Routers - how they work and how their used.

Essay by tjryuCollege, UndergraduateB, July 2007

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Routers are specialized devices that links and routes everyone's information over networks and the Internet through thousands of pathways. The main processes of the router include locating a pathway to create a link to and transmitting packets through this path. This process is done by routing data from a computer to a LAN through any number of routers to reach its destination. The router has proven itself to be one of the main components in the success of the Internet. Routers make networking possible by connecting large groups of people in a unified environment. (McGraw)The router is the one device that oversees all the data delivered over a network. The router uses a tool called the configuration table to determine the path to send the packet. A configuration table contains information on which connections lead to particular groups of addresses, priorities for connections to be used, and rules for handling both routing and special cases of traffic.

Configuration tables will vary in the number of lines depending on how big the capability of the router is. (McGraw)Data transmitted over the Internet, travels over the system of the packet-switching network. This system breaks down data and information files into packages of about 1500 bytes. The data package carries the sender's IP address, the receivers IP address, information on how many packets the data is broken down to, and the information on rebuilding the package. Each packet also contains the data of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) for using the Internet. The packet is then sent off through the network using routers to find the best available route. Since each packet is sent separately, all the packets may end up taking different routes to reach its destination. The main advantages of using this method compared to sending all the...