The modem plugs into whatever type of infrastructure you have-cable, telephone, satellite, or fiber-and gives you a standard Ethernet cable output that you can plug into any router (or a single computer) and get an Internet connection. How a modem attaches to your network depends on the type of connection you have. Though more modern broadband connections-like cable and satellite-don’t really work the same way, we kept using the term “modem” because it’s a device people were already familiar with and associated with connecting to the Internet. Modems were used to modulate the signals on telephone lines so that digital information could be encoded and transmitted over them and then demodulated-and decoded-on the other end. Historically, the term “modem” is shorthand for modulator-demodulator. Your modem serves as a bridge between your local network and the Internet. Instead, your router must be plugged into a device that can transmit your digital traffic over whatever type of Internet connection you have. helloijan/Shutterstockīut you can’t connect directly to the Internet with just a router. The router keeps track of what traffic goes to which actual device on your network. To the Internet, all the traffic coming from your house looks like it’s coming from a single device. In addition, the router offers some protection to your devices over being exposed directly to the Internet. It lets you connect multiple devices to the Internet through one physical Internet connection and also lets those devices communicate with one another over the local network. The router sits in between your Internet connection and your local network. The simple way to think about routers-especially on your home network-is like this. Many also contain wireless radios that let you connect Wi-Fi devices. In addition, most routers also contain built-in switches that let you connect multiple wired devices. In the case of your home network, your router has one connection to the Internet and one connection to your private local network. RELATED: What's the Difference Between Private and Public Networks in Windows?Ī router connects multiple networks and routes network traffic between them.
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RELATED: Should You Buy a Router If Your ISP Gives You a Combined Router/Modem? What a Router Does
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So why bother to understand the difference? Because that understanding can lead to better decisions, like buying your own modem so you can stop paying $8-$15 a month to rent one from your ISP.
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Many internet providers offer a combined modem/router unit that performs both these functions in one device. When you connect to Wi-Fi, you’re really connecting to your router, which forwards traffic between the internet and your computer. My question is, how does their performance actually differ, generally? At $500~, I assume the RAXE500 must be offering some kind of value you don't get from the CR1000A, but for that price tag I'm worried the boost will be negligible.In short, your router creates a network between the computers in your home, while your modem connects that network-and thus the computers on it-to the internet.
#Modem vs router wikipedia upgrade
My hope is it's a big upgrade in range on the CR1000A by default and, if needed, I can mesh up with a better performing router. It's pretty unworkable and I'm looking for a fix.Ĭonsideration: I do some gaming and will probably be moving to a larger space sometime next year, so I'm looking at the Nighthawk RAXE500 with a mind for future-proofing the WiFi needs. I don't have separate SSIDs set up for 2.4 vs 5 Ghz bands currently, so when I'm up in the office my laptop defaults to the 2.4 Ghz band, which ends up being punishingly slow. Our Verizon CR1000A router is on the first floor and my home office is on the second floor, probably 40 feet from the router in a straight line. Maybe this comparison will be whimsical to people with industry experience, but I'm trying to make sense of how the Verizon CR1000A compares to the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 a matter of performance.Ĭontext: I'm in an 1800 sq foot two-story row-house.