What is Routers? and Types of Router with Features of Router by Anshul 2023

What is Routers?

A router is a physical or virtual internetworking device designed to receive, analyze, and forward data packets between computer networks. A router examines the destination IP address of a given data packet, and it uses headers and forwarding tables to decide the best way to move the packet. There are some popular companies that develop routers; Such are Cisco, 3Com, HP, Juniper, D-Link, Nortel etc. Some important points of the router are given below:

• A router is a Layer 3 or network layer device.
• Routers are used in LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network) environments. For example, it is used for connectivity in offices, and you can also establish connections to networks as far away as Bhopal.
• It shares information with other routers in networking.
• It uses routing protocols to transfer data over the network.
• Furthermore, it is more expensive than other networking equipment such as switches and hubs.
• It connects different networks together and transmits data packets from one network to another.
• A router can be used in both LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network).
• It transfers data in the form of IP packets. To transmit data, it uses the IP address mentioned in the destination field of the IP packet.
• Routers have a routing table that is refreshed periodically according to changes in the network. To transmit data packets, it consults the table and uses a routing protocol.
• Routers share information between each other to build or refresh routing tables.
• Routers provide protection against broadcast storms.
• Routers are more expensive than other networking devices such as hubs, bridges, and switches.

Router Features

• A router operates on the third layer (Network Layer) of the OSI model, and it is able to communicate with its adjacent devices with the help of IP addresses and subnets.
• A router provides high-speed Internet connectivity with a variety of ports such as Gigabit, Fast-Ethernet, and STM link ports.
• It allows users to configure the ports in the network as per their requirements.
• The main components of a router are the central processing unit (CPU), flash memory, RAM, non-volatile RAM, console, network, and interface cards.
• Routers are able to route traffic within a larger networking system by treating sub-networks as one intact network.
• Routers filter out unwanted interference, as well as carry out the data encapsulation and decapsulation process.
• Routers provide redundancy as they always operate in master and slave mode.
• It allows users to connect multiple LANs and WANs.
• Furthermore, a router creates different paths to forward the data.

Router Type

There are different types of routers available depending on their use. The main types of routers are –

Wireless Router - They provide WiFi connection to WiFi devices like Laptop, Smartphone etc. They may also provide standard Ethernet routing. For indoor connections, the range is 150 feet while for outdoor connections it is 300 feet.

Broadband routers - These are used to connect to the Internet via telephones and use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to provide high-speed Internet access. They are configured and provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Core routers - They can route data packets within a given network, but cannot route packets between networks. They help in connecting all the devices within a network and thus form the backbone of the network. It is used by ISP and communication interfaces.

Edge routers – These are low capacity routers placed on the periphery of the network. They connect internal networks to external networks, and are suitable for transferring data packets across networks. They use Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) for connectivity.

There are two types of edge routers in networking:

• Subscriber edge router
• Label edge router

Router - Routers are specialized routers that may also provide bridge functionality. Like a bridge, routers help transfer data between networks. And like a router, they route data within the network's devices.