What is a router and what does it do?
Routers are classified into local routers and remote routers. Local routers are used to connect network transmission media, such as optical fibers, coaxial cables, and twisted pairs. The remote router is used to connect the remote transmission medium and the corresponding equipment is required. For example, the telephone line should be equipped with a modem, and the wireless should be through a wireless receiver and transmitter.
A router is basically used to share a network connection to multiple devices (of course this is a simple description). Most routers today are WiFi routers, which create a WiFi network to which multiple devices can connect.
Often routers also have multiple ethernet ports, which can be used to connect multiple devices with network cables.
While the router is connected to the Internet through a modem, the router itself is assigned a globally unique public IP address (generally referred to as the public IP) on the Internet.
Servers on the Internet communicate with routers, which direct network signals to corresponding devices on the LAN/private network.
However, if you only have one router, you can’t connect to the Internet yet. The router needs to be connected to the Internet through an Ethernet cable, and the modem is responsible for connecting to the Internet.
What is a modem and what does it do?
A modem is a device that receives an analog signal from your internet service provider (ISP) and translates it into a digital signal that your devices can understand and vice versa. This allows your devices to send and receive data over the internet.
If it is a cable modem, it is connected to the ISP’s infrastructure via coaxial cable.
If it’s a DSL (Abbreviation for Digital Subscriber Line, which stands for “Digital Subscriber Line”) modem, then connect your phone line to communication.
One end of the modem connects to your internet service provider’s infrastructure in a variety of ways, such as a cable, phone line, satellite, or fiber-optic connection; the other end is connected to any router (or a computer) through an Ethernet cable, and then you can access the Internet (if you connect to a router, the router generally shares WiFi for each device to access the Internet, or connect the device to the Ethernet interface of the router in wired mode. If it’s a computer, you can access the Internet).
Modem vs router: what’s the difference?
1. Different functions
A modem is a necessary device for computer networking. With a modem computer, dial-up Internet access can be performed, and a router is a device that helps multiple computers share a network. With the help of a router, several computers can be connected to the same network cable, but the router is not a necessary device for the computer to access the Internet. Without the router, the computer can still connect to the Internet through the modem.
2. Different connection methods
Due to the different functions, the connection methods of the two are also different. One end of the modem is connected to the telephone line, and the other end is connected to the computer or router, while one end of the router is connected to the modem, and the other end can only be connected to the computer. If you directly use the router to connect the telephone line and the computer, it is impossible to achieve networking.
3. Different appearance
The appearance of the modem is relatively simple, like a flat cuboid box, which is very small, while the shape of the router is various, including cuboid shape and oval shape, which is larger than the modem the wireless router also has a different number of antenna arrangements.
4. Different ports
The ports of the two are different in shape and number. Generally, there are only two ports on the modem, one is connected to the telephone line and the other is connected to the network cable, while the router has more ports, usually five, one is connected to the modem, others can be connected to one or more computers at will.
Other
When the computer sends data, the modem first converts the digital signal into a corresponding analog signal, a process called “modulation”. Before the modulated signal is transmitted to another computer through the telephone carrier, the receiver’s modem is also responsible for restoring the analog signal to a digital signal that the computer can recognize. This process is called “demodulation”.
It is through such a digital-to-analog conversion process of “modulation” and “demodulation” that the long-distance communication between the two computers is realized.
The router has the function of judging network addresses and selecting IP paths. It can establish flexible connections in a multi-network interconnection environment and can connect various subnets with completely different data packets and media access methods. The router only accepts source stations or other routers. It belongs to an interconnected device at the network layer.
So now you can distinguish the following?
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