Router
A Router is a device that connects two networks - frequently over large distances. It understands one or more network protocols. In packet-switched networks such as the Internet, a router is a device or we can say a combination of software and hardware in a computer, which decides how to send a packet to its destination network point. A Router accepts packets on other network interfaces, and forwards it to another interface. A router is located at various gateway (where one network meets another), we normally include it as part of a network switch.
A router always maintain a table or information log of other available routers and using those information and by the help of different algorithms a router decides how to send a data packet to its destination using various network points or router with bare minimum time or covering minimum distance. And this routing function is depending upon OSI (Open System Interconnection )model. In our daily usage of high speed internet connection router works as a hardware firewall. Using router at our internet connection makes it more protected against hacking than the software firewalls because the IP addresses are not directly exposed to internet and in using of router IP Port scan is similar to impossible and it also doesn’t consume computer resources as normally the software firewall use to do. Manufactured routers are easy to install and reasonably priced and it is available for both the wired and wireless networks.