The most important effect of using a router is that it allows you to connect multiple devices to the internet at the same time. In addition, routers offer security and parental controls, allow you to share files between local devices, provide secure network access for guests, and even extend your wireless network if you use the router as a Wi-Fi extender.
Modem vs. Router – What’s the Difference?
While Wi-Fi has allowed us to connect multiple devices to the internet at once, you can only physically connect devices to the internet with a router. While Wi-Fi was considered “freedom from wires,” some circumstances require a wired connection.
The primary effect of using a router is that it allows you to connect more than one device to the Internet. Some modems have a built-in router, but modems without a router can only provide an Internet connection to one device.
Connecting a router to a modem routes data between the internet and all of your connected devices, allowing you to connect your computer, phone, streaming devices, smart home devices, and other gear to the internet at the same time. The router ensures that data intended for a specific device reaches that device, and that data sent from your devices reaches your modem.
