What is the difference between a router and a switch?

Routers and switches are two network components that help connect computers locally and remotely. Routers and switches have some similarities, but their usage is different. The purpose of a router is to allow you to connect multiple devices to a single Internet connection and simultaneously create a local area network (LAN), while a switch can only connect devices locally.

In a typical home network setup, multiple computers and other devices can be connected to a switch, which connects to a router, and the router connects to a modem through the wide area network (WAN) port of the router. Small home networks can connect devices directly to a router's LAN port and Wi Fi without switches, while enterprise and school networks typically have multiple switches.

Routers are used to connect local devices to the internet, while switches are only used to connect local devices. A switch can also be connected to a router, allowing many devices to connect to the router through a wired connection, even if the router has only one Ethernet LAN port.

How do routers and switches work?

In a typical network, a router connects to a modem through a WAN port, and then local devices connect to the router through an Ethernet LAN port or Wi Fi. The main function of a router is to connect all local devices to the Internet, but it can also connect local devices. For example, if you connect a router to a modem and two computers, the two computers can access the Internet and exchange data locally.

Switches extend and optimize wired LANs by allowing more devices to connect to the local network and optimizing data transmission between devices. When a network contains a switch, the switch connects to the router through an Ethernet LAN port, and then the local device connects to the switch. Large networks such as businesses and schools typically have many switches that connect smaller computer clusters and other devices to each other, and connect other switches to the devices connected to these switches.

What are the main differences between a switch and a router?

The most significant difference between routers and switches is that routers connect to the network, while switches connect to devices in the network. Routers can connect to the internet and local devices, and switches can connect to local devices. Technically, you can use a switch instead of a router to create a LAN and connect it to the internet, but this requires additional configuration, does not work well, and lacks important security features.