Using a LAN port on a cable modem/wifi router combo as a WAN port

Question

I have a question that relates to any cable modem/wifi router that does not have a WAN port but has 4 LAN ports:

If I decide at some point in the future to use a standalone cable modem, can I use the combo device as a typical wifi router by converting one of the LAN ports to a WAN port? I would want to connect the ethernet port on the cable modem to one of the LAN ports on the combo unit and then use wifi and/or connect other devices to the other LAN ports.

TIA.

antinode · Answer

&gt; [...] can I use the combo device as a typical wifi router by&gt; converting one of the LAN ports to a WAN port? [...]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sadly, no.&nbsp; Without a WAN/Internet Ethernet port, about the onlyexotic thing you could do with it would be to use it as a wirelessaccess point.

fuzzyarse · Answer

If I use it as a wireless access point, would i be able to plug in the ethernet cable from the cable modem into one of the LAN ports on my combo unit, and have the combo unit broadcast the wifi signal?

antinode · Answer

&gt; If I use it as a wireless access point, would i be able to [...]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Not without a router in there somewhere.&nbsp; A Cxxxx-as-WAP (or anyother WAP) would be used _with_ a router, not _instead_of_ a router.

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Using a LAN port on a cable modem/wifi router combo as a WAN port