What is a router?
A router is a device that ensures that information on the Internet gets to the right place. It works like a traffic cop, directing data traffic. When you surf the Internet, your router is constantly busy sending data back and forth between your device and the Internet.
How does a router work?
Imagine you want to watch a video on YouTube on your laptop. Your tablet sends a request to the router: "I want to watch this video!" The router forwards the request to the YouTube server on the internet. The server responds and sends the video back as a data packet and the router ensures that it ends up on your laptop - and not on another device in your household.
A router therefore not only ensures that your device is connected to the Internet, but also that every request is forwarded to the right place in the network and that the answer is returned safely.
Examples of the tasks of a router
WiFi provide
If you use your smartphone, laptop or tablet at home, the router often also sends out the WiFi . It therefore also fulfills the role of an access point. This allows several devices to use the internet at the same time, without cables. In the home, it is common for a router to fulfill several functions. In the industrial sector, a device usually only fulfills one task. Industrial routers are therefore mostly limited to the role of data distribution.
Steer data correctly
Let's assume your household has a smartphone, a laptop and a games console that are all online at the same time. The router ensures that each device receives the correct data from the internet. For example, the router remembers that the console has asked for a game and the laptop has asked for a website. It requests this data from the Internet and sends the data packets for the video to the laptop and those for the game to the console. The router identifies the correct device based on the IP address.
Security
The router also protects your home network from unwanted visitors from the Internet. A so-called firewall is installed for this purpose. It blocks data that has not been requested or could even be dangerous. Like a bouncer that only lets authorized people in.
Home and industrial routers
In most households, a router is located near the Internet connection. It is connected to the Internet via an integrated modem and distributes the Internet to all devices in the house. The performance of home routers is usually limited to 20 - 30 devices connected in parallel. The best-known type of router in Germany is probably the Fritz!Box from the manufacturer AVM.
Much more powerful routers are used in the industrial sector than in the home. These are usually called "gateways" and can then manage data streams from hundreds or thousands of connected end devices. These usually have a so-called 19-inch format and can be installed in server cabinets.
Difference between modem and router
A modem is the device that establishes the direct connection with the Internet provider. It translates the Internet signal so that the router can use it. The router then distributes this signal to all devices in your home, whether by cable or WiFi. In the home, the modem and router are almost always combined in a single device. In a professional environment, individual devices with one function each are usually used.
Everyday life without a router would be very uncomfortable
Without a router, all devices would have to connect to the Internet directly via a modem. You would have to enter the access data from the Internet provider on each individual device and could only connect via cable. This would not only be inconvenient, but would also mean that only one device could access the Internet at a time.
The router makes it possible for smartphones, laptops, televisions and other devices to be online at the same time.
Conclusion
A router (or "gateway" in a professional environment) is the heart of your home network. It ensures that all devices can use the internet simultaneously and securely. Whether you are surfing, streaming or sending data - the router ensures that the data is delivered to the right place and that everyone is online.