What Is Uplink and Downlink in Networking?

In satellite telecommunication, a downlink is the link from a satellite down to one or more ground stations or receivers, and an uplink is the link from a ground station up to a satellite.

What is an uplink in networking?

An uplink in computer networking refers to a wired or wireless connection from a ​local area network (LAN) to a wide area network (WAN). An uplink port on a home router is a special kind of port that's used to connect to a broadband modem (which is a LAN), and ultimately to the internet (which is a WAN).

What is downlink in networking?

The downlink is a term used in radio communications and satellite communications to denote the link from the network to the end user or from the satellite to the earth. It is a telecommunications link for signals coming to the earth from a satellite, spacecraft, or aircraft.