# Article "Clarifying the term "Interface" " Outdated?

**URL:** <https://forum.openwrt.org/t/article-clarifying-the-term-interface-outdated/233604>\
**Category:** Talk about Documentation\
**Created:** [June 3, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/article-clarifying-the-term-interface-outdated/233604 "2025-06-03T03:54:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![yantian](https://forum.openwrt.org/letter_avatar/yantian/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@yantian](https://forum.openwrt.org/u/yantian)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/article-clarifying-the-term-interface-outdated/233604/1 "2025-06-03T03:54:01Z")

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HI all,  
I read the article Clarifying the term "Interface" in below URL,

> **[\[OpenWrt Wiki\] Clarifying the term "Interface"](https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/base-system/clarifying_interface_usage)**

It clearly says:

> If you already know the OpenWrt syntax a bit, you can see that I have replaced interface with connector, device with controller and proto with setup to avoid “`interface`” and anything related.

But when I check the config in my openwrt router in Production, I did not see `config connector` (but `config interface` instead) and `config controller` (but `config device` instead).

If the article in above URL already outdated ? if yes, I would recommend to delete it to avoid confusion.

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**Author:** ![anon63541380](https://forum.openwrt.org/letter_avatar/anon63541380/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@anon63541380](https://forum.openwrt.org/u/anon63541380)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 4:09am UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/article-clarifying-the-term-interface-outdated/233604/2 "2025-06-03T04:09:30Z")

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The article uses substitutes - "interface" is ip address(-es), "device" is ethernet port

device = eth0  
interface(s) = eth0 eth0:1 eth0:2 aka "ip aliases" in obsolete ifconfig terminology

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lleachii](https://forum.openwrt.org/letter_avatar/lleachii/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@lleachii](https://forum.openwrt.org/u/lleachii)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 4:56am UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/article-clarifying-the-term-interface-outdated/233604/3 "2025-06-03T04:56:22Z")

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> [@yantian](#):
>
> when I check the config in my openwrt router in Production, I did not see `config connector` (but `config interface` instead) and `config controller` (but `config device` instead).

To be clear, that's what the quote you posted from the documentation explained:

> [@yantian](#):
>
> you can see that I have replaced interface with connector

> [@yantian](#):
>
> device with controller

And explained why:

> [@yantian](#):
>
> to avoid “`interface`” and anything related.