This Is How Your Router Works

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Brand: The Original PC Doctor
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Internet connectivity has been made available to the majority of the population. By the end of 2019, an estimated 4.13 billion people have access to the internet. In the older days of the internet, a modem was all you would need to connect your computer to the internet. Today, however, things are a bit different.

While it is still possible to use just a modem to connect to the internet today, this holds some security risks. Plus, you can only connect a single device to the internet with a modem.

This is where a router comes into the picture. A router helps to connect multiple devices to a single network. Once connected to the network, a modem can be used to help those devices connect to the internet. We take a closer look at how a router works and what it takes for this device to help you get connected to the internet.

What Is A Router?

We will start by looking at what exactly a router is. These devices are not directly responsible for giving you access to the internet – even though many people think that they are.

A router is a device that allows for a network to be created. This generally consists of a network that connects multiple devices in your home. Sometimes, a router is used to create a local network within an office environment too.

When the network is created, the router helps to send packets between multiple devices that are connected to the network. Packet data can be sent from one device to the router, and will then the referred to the appropriate location. For example, when two devices on the network communicate with each other, the router helps the packets to move from one device to the other one.

Each device on the network is able to send packets, as well as to receive packets.

The router itself assigns each device on the network with a unique IP address. This is a unique identification number for the device, which helps the network better understand where data (packets) need to go.

When one device sends a packet to another device, information about the other device is submitted to the router as the item’s IP address. This makes it easier for the router to understand the destination of the packet, which prevents the packets from being sent to the wrong destination (or device).

A router works very quickly. In fact, the communication between multiple devices on the network and the router itself generally feels like it is instantaneous. Multiple devices can send and receive packets at the same time, on the same router – and the transactions will still occur at such an instantaneous speed.

Router Versus Modem

One crucial thing to understand is that a standard router does not allow you to access the internet. A router simply allows for the creation of a local network. The network is created, and devices in a certain proximity of the router can then connect to it. These devices are able to connect to the network through either a physical connection, which uses a LAN cable or through wireless technology (Wi-Fi).

A modem is a little different from a router. This is the device that can communicate with the internet. A modem creates a direct connection with your internet service provider (ISP) and then allows you to connect to the internet.

In order to allow multiple devices in your house to connect to the internet, the modem and router are connected to each other.

When the modem is connected to the router, it provides internet access to the network that was created by the router. This allows the devices that have been granted access to the network to use the internet.

A successful connection to your ISP would be essential for this process to work. You will likely obtain information from your ISP to connect the router to the internet. Each ISP has its own way of providing internet access. You may need to use login credentials, such as a username and password, for the connection to be successful.

A lot of the modern routers on the market come with a built-in modem. This makes it much easier to create a network that has internet access.

Conclusion

A router plays an essential part in allowing you to connect to the internet. The device works together with a modem, allowing your smartphones, laptops, and other products to access the internet. Many people do not realize what exactly a router is and how these devices work. We looked at the purpose of a router and how it differs from a modem in this post. This will help you get a better idea of when it is appropriate to buy a router and why this device is so important in allowing you to have an internet connection at home.

References

Written by The Original PC Doctor on 24/09/2020.

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