What Is a Router?

The router, at least the common home network device that is usually called a router, is the piece of network hardware that allows communication between your local home network — like your personal computers and other connected devices — and the internet.

It gives the network addresses (IP) to the devices connects to it, wired or wireless, so the machine in the network can communicate with each other.

Usually modern routers allow you to connect to it with WiFi or ethernet cable.

To hardwire a machine to a router, connect the machine to the LAN ports on the back of the router (usually the multiple ports with the same color).