When you connect your modem to a router, any computer or device connected to the router that has access to the modem can access the Internet. Great! That’s how you’ve probably gotten here today, unless you’re using a cell phone. The job of the router is to provide the local IP address of all connected devices so that they all have the same external IP address assigned by your Internet Service Provider. That is your Internet address so that websites and e-mails know where to find you.
Both modems and routers have different purposes but are both used for digital communication. As part of the technological improvement, routers and modems have been integrated into a single device in some cases, but in a lot of homes and businesses, you’ll still find the two split up between two.
In short, a modem is the door to the Internet, while a router controls the traffic in and out of that door.
A router is a network device that allows you to connect to networks other than a LAN or WAN network. Think of LAN parties back in the day – a bunch of computers networked together to play games you go from that to the worldwide internet. It is a small box that allows multiple computers to connect to the same network. A router has only one connection to the Internet, and that is your private local network.
Routers are essential if you have multiple devices that need to connect to the Internet. You need to integrate everything, not just to provide an Internet connection to all the devices in your home. That means you’ll need a wireless router to connect your devices to, or a lot of ethernet cords to plug into it.
Most routers have at least one ethernet port that must be physically connected to the modem to transmit and receive information over the Internet. If your internet goes out all of a sudden, that’s one great place to start, to see if it has been jostled loose.
When working, a router sends and receives network traffic over the modem on a single connection and passes it over the air via four additional Ethernet ports in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
The differences between modems and routers include many aspects such as layer function, number of ports, transmission form and device type. No matter what, they all play an important role in building a safe and reliable network, be it in the office or at home.