In this post, I am going to describe Routers and Modems in a much more simple way along with their core differences and their examples.
We all have an internet connection at home, therefore, it’s correct to say that we would have heard the words router and modem at least once in our life. I am sure that there is a majority of people who think that the router and modem are the same but in reality, they aren’t and they have their very own different functionality. Why do people think about them as the same? You will find out its answer later in this post.
Modems and Routers are two different devices that are collectively used together to connect our devices to the Internet. These both are essential and without any of them, an internet connection can not be set up.
Modem
A Modem is a hardware device that connects your home to the internet or ISP(Internet Service provider). It takes signals from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and then translates them into signals that your local devices can use to function, and vice versa. It transmits data over the wire by modulating and demodulating the electrical pulses sent through phone lines, coaxial cables, or other types of wiring.
The connection that is established by Modem is commonly known as the Wide Area Network (WAN). Furthermore, each modem has an assigned publication IP address that is used to identify it on the Internet.
Examples:
- Netgear CM500
- Netgear CM600
- Arris Surfboard SB183
- Motorola MB7621
Router
A Router is a device that lets all your wired and wireless devices ( such as laptops, smart TVs, printers, etc) use that internet connection at once and allows them to communicate with one another directly via an Ethernet cable or, in the case of wireless devices, Wi-Fi signal. In other words, the router connects to your modem and then to your devices.
It establishes a Local Area Network (LAN) within your home which all your connected devices can easily use for the transfer of data between them. It is to be outed that the router assigns a local IP address to each device on the internet.
Furthermore, unlike Modem, The router tends to manage all the information going to and from each device, and the modem has the functionality to make sure that all of it ends up safely on spot. In short, we can say that the modem connects the home to the internet, while a router creates the network inside your house.
Examples:
As earlier in this post, it is mentioned that the router and the modem are two separate devices but they are used together by us to connect to the internet. Previously people used to buy them separately but now with the advancement in technology, we don’t need a router and modem necessarily, as a new combination of modem and router units merges the two devices’ functions into one powerful gadget commonly known as Gateway. Gateway is a single combo that serves as both a modem and router. Gateways are easy ad straightforward to use. They make it easier for us to set up our home network and run reliably and securely.
Most people at home are using these gateways and this is the only reason why most people get confused and think that the router and the modem are the same although they aren’t.
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