A switch can't assign IP addresses or create a network like your router can-it merely acts as a traffic cop for the signals coming through. Note that you need a router in order to use a switch. You just plug your extra devices into the switch, plug the switch into your router, and they'll appear on your network. If you run out of Ethernet ports on your router, a switch can add more Ethernet ports to your network. A Switch Connects Extra Computers to the Router TP-Link TL-SG108 switch (Credit: TP-Link)Īll routers come with built-in Ethernet ports, but depending on the size and class of router you buy, there may not be enough to plug in all your devices-especially in the age of smart home tech, which often require numerous, hard-wired base stations. These can act as wireless access points if you already have a router, or they can take on the job of a router as well-though usually with fewer advanced features. More recently, mesh network kits have become common for larger homes with lots of dead spots, since they allow multiple units to blanket your house in Wi-Fi more effectively than range extenders. Most home users have routers with wireless access points built in, but standalone access points are still common for businesses, since you can pair multiple access points together to extend your network over a large area. To do that, you need something to broadcast that wireless signal.Ī wireless access point connects to your router, usually over Ethernet, and communicates with your Ethernet-less devices over wireless frequencies. Today, though, we have the ability to connect all those devices to your home network over Wi-Fi. Once upon a time, all computers connected to the internet through a jumble of wires. In most home cases, your WAN is, for all intents and purposes, "the internet." An Access Point Adds Wireless Connectivity Netgear AX6000 wireless access point (Credit: Netgear ) The network created by your router is known as a local area network, or LAN, and it connects you to a larger wide area network, or WAN. (That way, your phone doesn't receive the cat videos you asked for on your laptop.) Your modem receives information from the internet, sends it to the router, and the router sends it to the computer that asked for it. If your modem's IP address is like the street address of a building, your router's internal IP addresses are like apartment numbers. A router connects to all your home's devices (and links them to each other)-through Ethernet cables or Wi-Fi-and then connects to the modem.Ī router also gives each device its own internal IP address, which it uses to route traffic between them. They usually only have one Ethernet port, and only produce one IP address, which identifies your location to the internet. Standalone modems aren't able to send data to multiple devices simultaneously. A Router Connects Your Devices to the Modem TP-Link Archer AX50 router (Credit: TP-Link) Depending on which ISP you use, however, you may be able to buy your own modem and save some money. Typically, your internet service provider (ISP) will offer you a modem for a small monthly fee. This process is called modulation and demodulation, respectively, and it’s where the “mo-dem” gets its name. The modem translates the digital 1s and 0s from your computer into analog information for the cable or telephone wire to carry out to the world, and translates incoming analog signals in the same way. A Modem Connects You to the Internet Netgear CM600 modem (Credit: Netgear )Ī modem is your gateway to the internet-a cable, fiber optic, or telephone line comes through your neighborhood, to your house, and connects to your modem.
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