What Is a Router and Why Do You Need One?
A router connects your home network to the internet. It manages the flow of data between your devices and the outside world, ensuring that your web pages, video streams, emails, and other data reach the right device quickly and securely.
How a Router Works
Your internet connection enters your home through a modem, which communicates with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The router connects to the modem and shares that internet connection with your devices using Wi-Fi or Ethernet cables.
Note: In many homes, especially when using ISP-provided equipment, the modem and router are combined into a single device called a gateway. A gateway handles both connecting to the internet and distributing that connection to your devices.
The router’s main job is to route traffic between networks. When you visit a website or stream a video, your device sends a request out to the internet, and the router makes sure that the response gets back to the right place.
Traffic Inside Your Home
Not all traffic needs to leave your home network. For example, when you print from a laptop or send music to a smart speaker, that local communication stays within the network. These types of device-to-device interactions are handled by the router’s built-in switch (for wired connections) or wireless access point (for Wi-Fi), not by the router’s routing function. This is known as Layer 2 traffic, while routing to the internet happens at Layer 3.
Additional Features
Most home routers also provide:
A DHCP server, which assigns local IP addresses to devices automatically
Network Address Translation (NAT), allowing multiple devices to share one public IP
Basic security features like a firewall and support for Wi-Fi encryption (WPA2/WPA3)
Wired vs. Wireless
Wired connections (Ethernet) offer speed and reliability—best for gaming, video calls, or streaming.
Wireless (Wi-Fi) connections give you mobility and convenience for everyday use.
A router is more than just the box that gives you Wi-Fi—it’s what connects your devices to the internet, directs traffic in and out, and provides the basic security and structure your home network relies on.
