The proliferation of the Internet encourages ordinary users to actively participate in the use of the latest technologies without the help of professional intermediaries. As practice has shown, it is not easy to find a true specialist in the field of IT technologies, and their services are not cheap. Another thing is the abundance of amateur consultants. And although they maintain the prices for their services at a high level, the quality and volume of the work they carry out is quite within the reach of the average user.
The problems of organizing a local network arise not only in front of system administrators of enterprises and offices. The abundance of digital devices that are used by an ordinary average family, involuntarily requires not only the separation of traffic, but also their inclusion in a common network. The best solution to this problem is to use a router (router).
What is a router? According to a specialist, this is a device that works as the main link in a local network. A router is a high-tech switch that, based on information about the network topology and certain rules, makes the decision to forward packets between the elements that make up the network.
The principle of operation of the router is based on the use of the recipient address, which is directly in the data packet, which is determined by the device according to the routing table and selects the data transmission path. If there is no route to describe the address, the packet is discarded.
For other methods of determining packet forwarding routes, the sender address can be used; for this, upper level protocols and other information that contains packet headers of a specific network level are taken into account. Often, routers take on the function of translating the addresses of both the recipient and the sender of the transit stream data, based on certain rules in order to restrict access.
For the average user, the question of what a router is is a much simpler answer. In fact, it is a compact device located at the entrance of a local network. Depending on its type, it can transmit data both by wire and by means of wireless communication technologies.
Dynamic routing allows the router to integrate a large number of elements and even several local loops into a network. What is a router in this case? This device is already beyond the scope of a conventional link. With its help, not only the work of the system administrator is facilitated, but it is also possible to organize a full-fledged local area network by the forces of an ordinary user.
We no longer have to "bother" with specific concepts and jargon of specialists, there is no need to delve into the classification of protocols. It is enough to go through the points all the requirements of the instructions, and as a result of several minutes of work, a local network with wide opportunities for our services.
The process of setting up the router is so simple that even a school student can master it. Some inconsistencies may occur when determining the network address of the router itself, but they are resolved either automatically or manually (depending on the type of devices used).
If initially the definition of a router looked very confusing due to the use of specific terms, now anyone who has encountered its configuration and installation can answer the question of what a router is. A simple and affordable device that facilitates the process of networking, finds a place in the office and at home. The interface with it is simple and intuitive. The merit of the developers of modern routers is to simplify the process of setting them up, which makes them very common and affordable among a wide category of modern users.