| | | | A hardware device – a type of packet switching hub used to connect two or more networks and to route data from one LAN (Local Area Network) to another network connection, for example to access the internet. Connections can be wired (LAN) or wireless (WLAN). The router determines which network point to send the next packet of data to by reading each incoming packet to determine it’s destination. Only authorised machines/devices are allowed to connect to each other. Routers intended for home use differ from the necessarily more complex units employed by enterprise level business and ISPs for example. In larger organisations, the LAN may be divided into smaller Subnets, based on criteria such as security requirements and regulation of traffic flow. Most machines keep log files detailing traffic through the router and also use routing tables to negotiate the best “route” to send each packet of data at any one time, based on the information in the header of the packet and the status of the network(s). Routers are located at Gateways - the point where one network meets another. They are often combined with a network Switch and hardware Firewall into a single device for use both by business and home users, in particular when the network connections include an ISP’s (Internet Service Provider’s) network, in other words for internet access. A combination device that includes a hardware firewall is generally deemed safer than using a software firewall installed directly onto a computer because no IP address is exposed directly to the internet, making Port Scans impossible. | | | |
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