Dictionary · Networking Hardware
Router
Devices · Beginner
A device that forwards packets between networks using a route table. It is the boundary of a broadcast domain and often the default gateway for hosts.
Hosts send it traffic for destinations they cannot reach directly. It chooses a next hop and builds a new local frame for the outgoing link.
Picture it
Hosts send the router traffic they cannot deliver themselves. It chooses a next hop and builds a new local frame. Broadcasts stop at this boundary.
Example: A branch office box has a default route to the provider and a connected route for the local subnet.
Common misconception
- It is not just a faster switch. Its job is to move packets between networks.