Routers and modems closely work together

How do routers and modems work together

In order to better show how routers and modems work together to provide Internet connection for your device, the following is a flowchart showing the process:

Combined router and modem

To avoid overloading your home with multiple devices, some ISPs will provide routers and modems in one device at the same time.

This device will have the components and software required for establishing LAN and communicating directly with ISP.

This hybrid device is often referred to as a "gateway" and is usually provided by the isp to simplify the setup process.

This sounds really attractive. Only one device can do everything. However, it also has some disadvantages.

First of all, separating the router from the modem can give you more flexibility in using the home network. For example, you cannot upgrade to a new router that provides more functions, because then you will have no modem to connect to the Internet.

In addition, in the long run, using your own router and modem is sometimes cheaper than using the devices in the Internet package provided by your ISP.

For the above reasons, my suggestion is to separate the router from the modem if possible, even if it does mean taking up a little extra space for additional devices.

If I only have one computer, do I need a router?

As we discussed, your modem will have a built-in Ethernet port that allows you to connect a device, whether a router or a PC.

Plug the computer directly into the modem to start the Internet, but even if you have only one device that needs to access the Internet, it is still recommended to use a router to connect.

If you connect your computer directly to your modem, there is no problem with Internet connection. However, it does create a huge security problem.

In the final analysis, your modem is only a data transmission device and does not provide any security or protection.

Your computer will be completely exposed to the Internet, and your public IP address will be directly resolved to your computer.

Therefore, any vulnerability on your computer, whether the port is opened or the vulnerability in the operating system, will be accessed by anyone on the Internet who can find your public IP address.

With this type of setting, you must completely rely on the operating system and any installed firewall software to provide protection against the network criminals that we all know are flooding the Internet.

For this reason, no matter how many devices you have in your home, it is always recommended to connect the router to the modem.

In addition to simply routing data between devices, the router also provides a built-in firewall component, which is much more effective than the built-in firewall of your operating system or even third-party products.

Even the most outdated computers, full of loopholes and mature network crimes are protected by routers, because firewalls will help prevent any attempt to access vulnerable computers before it becomes a threat.

I hope you are now convinced that the router is connected to a modem, not a single device. In summary, here are some reasons why you should always use this setting:

"Routers are very cheap; most ISPs even provide one as part of your package

The router consumes little power, so it is very cheap to operate

Routers greatly improve security and protection

"Routers provide greater flexibility. If you need other devices to access the Internet in the future

conclusion

A router is a device that allows you to connect multiple devices to a single LAN, and a modem communicates with your ISP to provide an Internet connection to your LAN.

Data flows between your devices, routers, modems, ISPs and the Internet, providing an Internet connection for your devices.

Without a modem, the router cannot communicate with the ISP, thus preventing Internet access.

If you only connect one device to the Internet, you can access it without a router. However, considering the high security risks it brings, this is not recommended.

Considering how closely routers and modems work together, and that one is almost useless without the other, many ISPs will provide these two functions in a hybrid device commonly called gateway.

This provides you with convenience, because you only need to manage one device, but when you want to expand your home network, it limits your flexibility, and sometimes it is more expensive than having your own router and modem.

Article source: https://article-realm.com/article/Transportation/36699-Routers-and-modems-closely-work-together.html