Networking Basics: Routers

• Routers, the second valuable component of your networking basics, are used to connect multiple networks together. For example, you would use a router to connect your networked computers to the Internet and thereby share an Internet connection among many users. The router will act as a dispatcher, choosing the best route for your information to travel so that you receive it quickly.
• Routers analyze the data being sent over a network, change how it is packaged, and send it to another network or to a different type of network. They connect your business to the outside world, protect your information from security threats, and can even decide which computers get priority over others.
  Depending on your business and your networking plans, you can choose from routers that include different capabilities. These can include networking basics such as:
  • Firewall: Specialized software that examines incoming data and protects your business network against attacks.
  • Virtual private network (VPN): A way to allow remote employees to safely access your network.
  • IP phone network: Combines your company's computer and telephone network, using voice and conferencing technology, to simplify and unify your communications.