Configure wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN) routers or related equipment.

“Configure wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN) routers or related equipment.” is a core task performed by Computer Network Support Specialists. Among the occupation's 26 rated tasks, workers place it 21st by importance (#6 most important). About 82% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Set up computer systems, networks, or other information systems. in Working with Computers

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E1. Direct exposure — a language model could plausibly cut the time to do this task by at least half.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 1.00. Automation potential label: T3.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Back up network data. · importance 4.4
• Configure security settings or access permissions for groups or individuals. · importance 4.4
• Analyze and report computer network security breaches or attempted breaches. · importance 4.3
• Identify the causes of networking problems, using diagnostic testing software and equipment. · importance 4.2
• Document network support activities. · importance 4.1
• Install network software, including security or firewall software. · importance 4.0
• Evaluate local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) performance data to ensure sufficient availability or speed, to identify network problems, or for disaster recovery purposes. · importance 4.0
• Troubleshoot network or connectivity problems for users or user groups. · importance 4.0
• Provide telephone support related to networking or connectivity issues. · importance 4.0
• Analyze network data to determine network usage, disk space availability, or server function. · importance 3.9
• Perform routine maintenance or standard repairs to networking components or equipment. · importance 3.9
• Configure and define parameters for installation or testing of local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), hubs, routers, switches, controllers, multiplexers, or related networking equipment. · importance 3.9
• Install new hardware or software systems or components, ensuring integration with existing network systems. · importance 3.9
• Test computer software or hardware, using standard diagnostic testing equipment and procedures. · importance 3.7

See all tasks on the Computer Network Support Specialists page.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-task-18992,
  title  = {Configure wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN) routers or related equipment.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/tasks/task-18992}
}