What is a Router?

What is a Router? Types of Router


What is a Router?

A simple definition of a router

Examples of the router

What is the history of a router?

What are the capabilities of a router?

What are the different types of router?


A simple definition of a router:

A router is a hardware device. It is designed to receive, analyze and move the packets to another network. It can also be used to convert packets to some other network interface, dropping them performs other actions relating to a network. Below is a picture of the wireless router Linksys BEFSR11. It resembles many home routers.


What is a Router?

A router is a networking device. It is used to forward data packets between computer networks. Through the network, packets are forwarded from one router to another router.

The packet keeps moving until it reaches its destination. A router can connect your device to Wi-Fi. A router can connect different network architectures.

A router uses dynamic routing techniques and chooses the best path across an internetwork. It reduces network traffic because it creates collision domains. It can also reduce network traffic by creating broadcast domains.

What is a Router?

What is a Router? Examples of the router:

  • Mail carrier
  • Woodworking tool
  • Computer hardware


What is a Router History?

In 1974, the very first router was developed. By 1976, three PDP-11 based routers were used.  Their purpose was to form a prototype experimental version of the internet.

From the mid of the 1970s to the 1980s, minicomputers were used as routers. Today high-speed modern routers are being used. They are actually specialized computers.

They have extra hardware for rapid data packets forwarding. They also have specialized security functions like encryption.

What are the capabilities of a router?

A router has lots of capabilities as compared to other network devices. For example hub or switch. Hub and switch are only able to perform basic network functions.

The hub transfers the data between computers or network devices. It cannot do anything with the data it transfers like analyzing the data.

While routers analyze the data which is being sent over a network. It changes how it is packaged. It then sends it to another network. Routers are commonly used in home networks for sharing a single internet connection between multiple computers.


What are the different types of router?

The following are the types of router. These are divided on the basis of functionality.

Wireless (Wi-Fi) routers:

These routers provide Wi-Fi access to laptops, smartphones, and other devices. Some wireless routers act as a combination of router and modem. They convert an incoming broadband signal from your ISP.


Wireless (Wi-Fi) routers




Brouters means bridge router. It is a networking device.  It serves as a bridge or as a router.




Core routers:

A core router routes the data within a network. It does not route the data between the networks.


Core routers


Edge routers:

The edge router sits at the edge of a backbone network. It connects to core routers.


Edge routers

Virtual routers:

It is a backup router. It is used in a VRRP setup.


How far a wireless router can reach?

When the connection is indoor, the range for a wireless router is about 150 feet. When the connection is outdoor, the wireless router is up to 300 feet. It is said that the obstructions like walls reduce the indoor range to 75% of maximum distance or less.

What is a Router?


Advantages of routers:

There are some advantages to a router. You can see below.

  • A router connects different network architectures.
  • It can connect networks like Ethernet and Token ring networks.
  • It uses dynamic routing techniques.
  • It can choose the best path across an internetwork.
  • It creates collision domains and reduces network traffic.
  • It creates broadcast domains and reduces network traffic.

Here you can see: “Wikipedia Writers

Disadvantages of routers:

Here you can see the disadvantages of a router.

  • Routers are very expensive.
  • Inter-router communication causes additional network overhead.
  • Dynamic router communications result in less bandwidth for user data.
  • The file-sharing process is slow.
  • Data transfer speed is normally slow with wireless networks.
  • They are difficult to troubleshoot.
  • They are not easy to maintain.
  • If a router fails it affects all computers in the network.


As you read What is a Router? You can read more:

Types of Computers

What is the Internet?