However, the Internet itself is comprised of many networks that transfer data around simultaneously.
This overwhelming amount of data is appropriately funneled thanks to the use of routers.
Routers provide a unified address system making it possible to transfer data to another location as long as that location has a dedicated IP address.
Various types of routers range from affordable small boxes for home use and larger ones that are designed to handle commercial use.
Routers utilize a combination of software and hardware to accomplish its task. For the router to operate correctly, it will need to connect to two different networks.
The reason for this is that the router is designed to forward one data acquired from one system to another system (your network).
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The Importance of Routers When Accessing the Internet
When you use a router and connect it to the modem, you are gaining access to the Internet.
Any device that is connected to the router will also be able to gain access to the Internet.
This inter-connectivity between router and modem is just one part of the vast networking landscape.
Routers can easily connect any number of devices to the Internet at a time depending on its capability. Home routers can connect almost a dozen devices while commercial grade routers can connect hundreds at the same time.
That means just one modem can allow dozens upon dozens of devices access to the Internet by using a router instead of being able only to serve one device.
The router will act as the primary pathway between your network and the Internet.
Without a router to filter data, your network is open to cyber-attacks and numerous malicious programs. The primary functions of the router in conjunction with accessing the web are filtering data.
It ensures that data sent, such as emails, are received by the correct recipient. This also prevents extensive data from being sent to a multitude of computers instead of a specific machine.
Without the router to filter large amounts of data, network crashes will be as definite as day and night.
Routers Direct Traffic in the Internet Superhighway
As stated earlier, the router provides and uses IP addresses to deliver data to the correct recipient.
This protocol is universally used around the world and is governed by a single authority within each country. One of the fascinating aspect of routers and IP addresses is that each IP address is unique.
It has to be for the whole network to operate correctly as having identical IP addresses floating around can potentially crash specific functions.
Whenever a person sends a piece of information through the Internet, the computer sending the data will generate a unique "packet" that is comprised of numbers and their Ip address.
The router will then analyze this string of numbers and sent it on its way directly to its proper destination.
Of course, it is not as simple as it sounds. For the router to properly perform its duties, it will need to start compiling a substantial number of possible routes for sending information to the correct destination.
The vast number of IP addresses around the world can make this extremely daunting even for a machine; this is why IP addresses are segregated in groups.
During boot up, the router will quickly compile a list of routers within its region. It will then connect to these routers which will begin the process of exchanging routing tables. A routing table is a compilation of optimized routes for each unique address.
Whenever a router connects to this system of network, a domino effect will occur that spans the entirety of routers around the world.
Each router will gain access to every single routing table available thanks to this massive system of networks. Thus, making the process of sending data to the correct destination quicker and easier to accomplish.
Importance of Routing Tables in Delivering Information Throughout the Network
Routing is done via two methods: static routing and dynamic routing.
For static routing, all destinations will be pre-programmed into the router's configuration. This is good for private systems but not ideal if you want to configure the router to send data to all available destinations which are over 600,000 at the moment.
Instead of manually inputting 600,000 entries, what we do is use the dynamic routing method.
This is the most convenient method of delivering data as the router will begin a connection to all routers in its vicinity which in turn allows it to gain access to their routing tables from every available router around the world.
The routing table is a collection of multiple routes to the same destination. It will then apply an algorithm to determine which is the most optimized path at that moment.
The algorithm varies from each location around the globe. However, one constant is that each algorithm optimizes the path by considering the distance and direction into its equation.
While the routing table will have information about every possible route it can take to deliver data to its destination, it does not contain information about routers that are in its path.
What it does is send the data to the next best route or link, and that router will then calculate the next-optimum route to take and so on. What this does is avoid any possible issues like broken links somewhere down the line that the primary router is not aware of.
Conclusion
As you can see, routers are a vital element when it comes to accessing the vast array of information packed into the internet. Without routers, data can be challenging to handle and transfer to different destinations.
The Internet will also be a lot more complicated to navigate without routers directing traffic. Router and networking go hand in hand; one cannot operate correctly without the other. This is the importance of routers in regards to the Internet.
