What are the 4 types of routers

A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks.

Router is connected to the network in the LAN or WAN equipment. It will automatically select and set the route according to the channel to the best path, in order to send the signal.

In other word, Router is the hub of the Internet, "a traffic police."

How many Types of Routers?

There are three types of routers in the market. These types are the main categories.

(1) Broadband Routers

Broadband routers can do different types of things. Broadband routers can be used to connect computers or to connect to the Internet.

If you connect to the internet through phone and using Voice over IP technology (VOIP) then you need broadband router. These are often a special type of modem (ADSL) that will have both Ethernet and phone jacks.

(2) Wireless Routers

Wireless routers create a wireless signal in your home or office. So, any PC within range of Wireless routers can connect it and use your Internet.

In order to secure your Wireless routers, you simply need to come secure it with password or get your IP address. Then, you'll log on into your router with the user ID and passwords will that come with your router.

(3) Other Types of Routers

Ⅰ. Edge Routers

This type of router is placed at the edge of the ISP network, that is normally configured to external protocol like BGP (Border gateway protocol) to another BGP of other ISP or large organization.

Ⅱ. Subscriber Edge Routers

This type of router belongs to an end user (enterprise) organization. It’s configured to broadcast external BGP to its provider’s AS(s)

Ⅲ. Inter-provider Border Routers

This type of router is for Interconnecting ISPs. This is a BGP speaking router that maintains BGP sessions with other BGP speaking routers in other providers' ASes.

Ⅳ. Core Routers

A router that resides within the middle or backbone of the LAN network rather than at its periphery. In some instances, a core router provides a stepdown backbone, interconnecting the distribution routers from multiple building of a campus (LAN), or Large Enterprise Location (WAN). They tend to be optimized for a high bandwidth.

Ⅴ. Wired and Wireless Routers

Home and small office networking is becoming popular by day by the use of IP wired and wireless router. Wired and wireless router are able to maintain routing and configuration information in their routing table.  They also provide the service of filtering traffic of incoming and outgoing packets based on IP addresses.

Some wireless routers can be combined the functions of router with those of a network switch and that of a firewall in one.

What's Inside

• Buying vs. Renting a Router

  You do have the option to rent a router from your ISP, but buying gives you much greater control over your network.

• Types of Wireless Routers

  Not all routers are created equal. Narrow down the best type of router for you as you start your search.

• Key Features of a Router

  What specs should you prioritize for your networking setup?

• Consider a WiFi Extender

  Sometimes even the best routers can use a little help.

Introduction to Router

A router is used to transfer data packets between networks. Data from the internet is always sent through packets, and routers perform the function of directing traffic to different networks in the computer. There should be at least two networks within which the router is connected, i.e. either two LANs or a LAN and a WAN. Most routers are placed at gateways where the networks are connected. There are wired, wireless, core, edge and virtual routers available. Routers usually select the best route to direct the packets to reach faster. The best example is the mail carrier.

Top 5 Types of Router

Below are the different types of Router:

1. Wireless

It is present in the office, home or railway station, etc. It creates a wireless signal. Suppose you are in the office, we can connect to the internet using wireless signals because your laptop is within the range. We can provide security to routers by entering user id and passwords. When we try to connect to the router, it will ask for a password and UserId. UserId and password come along with the device. Due to security, no information about the user is harmed. When we visit public places, we can observe that a Wi-Fi window will prop up to use the internet on our phone, and you can observe that it is secure with a password. Wireless routers are publicly available. N number of users can connect to it.

2. Wired Router

The name itself defines its meaning. A wire is available to connect to the network. If we visit a bank or small college, or office, we can observe that a PC or Laptop is connected to the internet using an Ethernet cable, and that is the wired router. It has a separate Wi-Fi access point. If a user wants to connect to the phone, then they can use VIOP (voice-over IP technology). There is an ADSL (modem) that has two jacks to connect to ethernet and mobile phones.

3. Edge Router

It seats at the edge of the backbone of the network and can connect to the core routers. It can be wired or wireless and will distribute internet data packets between one or more networks. But it will not distribute internet data packets within networks.

4. Core Router

It is designed to operate in the internet backbone or core. It supports multiple telecommunication interfaces of the highest speed and usage in the core internet. It can forward IP packets at full speed on all of them. It supports the routing protocol that is used in the core. It will distribute internet data packets within the network. But core will not distribute internet data packets between networks.

5. Virtual Router

It is the default for a computer sharing network. It functions as per the virtual router redundancy protocol (VRRP); it becomes active when the main or primary router fails or becomes disabled. It takes multiple routers in a group so that they can share a virtual IP address. It has a master for each group that handles IP packets. If the master fails while forwarding packets, then other routers will take a position.

Benefits of Router

Below are the benefits of the Router:

• Due to the collision feature, network traffic can be reduced.
• Due to broadcasting domains, network traffic can be reduced.
• It provides a MAC address and IP address that will choose the best route across a network.
• Easy to connect to the wired or wireless network.
• Highly secured with a password.
• No loss of information.
• It can connect to different network architecture such as ethernet cable, Wi-Fi, WLAN.
• The wireless router is easy to connect to the internet for a laptop or pc. No need to worry about a bunch of wires.

Conclusion

We have learned router is a hardware network used for moving, analyzing, and receiving internet data packets within the network or network. It has more network functionalities than hub or switch. We can keep the PC safe from an attacker because of the firewall due to the router’s enabling security. It has firmware software and should be updated by the manufacturer.

Recommended Articles

This is a guide to What is Router? Here we discuss the Top 5 Types of Router like Wireless, Wired, Edge, Core, and Virtual along with Benefits. You can also go through our other suggested articles to learn more –

Firstly we understand the concept of what is broadband connection in communication networks. Broadband is a high-capacity high-speed Data transmission medium. This can be done on a single cable by establishing different bandwidth channels. Broadband technology can be used to transmit voice, data and video over long distances simultaneously.

Routers capture the information that come through broadband connection via a modem and deliver it to your computer. The router choose route for the packet so that you receive the information Firstly. Routers are multi-port devices and more sophisticated as compared to repeaters and bridges. Routers also support filtering and encapsulation like bridges.  They operate at physical, data link and network layer of OSI model.

Like bridges, they are self learning, as they can communicate their existence to other devices and can learn of the existence of new routers, nodes and LAN segments.

A router has access to the network layer address or logical address (IP address). It contains a routing table that enables it to make decisions about the route i.e. to determine which of several possible paths between the source and destination is the best for a particular transmission. These routing tables are dynamic and are updated using routing protocols.

The routers receive the packets from one connected network and pass them to a second connected network. However, if a received packet contains the address of a node that is on some other network (of which the router is not a member), the router determines which of its connected networks is the best next relay point for that packet. Once the router has identified the best route for a packet to travel, it passes the packet along the appropriate network to another router. That router checks the destination address, find what it considers the best route for the packet and passes it to the destination network.

There are several types of routers in the market.

Broadband Routers

Broadband routers can do different types of things. Broadband routers can be used to connect computers or to connect to the Internet.

If you connect to the internet through phone and using Voice over IP technology (VOIP) then you need broadband router. These are often a special type of modem (ADSL) that will have both Ethernet and phone jacks.

Wireless Routers

Wireless routers create a wireless signal in your home or office. So, any PC within range of Wireless routers can connect it and use your Internet.

In order to secure your Wireless routers, you simply need to come secure it with password or get your IP address. Then, you’ll log on into your router with the user ID and passwords will that come with your router.

Other Type of Router

Edge Router

This type of router are placed at the edge of the ISP network, the are normally configured to external protocol like BGP (Border gateway protocol) to another BGP of other ISP or large organization.

Subscriber Edge Router 

This type of router belongs to an end user (enterprise) organization. It’s configured to  broadcast external BGP to it’s provider’s AS(s)

Inter-provider Border Router

This type of router is  for Interconnecting ISPs, this is a BGP speaking router that maintains BGP sessions with other BGP speaking routers in other providers’ ASes.

Core Router

A router that resides within the middle or backbone of the LAN network rather than at its periphery. In some instances , a core router provides a step down backbone , interconnecting the distribution routers from multiple building of a campus ( LAN), or Large enterprise Location (WAN). They tend to be optimized for a high bandwidth.

Wired and Wireless Routers.

Home and small office networking is becoming popular by day by the use of IP wired and wireless router.Wired and wireless router are able to maintain routing and configuration information in their routing table.  They also provide the service of filtering traffic of incoming and outgoing packets based on IP addresses.

Some wireless routers combines the functions of router with those of a network switch and that of a firewall in one.