Wireless Router

A wireless router is a device that performs the functions of a router but also includes the functions of a wireless access point. It is commonly used to allow access to the Internet or a computer network without the need for a cabled connection. It can function in a wired LAN (local area network), a wireless only LAN, or a mixed wired/wireless network. Most current wireless routers have the following characteristics:

• LAN ports, which function in the same manner as the ports of a network switch
• A WAN port, to connect to a wide area network, typically one with Internet access. External destinations are accessed using this port. If it is not used, many functions of the router will be bypassed.
• Wireless antennae. These allow connections from other wireless devices (NICs (network interface cards), wireless repeaters, wireless access points, and wireless bridges, for example), usually using the Wi-Fi standard.

[edit] Major manufacturers

How router works?

A router is a networking element that controls Internet and LAN traffic, shares the available bandwidth between multiple connected computers, filters packets, acts as a hardware firewall based on its configuration, network gateway, NAT server and wireless Access Point .A wireless router is essentially a bunch of network cards connected internally by an intelligent switch that directs the incoming/outgoing traffic between them.

A hardware router functions by comparing IP addresses with written rules and directs traffic packages to destination IP addresses. All Internet connections we initiate between two points are passing through multiple routers on their way to reach final point, and all routers are filtering the packages according to established rules and then pointing packet in the right direction. If a package does not meet criteria it can be deleted, therefore never reaching its destination.

A network router adds a new layer of security, better than most software security solutions you have installed on your system. It's also faster at filtering traffic and requires less resource than a software level of security to do its job. Most routers can be firmware upgraded to add new functions and encryption protocols, repair bugs, but this depends on the manufacturer, it's not a rule.

Ethernet (Local Area Network) network packets can't usually pass through a router, and that implies you can't share files and folders between computers located on both sides of a router, but there are a few workarounds like VPN tunnels, remote desktop connection software, or routers configured as a bridge between two networks.

Wireless routers have gained popularity in the recent years as they allow one to connect to any network remotely from anywhere. Moreover, you need not worry about the messy cables and wires which are connected to wired networks. The installation of wired networks can be a costly and time consuming process, for which you would need to make holes in the walls for the connection to be transferred from one room or floor to another room or floor. Wireless routers prevent all such issues. They are nowadays installed at airports, malls, large departmental stores, railway stations etc. They are many companies that manufacture wireless routers which are becoming more reliable due to the benefits they provide.

Wireless routers are considered to be the heart of wireless networks. They function in the same way as a cordless phone base station. A wireless router is a hardware device which carries out the functions of an access point as well as the router itself. The main aim of the access point is to connect computers in the facility to one another and then connect them all to the Internet. It helps in sharing a single Internet connection with many computers without a need to pay extra as Internet subscription fees for each individual user. The normal range of the wireless signal is 100 feet within which the users can use the Internet.

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What is Router?

<content></p>A router is an electronic device that interconnects two or more computer networks, and selectively interchanges packets of data between them. Each data packet contains address information that a router can use to determine if the source and destination are on the same network, or if the data packet must be transferred from one network to another. When multiple routers are used in a large collection of interconnected networks, the routers exchange information about target system addresses, so that each router can build up a table showing the preferred paths between any two systems on the interconnected networks.

A router is a networking device whose software and hardware are customized to the tasks of routing and forwarding information. A router has two or more network interfaces, which may be to different physical types of network (such as copper cables, fiber, or wireless) or different network standards. Each network interface is a specialized device that converts electric signals from one form to another.

Routers connect two or more logical subnets, each having a different network address. The subnets in the router do not necessarily map one-to-one to the physical interfaces of the router.^[1] The term "layer 3 switching" is often used interchangeably with the term "routing". The term switching is generally used to refer to data forwarding between two network devices with the same network address. This is also called layer 2 switching or LAN switching.

Conceptually, a router operates in two operational planes (or sub-systems):^[2]

• Control plane: where a router builds a table (called routing table) as how a packet should be forwarded through which interface, by using either statically configured statements (called static routes) or by exchanging information with other routers in the network through a dynamical routing protocol;
• Forwarding plane: where the router actually forwards traffic (called packets in IP) from ingress (incoming) interfaces to an egress (outgoing) interface that is appropriate for the destination address that the packet carries with it, by following rules derived from the routing table that has been built in the control plane.