A router is a piece of computer networking equipment that takes information coming into the home from a broadband connection (such as a cable, DSL, or satellite Internet connection) and distributes it out to multiple computers inside the home. Many routers come with three or more Ethernet cable connections as well as the ability to connect to computers over 802.11 Wi-Fi wireless technology. In homes that have no built in Ethernet wiring outlets, wireless networking via a wireless router is often the best choice for those seeking to set up a home network. For homes that already have Ethernet cabling in the walls, wired networks are almost always faster and much more reliable. Wireless routers and receivers are vulnerable to interference from other electronic devices thus wired connections are often preferable, at least for desktop computers. Most laptops sold within the last few years have built in wireless capability.
Routers and Hubs A Very Different
Think of a router as a funnel with several different spouts coming out the bottom. Each of these spouts has a gate on it, and the router intelligently opens a single gate in order to let data flow out to a single machine. With a hub, there are no gates and a copy of each bit of information is sent out to every computer on the network rather than just to the machine it is intended for. In a closed environment like a home network this is not a huge problem, but when sharing a connection with unknown computers it can be a security risk. A router has the added benefit of acting as a hardware firewall, blocking malicious hacking attempts from entering the network by blocking incoming data on all but the ports that the user has approved for use.
Most broadband DSL and cable Internet users will want to invest in a Wi-Fi capable router, and preferably one that is compliant with the latest 802.11n specifications. These routers work with the widest variety of wi-fi adaptors and do so at much faster speed than their predecessors. When shopping for a wireless router be sure to look for models that state they are 802.11n or Draft-N compatible routers.
Routers and Hubs A Very Different
Think of a router as a funnel with several different spouts coming out the bottom. Each of these spouts has a gate on it, and the router intelligently opens a single gate in order to let data flow out to a single machine. With a hub, there are no gates and a copy of each bit of information is sent out to every computer on the network rather than just to the machine it is intended for. In a closed environment like a home network this is not a huge problem, but when sharing a connection with unknown computers it can be a security risk. A router has the added benefit of acting as a hardware firewall, blocking malicious hacking attempts from entering the network by blocking incoming data on all but the ports that the user has approved for use.
Most broadband DSL and cable Internet users will want to invest in a Wi-Fi capable router, and preferably one that is compliant with the latest 802.11n specifications. These routers work with the widest variety of wi-fi adaptors and do so at much faster speed than their predecessors. When shopping for a wireless router be sure to look for models that state they are 802.11n or Draft-N compatible routers.
