A router is a device that connects a local area network and a wide area network in the Internet. It will automatically select and set the route according to the channel conditions, and send signals in turn by the best path.
At present, routers have been widely used in all walks of life, and products of different grades have become the main force to realize the internal connection of various backbone networks, the interconnection between backbone networks, and the interconnection between backbone networks and the Internet.
Routers, also known as gateway devices, are used to connect multiple logically separated networks. The so-called logical network represents a single network or subnet.
Routers have the functions of judging network addresses and selecting IP paths. It can establish flexible connection in multi-network interconnection environment, and can connect all kinds of subnets with completely different data grouping and media access methods. The router only accepts information from the source station or other routers, and belongs to an interconnected device in the network layer.
This difference between routers determines that routers and switches need to use different control information in the process of moving information, so the ways to realize their respective functions are also different.