Broadband router Login to the Internet

Basics Of A Router

In the routing process, a router is a piece of computer equipment that receives or forwards data packets to and from the Internet to a destination. The router is a critical component of computer networking that ensures that every data sent is routed to the correct destination.

Imagine the Internet as the entire world, and each computer as a single-family. Households all across the world have computers connected to the Internet. Let’s say one house sends a letter to another home anywhere in the world. The letter has an address, right? And the letter’s destination would be determined by that address. However, if no one reads the address, the letter will not reach the intended recipient. If there is no medium, the letter will not be delivered to the intended recipient. The courier would be this medium. The router is the computer data’s messenger.

A broadband router is also a device that allows two or more machines to receive data packets from the Internet under one IP address simultaneously. 

A machine must have an IP address different from the rest of the computers to connect to the Internet. Therefore, every device connected to the Internet has its own IP address. It is like having a fingerprint or ID as an access pass to be able to enter the web. With the aid of the router, this “fingerprint” or “ID” could be shared by two or more machines at the same time. 

To say it simply, a router enables two or more computers to use the Internet with a single access pass. 

One more thing: a computer with a cable modem could also be deemed as a router. In this, the computer would process routing as standard routers do. Other machines are then connected to the computer with an Internet connection that would provide it with an active Internet connection. The computer with a cable modem directly connects with the Internet, and the ones linked to it share the connection.

Why would anyone need a router?

For families with two or more computers who want to have an Internet connection to every computer they have, taking a subscription for each would be expensive. The key is to buy a router that would enable every computer in the house to have an Internet connection. In the definition above, the broadband router would act as a hub to the existing Internet connection. 

If the router is used as a hub, would it affect the Internet speed?

It should be recognised that once a single Internet connection is shared, the connection speed deteriorates. But some broadband routers would bring a minimal slowdown to the Internet speed, and the impact might not even be significant. 

Internet speed would also be determined by the nature of the application used in a router. While some would inflict little effect on the speed like online games, others would drastically slow down your connection and even prevent you from using the Internet at all. 

Usually, offices use a more advanced router to redirect Internet connections to a large number of computers. These routers would provide better data packeting than a typical router used at home, resulting in more agile Internet speed.