- A PC router does exactly what it sounds like--it routes information. It is a vital networking device that directs the flow of information between at least two networks, your home internet connection and the rest of the internet. It is used in conjunction with a broadband (i.e. DSL) internet connection and is basically your gateway to the internet.
- In order for you to do anything on the internet, you must be able to send and receive data packets. Information is sent to and from the network from a PC router using TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). That means that information is broken up into data packets, and it is the router's job to direct these packets to where they need to go.
- Each packet has a destination IP address on it, and it is examined as it passes through the network until it reaches that destination. Routers determine the shortest or fastest path to that destination, as well. That path can change at any point. Think of it in terms of flights. You want to get from point A to point B with the least amount of layovers. Sometimes the weather may be bad in between and you have to layover at one location, but in a different season you could directly fly between point A and point B. A router determines all of this and gets the information to its destination as quickly as possible. Your information may have to go through multiple routers on the internet to reach its destination. Each time it passes through a router it is called a hop.
- Once that data packet is received, the sender's IP address is verified by the PC router. If it checks out, you will receive that packet. It may also reject it, which is how a router protects unauthorized information from accessing your internet connection.
- You can also use a PC router to connect multiple PCs at one location. So if you have more than one computer at home, they can all be connected to your broadband connection at the same time via a router. This is called a VPN (virtual private network). You can still set privacy levels on those PCs, however, by adjusting what can and cannot be accessed or modified on each PC. For example, you can allow someone else on your VPN to view your pictures, but he may not be able to modify or delete them. Or you can make that private, so he cannot see them at all.
