Does a router replace the modem

A router and a modem are two individual devices which work in unison to enable all the users across the network to go online. A router can’t replace a modem. To understand this better let’s see how each of these devices function.

A modem is the device you require to hook up your PC to your ISP and go online. It uses your regular phone line system to do so. Modems come in different speeds, higher the speed, faster the internet connection.

A modem can be either a dial-up one, where you connect to your ISP using your phone line or a Broadband one. A broadband modem is one which connects your computer to your cable or Telephone company’s network, and is controlled by devices on that network. A broadband modem is much faster than its dial-up counterpart.

A router on the other hand is the device that takes care of the traffic between all the devices in the network. The router connects all the computers on the network. When you connect the modem to the router, the router gets the internet connection from the modem and passes it to the multiple devices. A router in the true sense is a device that connects any two networks.

Routers are often used as Internet gateways, especially for small networks like those used in homes and small offices. Here the Internet connection is a broadband connection like cable modem or DSL which is always-on. A router at home connects the ISP’s network with the Local Network at home.

So now that you have connected your modem to the router, multiple network users can go online.