#ROUTER WITH MODEM VS ROUTER WITHOUT MODEM MAC#

The router assigns these IP addresses to each computer that requests to connect to it based on the device’s physical MAC address. It uses each device’s unique IP address to keep a record of which computer made a request to the Internet and when. However, when sending information back to computers inside the LAN, your router knows exactly what device to send specific data to. So if you’re connecting to the web from your office, the site you’re visiting will see that someone from your company is accessing, but they won’t be able to see that it’s you specifically. When relaying signals to the modem and the Internet beyond, your router makes your individual computer’s IP address invisible.

The router also keeps internal traffic-computer to computer, computer to printer, etc.-from leaving the LAN. These enable the router to forward packets of data destined for the Internet to the modem, and to the data’s destination IP address outside your office. If there’s only one computer in your office, your router has a total of two IP addresses: one public and one private. It has a public IP address, a private “management” IP address, and then additional private IP addresses for each device in addition to the router’s internal IP, which is your LAN default gateway. Your router itself has multiple IP addresses. But instead of terminals, it’s using IP addresses. It performs “traffic directing” on your network, sort of like a traffic director on an airplane runway directs planes to the appropriate terminals. How it WorksĪ router forwards data packets between computer networks. Without a modem, however, neither of us can get online. For example, I can send a file to my co-worker’s computer through the LAN. You don’t actually need a router to connect to the Internet, but you do need one if there’s more than one device on your network, or if you’re using Wi-Fi.Ĭonversely, if you have only a router and no modem, the devices on your LAN can still communicate. The router allows multiple computers to connect to the same modem, which provides access to the Internet beyond. If you’re not sure which box is your modem and which one is your router, routers usually have antennae for Wi-Fi. It’s the bridge between your computer and your modem. What Does a Router Do?Ī router has both a LAN port and a WAN port. Together, you have the basic setup to connect your small office or family home to the Internet. Through your modem, your LAN connects with the wide area network (WAN), which extends over a large geographical distance, such as Manhattan or any metropolitan area. Your modem faces outwards-it’s what connects your LAN to the outside world, the Internet. It creates a local area network (LAN), which is what you would call your internal network of computers in your office or home. Your router faces inwards-it connects multiple computers in one network together. They sit next to each other, they look pretty identical, and they both help you connect to the internet.ĭespite having so much in common, they are actually opposites.

That said, the more devices you add, the trickier troubleshooting becomes, as each device can form a critical part of the home network connectivity chain: one weak link can result in no internet connection.The router and the modem are two of the easiest devices to get confused. Mesh WiFi systems let you effectively add additional compatible WiFi satellites that act as routers, which means better and more consistent signal strength, all on which is treated as a single local network. In many respects, WiFi extenders are old tech when stacked next to their successor: the mesh WiFi system. These networking devices are designed to mirror and extend an existing WiFi network. If your internet is slow, you can always make use of a WiFi extender, booster or alternatives. WiFi extenders are handy for larger homes that want to expand the signal of a WiFi router to far-reaching parts of the home or outside. Technically, a modem can connect directly to a networking switch, but this would eliminate wireless connectivity in the home. For homes that want as many Ethernet connections as possible, a networking switch can connect to a router to further delineate local network traffic, whereby the router can mainly tackle wireless connections, and the switch takes care of wired connections. There are a couple of other networking gadgets in the home that are designed to liaise with a modem, a router, or a modem-router.

Router with modem vs router without modem