Cabling an inline unit

Which port goes where, bridge versus routed layouts for homes and offices, and the management connection.

Every port on a SENTRA appliance has a role, printed on its label:

Label	Role	Connect to
WAN	Faces the internet	The ISP modem / ONT, or the carrier's hand-off
LAN	Faces your network	Your router, firewall or switch
MGMT	Management	Your admin network (or the provider's management link)
other	Unused, or extra segments	As configured

A WAN and a LAN port together form a segment. All traffic between them passes through NTS.

Layout 1 — Bridge (invisible in the line)#

  Internet ── ISP modem/ONT ──[WAN]  SENTRA  [LAN]── your router ── your devices
                                        [MGMT]── admin PC / provider link

Nothing changes on your side: your router keeps its addresses and settings.
Best for businesses with their own router or firewall, and for homes where the router must stay as it is.
If the SENTRA software stops, the bridge keeps forwarding.

Layout 2 — Routed (SENTRA is the gateway)#

  Internet ── ISP modem/ONT ──[WAN]  SENTRA  [LAN]── switch / Wi-Fi access point ── your devices

SENTRA gives your network its gateway address and translates addresses (NAT).
Adds port forwards, VPN for remote staff and a second internet line (multi-WAN).
Best for small offices and homes without a firewall of their own.

Note

In routed mode the SENTRA unit is the gateway: if it has no power, the network has no internet until it is back (or bypassed).

Two internet lines#

On a routed segment, a second WAN link (another port) can take over when the first fails (failover) or share the load (balance).

Cables#

Copper ports: Cat6 (or better) patch cables.
SFP+ ports: the transceivers or direct-attach cables your carrier or switch requires.
Label both ends — WAN and LAN swapped is the most common installation mistake.

Checking the cabling#

On the console's Network → Interfaces page every port shows its link and speed, and what it is used as.

Network → Interfaces on a running unit: each port's role, link and speed.

The dashboard's Traffic on every port shows traffic moving through WAN and LAN once cabled.