and speed of the processor — all other things being equal, a processor with a higher clock frequency will work faster and better cope with significant loads.
