Your Local Area Network (LAN) is a term used to describe all the equipment that is behind your modem that connects your network to the Internet. The specific equipment you will need will depend on the number of IP phones at your location, and the number of devices on your network such as computers, servers and network printers. The equipment listed below is typically used in a LAN.

Modem: A device that connects to the data connection provided by your Internet service provider (ISP). Other network devices such as a router are connected behind the modem.

Router: A router is a device that routes or splits your Internet connection among multiple devices. A router is an intelligent device. It can divide your connection differently depending on how it is configured. Routers commonly have multiple ports to allow separate device connections. If more ports are needed, a switch is recommended. 8x8 recommends you use a router with QoS settings that can be set to prioritize voice traffic over data traffic.

Switch: A pass-through device that splits your Internet connection among multiple devices. Switches are capable of extending your network to accommodate an additional 4 to 24 devices.

8x8 Phones or Adapters: IP phones purchased from 8x8 or analog phone adapters (ATAs). (An ATA is used to connect a standard or analog phone or fax machine to 8x8 service through your Internet connection.)

Other devices: Other connecting devices such as computers, servers and network printers.