Internet Switch Vs. Router
Switches and routers are computer network devices that allow laptops and desktops to exchange information and connect to the Internet. While these two devices perform similar functions, a router is more advanced than a switch.
Other People Are Reading
-
Switch Basics
-
A switch can be wireless or wired. In a home environment, you will find one with 4 or 8 ports. It keeps a record of the locations of different computers on the network so that it can send data to specific computers, instead of "broadcasting" to the whole network like a hub does.
Router Basics
-
Routers can also be wireless or wired. In addition to the functions performed by a switch, a router commonly contains a firewall and a system called Network Address Translation.
-
Firewalls
-
Firewalls are systems that filter out unsolicited packets coming in from outside the local computer network. This keeps the network from being flooded with unwanted packets that could otherwise slow its performance.
Network Address Translation
-
When computers connect to the Internet, they get an IP (Internet Protocol) address, just as a home has a street address. NAT allows you to use just one IP address stored in the router, which increases security for the local network.
Costs
-
Since a router contains more sophisticated circuitry, it is more expensive than a comparable switch.
-
References
- Photo Credit wlan router 02 image by pmphoto from Fotolia.com
