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Introduction to Broadband Router Technology
A router is a device that forwards data packets from a source to a
destination. Routers work on the OSI (Open System Interconnection)
Layer 3, which forwards data packets using IP addresses and not a MAC
(Media Access Control) address. A router will forward data from the
Internet to a particular computer on your LAN.
The information that makes up the Internet gets moved around using
routers. When you click on a link on a web page, you send a request to a
server to show you the next page. The information that is sent and
received from your computer is moved from your computer to the server
using routers. A router also determines the best route that your
information should follow to ensure that the information is delivered
properly.
A router controls the amount of data that is sent through your network
by eliminating information that should not be there. This provides
security for the computers behind your router because computers from the
outside cannot access or send information directly to any computer on your
network. The router determines which computer the information should
be forwarded to and sends it. If the information is not intended for any
computer on your network, the data is discarded. This keeps any
unwanted or harmful information from accessing or damaging your
network.
Introduction to Firewalls
A firewall is a device that sits between your computer and the Internet
that prevents unauthorized access to or from your network. A firewall
can be a computer using firewall software or a special piece of hardware