What is a router

What is a router and why is it needed?

A router, in simple words, is a special station that receives and further transmits Internet signals. The device connects the user and the provider, who “distributes” the Internet.

In addition, the device is necessary to distribute the received signal. It receives the signal and divides it into several devices that are connected to it. The router also transmits the signal in the opposite direction - from the subscriber to the Internet.

This device has a protective function. It encodes data using special protocols: WPA, WEP and others.

If you install the necessary software on the router, you can additionally connect a proxy server and use many useful functions.

REFERENCE! A router is indispensable when connecting to the Internet. It receives and splits the signal. At the same time, it makes it inaccessible to subscribers not included in the allowed list.

Some users think that router and router are different devices. Router translated from English means “tracing paper”, and translated into Russian as router.Therefore, router and router can be considered synonymous words denoting one device.

A router differs significantly from a modem:

1. The router not only receives the signal, but also divides it. Modem - transmits to one external device.
2. The router has a personal IP address, the modem does not.
3. A modem can perform one function, while a router is multifunctional.

How a router works

The router's job is to receive and distribute the signal between connected devices or servers. He does this according to a special routing table, where all subscribers are indicated and the necessary protocols are prescribed. It is on the basis of the information recorded in the table that the paths along which the signal is distributed will be determined.

The table allows you to organize the network in such a way that each signal has its own path, while it does not intersect with other channels.

The circuit is organized in such a way that for each connected subscriber the optimal path with the minimum time for receiving a signal is selected.

To prevent conflicts between subscribers, each of them is assigned an individual IP address. It is also necessary to determine the optimal signal transmission route. The router periodically sends a signal to a specific IP address. This is necessary to ensure that the information about the network map is updated and relevant.

Connecting the router to external devices looks like this:

• when connecting the service, the provider installs special cables and installs the necessary equipment;
• the main cable is connected to the corresponding WAN port located on the back of the router body - it is blue;
• Since system units do not have a built-in Wi-Fi module, a LAN cable is laid to them, connecting it to the router - the LAN ports on the router body are colored yellow for convenience.

REFERENCE! Devices that have a module for wireless data transmission are connected via a Wi-Fi network.

Each router model has its own connection restrictions. This is indicated in the product passport. But for home use, ordinary inexpensive models are sufficient.

A wireless connection has a nuance - speed. The signal transmission speed depends on the power of the router's standard antenna and on which specific Wi-Fi standard the device supports. The speed may be affected by some external factors, such as long distances between devices or thick walls.

Types of routers

Despite the fact that all routers are designed to receive and distribute signals between external devices, they come in several types. In order to configure the network correctly, you should know which type is being used.

Broadband

This option is used to connect to broadband Internet. Similar models have a telephone jack on their body.

They are needed to connect several computers to the Internet or organize a telephone line. A broadband router is also required if IP telephony is used.

Wireless

Such a router is necessary to organize wireless data transfer between devices.

Since a personal computer does not have a Wi-Fi module, the router is connected to it using a cable. After the two devices are connected, you need to go to the router settings and enable the wireless connection.There you also need to set a password to log in.

This is required in order to protect your network from scammers or devices that are not subscribers. In addition, you need to install a security key.

ATTENTION! Don't save your security key anywhere on your computer!

After all the necessary settings are made, the router will begin to “distribute” Wi-Fi.

Routers are quite reliable devices. They usually do not require special care, tuning or adjustment and can last for many years.

Thanks to routers, the World Wide Web has become accessible to millions of users. Perhaps, after some period of time, these devices will no longer be needed. But for now they are indispensable for everyone who wants to use the Internet.