What is a Router vs. a Switch?

[nikoletina1994]

They learned this in Japan probably 20-30 years ago xD

[petegrimsby]

can i use a switch to connect loads of pc, to the internet ?

[pimpedd]

@petegrimsby of course

[ilMitico69]

good and simple explenation Jimmy! Thank You!

[gratefuldeadQPO]

lol i dont know why but your intro and your first sentence just made me laugh really hard.

[davidhadley1984]

Root ER not Rowt ER

[blackboxdisease]

@davidhadley1984 Learn the english language. the letter O and U when combined create a OW sould like OWL. Do you honestly go around speaking like: Once, aboot every hoor I take some floor to make some doogh. In the process it creates cloods of floor in the air. But when finished, I get to enjoy the soor doogh I made.

It is pronouced rOUter. don't let the dour hit you on the way oot.

[davidhadley1984]

@blackboxdisease I think you forget that the Internet was invented by ENGLISH (london) UK Tim Berners-Lee. Without UK ENGLISH Tim Berners-Lee there would be no need for americans to make up there own name for routers or to make up names like DA TA. It's data, one word!

[ghotioutofh2o]

@davidhadley1984 Everyone knows Al Gore (born in DC (that's in the US)) invented the internet.

And I've never seen (nor heard) anyone separate data into two words like you brought up. Where did you see that?

[davidhadley1984]

@ghotioutofh2o funny that his wikipedia page says nothing about the internet. WOW he must be a star but not want any credit. I did not see DA TA thats the way americans say the british invention

[ghotioutofh2o]

@davidhadley1984 I was being facetious about the Al Gore thing. It's a common joke around here. I don't know who really invented the internet, nor do I really care.

Would you elaborate on your two-word pronunciation? Are they long "A"s or short "A"s? Did you hear it as two separate words? You've got me really curious.

[davidhadley1984]

@ghotioutofh2o Data is pronounced like DayTa, in the america they say it like Dat a.

[ghotioutofh2o]

@davidhadley1984 There's something we agree on. :-) I'm born and raised American and it irks me when people say "dat-uh" (like the first two letters of "dad" for that first "a" - a short "a"). It's a regional thing I think.

[stupidwapdaggo]

@davidhadley1984

I don't.

[coa1979liw]

@davidhadley1984 lmao... the Americans invented the Internet. The Web runs as part of the Internet, that is all Berners-Lee invented.

[snowhawk69]

fuuuuuuuuck, cant wait for the lesson to end. FUCKERR

[Gmc42082]

can i use a switch to connect multiple computers directly to a cable or dsl modem? or do i have to tap off 1 of the ports on a router?

[ltshinta]

@Gmc42082

Router-yes

Switch-Yes

Hub-No

[ahlanv74]

@ltshinta just want to ask. . i have here a switch hub. . .. can i use it to connect to the modem directly. . . and if yes. . . what ports would i use to connect the modem and the two laptops? please help. . ..

[ahlanv74]

@ahlanv74 please help anyone. . ..thanks. ..



[intradsl]

@Gmc42082 yes.u can connect a broadband modem/router to a swich.

[CareerCert]

I encounter this question every day.

seems like it is the favorite question of newbies.

[Cazami66]

So... a switch gives internet too without a router ?

[cusinndzl]

@Cazami66 From what I know you need the router to connect to the Internet. Then you use a switch to expand the network.

[hrbear]

@cusinndzl Exactly :-)

[hrbear]

@Cazami66 No :-) A switch is a LAN device which is used to switch data between machines inside the LAN, and drive data packs to the router in order to go out (and come back|) to the phone company and the internet. The router is the machine which connects your LAN to the external world (WAN). So, the router usually has the ethernet as the internal interface, and a serial in/out interface which connects to the outer lines. Router translates protocols and data to and from it's 2 interfaces.

[Mrjamrock2012]

@Cazami66 No a switch has to be connected somewhere on the LAN to a router to access the internet.

[ltshinta]

@Mrjamrock2012 most DSL devices are routers

[lyfe415]

what the different between hub and a switch? it seem like hub and switch do the same job?

[bukkworm]

@lyfe415 yeah they do much the same job ..though appear to be same they aren't the same....hubs are kinda repeaters they can't carry the data to a specific address they just transfer it to each and every host on the network while the switches are smart unlike the hubs which are dumb. switches maintains a mac table and are able to send data to a specific address.

[hrbear]

@lyfe415 No. A switch really drives and differentiates the packets exactly where they have to be driven, but a hub doesn't switch packets. It just lets packets to coexist together, and so packets can collide and force the machines connected to it to retry their transmissions.

[GOStarcraft]

Thanks for the time

[CGFAxel2nd]

How do i know which router do i have

[sirgorin]

If you have cable internet then you will have a cable modem that normally will look like a black rectangular box that will have a coaxial cord going into it. This is where the internet is provided from your ISP. Its from here that a router will be used. So If you have one, you will see another "box" that will be connected to your cable modem. You generally can find out the model and brand on the device itself. Understand these two devices are external, not inside your computer.

[dorksided43]

you look at the model number

[mellowslinky]

A router interconnects networks and allows users to connect to the Internet. Simply, a router connects one network to the other. Each segment connecting to a port on a router is assigned a specific subnet which is different from every other segment connected on the router; one port=one subnet & one broadcast domain. Routers route packets based on the destination IP address, by looking up its corresponding routing table (the information pertaining to routers is comprehensive to say the least).

[7skb]

@mellowslinky

similarly multiple pc's sharing common entity like the modem then they can be plugged in to a switch so that utility is on shared basis

[MrJayPalmer]

Good info! Thank you.