What is the USB port on the back of the router for?

The router is an essential piece to have access to the network. There are a wide variety of devices and with the passage of time, they have incorporated different components into their structure. The newer versions have one or more USB ports. Today they are more adapted to meet the needs of users and a large number of devices can be connected at the same time without blocking or not being able to handle so many requests.

If we talk about what we can see in a router, we can see that there are differences between the different models. Some have antennas, while others have none in sight. Sometimes they can have LED lights to indicate different aspects. Also, as we mentioned in this note, a router can have a USB port or even have several.

Here we will explain what uses we can find in the USB port of our router.

Connect devices to USB ports

Some routers have a USB port so you can connect to other devices. However, there are people who do not use them due to ignorance. Keep in mind that there are both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. and this last option is faster. In addition, it is the one that will allow connecting more computers that need higher resources.

An example of the most common is to plug printers into the local network and use them. In this way, you can print from a computer or device that connects to that network. It can be used at the home user level and in companies and organizations.

Charge other devices

Yes, we can also use our router to charge our mobile and other devices. The USB port works in a similar way to any other that we have in other computers. We simply connect the device with a USB cable and, as long as it is compatible, it can charge devices.

Server created with a USB stick

It is possible to create a server due to the USB port of our router, which allows us to plug in a USB memory or an external hard drive. With this, you can access their content from other computers. It is also a way to expand the storage available in our home, something that can be of great help.

It allows us to create a server to play streaming movies. From a television connected to the local network, these files can be accessed and in this way, we will have everything centralized through the router, without the need to transfer them to the devices we use. Basically, you will have NAS, storage equipment where you create backup copies or keep files available from other places.

Router update

Another use of the router’s USB ports is to update the router’s firmware. To keep the equipment up-to-date, it is necessary to add patches and security updates that are available.

Wi-Fi: how to give more bandwidth to certain devices from the router?

First, you must enter the router configuration with the user who has the most permissions. Once you have accessed it, you will have to look for the quality of service (QuS) tool that is usually disabled by default.

When it is enabled, you will be able to start distributing the bandwidth, setting certain speed limits to some devices connected to the modem. In this way, they will not hog the entire internet and they will all have a good speed.