Router – What is a Router?

Hello friends! Today we will read about Router (what is router?) in this post and will also see its advantages. Read it completely, you will understand it easily, so let’s start: –

What is a router?

• Router is a networking device used to transfer data packets between two or more computer networks.
• In other words, “a router is an internetworking device that is used to send and receive data packets between computer networks.”
• Router has a software with the help of which data is sent from one network to another.
• Router is a network device that provides internet access to the user. That is, it is used by the user to access the Internet.
• With the help of a router, any user can easily access the internet and transfer the necessary data from one device to another.
• Router transfers data from one device to another in the form of data packets. In today’s time, all the data on the Internet is present in the form of data packets.
• Router first analyzes the data packets and then processes them. After this, whatever device is connected with the router, it transfers the data to those devices.
• Routers are manufactured by some popular companies. Such as – Cisco, 3Com, HP, Juniper, D-Link, and Nortel etc.
• In this, routing protocols are used to transfer data.
• It is used in LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network).
• Router is expensive as compared to other networking devices like hub, switch etc.

>> introduction to computer networks

Router – Features of Router

Its features are as follows-

1- It works on the third layer (network layer) of the OSI model.

2- It provides high speed internet connectivity to the user with the help of different types of ports like gigabit, fast-Ethernet, and STM link.

3- The main components of the router are- CPU, flash memory, RAM, console, network, and interface card etc.

4- It provides the user the facility to connect LAN and WAN networks.

5- Router is such a device which is present in physical form which the user can easily touch.

6- It filters the data on the basis of IP address.

Router – Types of router

Its types are as follows-

1- Wireless Router

Wireless routers are used to provide Wi-Fi connectivity to devices such as laptops and smartphones, so that users can easily access the Internet.

Router can be used in those devices in which Wi-Fi facility is available. In wireless router, no cable is used to provide internet facility to the user.

The range of wireless router is about 150 to 300 feet, that is, in this range the user can access the Internet.

Wireless routers are very good in terms of security. User ID and password are used to login to the router, which makes it completely secure.

2- Core router

Core router is a type of router that transmits data within a network but it cannot transmit data between networks.

It is used to connect all types of network devices to the Internet.

It is used by internet service providers (ISPs). Apart from this, it provides very fast and powerful data communication interface.

3- Broadband routers

It is mainly used to provide high speed internet facility to the computer.

Internet speed is very fast in Broadband router, with the help of which the computer transfers data at a high speed.

Apart from this, it is also used for voice over IP technology (VOIP).

Broadband router facility is provided by internet service provider (ISP).

A broadband router is also called a broadband modem and digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.

4- Brouter

A Brouter is made up of a bridge and a router. It provides the facility to transfer data through the bridge.

Browter has the features of both bridge and router.

>> What is DHCP? How does DHCP work?

Router – Advantages of Router

Its advantages are as follows-

1- Security

Routers are very good devices in terms of security. It provides security to the user’s data so that the user’s data remains completely secure.

Apart from this, user ID and password are required to login the user in Router, which makes it even more secure.

2- Dynamic Routing

Dynamic routing is used in the router, so that the router finds out which is the best path (way) to transfer the data. Due to this, the traffic in the network is reduced to a great extent.

3- Reliability

Router is very reliable if for some reason the router’s server is down or there is a fault in the cable.

So it does not have any bad effect in router and other network.

In simple words, even if the router’s network is bad, the router works smoothly.

4- Connection

Connection is the main function of the router, with the help of which the user gets internet connectivity. Due to which the user can easily transfer data from one device to another.

A router connects multiple devices to a single network. Due to which productivity increases.

5- Packet Filtering

Router provides the facility of packet filtering and packet switching. With its help, it filters the data packets. If a data packet is damaged, it transfers it further.

6- Integration

Routers can be integrated with modem. Small networks can be created by the integration of these two.

7- Easy Installation

It is easy for any user to setup a router or to say that the installation process of the router is very easy, due to which the user does not have to face much difficulties in installing the router.

8- Wired & Wireless

It can provide internet facility to the user in both wired and wireless ways, due to which the user gets two options to access the internet.

The user can choose any one of the two options as per his wish.

9- It automatically creates collision domain and broadcast domain, so that it reduces network traffic.

10- It provides the facility of sophisticated routing, flow control and traffic isolation.

Router – Disadvantages of Router

1-Speed

Router analyzes the data completely, due to which the router takes a lot of time to analyze the data. Due to which its speed becomes very slow, and the internet connection also becomes slow.

2- Cost

Routers are much more expensive than any other networking devices because it has facilities like security and bridge, which makes this device even more expensive, due to which it costs a lot of money to setup the router. .

3-Implementation

It requires a lot of configurations and NAT to implement, without NAT and configurations it is very difficult to set up a router.

Apart from this, private IP address is also required in the setup of simple router, which makes the process of implementing the router very difficult.

4- Bandwidth Shortage

For communication, router uses dynamic routing techniques due to which the problem of overheads arises in networking.

Due to the problem of overheads, it uses a large amount of bandwidth, due to which there is a lack of bandwidth in the router and the router is not able to work properly.

Router – Components of Router

Router has two types of components. Internal components and External components.

Internal components

• ROM – This is its internal component which is used to store the bootstrap details and operating system in the router.
• Flash memory – Flash memory is used by the router to keep the images of the operating system.
• RAM – RAM is also called (Random Access Memory) which is used to store routing tables, configuration files, caching and buffering details.
• NVRAM – NVRAM is used by the router to store startup config files.

External Components

• Virtual terminals – This is its external component, it is used to provide access to routers.
• Network management stations – It is used to manage the network through the router, so that all the networks can work properly.

>> INTERNET SERVICES

Applications of Router

It is used in many places.

1- It is used to connect hardware devices with remote location networks and servers.

Simply put, routers are used to connect hardware devices with networks and servers that are far away from the reach of hardware devices.

2 – It is used to speed up the process of data transmission. With the help of which data can be transferred from one device to another with high speed.

Router uses high STM link to transfer data due to which it supports both wireless and wired communication.

3- It is used by Internet service providers to transfer e-mail, web pages, images, audio and video files.

Router can easily transfer these files to any corner of the world with the help of IP address.

4- Routers are used by Software Testers for WAN communication.

5- It is used to configure VPN in wireless network.

6- It is also used to store data. The router has full capacity to store data, due to which it can easily store any type of data.

Difference between Router and Switch

Router	Switch
It connects many networks at a time.	It connects many devices at a time.
It works on the network layer.	It works on the data link layer.
It is used by both LAN and MAN.	It is used only through LAN.
It performs NAT (network address translation).	It cannot perform NAT.
In this the data is sent in the form of packet.	In this, data is sent in the form of packet and frame.

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