Differences between switches and routers

Many users do not know what the difference is between routers and switches, mistakenly thinking that devices have the same principle of operation and serve the same purpose. To understand the difference, it is necessary to study what gadgets are used for, where they are most often installed, what their functioning is based on. The main conclusion that can be made - the router and the switch - are devices used for various tasks and purposes. However, they have different cost. It is worth noting that both gadgets are used to build a computer network. Sometimes they are compared with the third type of gadgets - the hub, which is now obsolete and does not meet modern technological requirements. The information given in the article will be interesting to people who are interested in the principle of building a network. In some cases, you need to use one type of device, while in others it is advisable to install a second type.

Switch and router perform various functions within the network.

The principle of the switch

To understand the difference between a switch and a router, you need to learn the basics of how these devices work. It should be noted that the switch that is installed for computer networks is called a network switch. Such a device is used to connect various computers to the network within several or one segment. It should be noted that the channel is used, that is, the second level of the OSI model. The first level is used obsolete hubs. In this case, the device transmits information directly to the recipient, which increases the safety and performance of the device compared to the hub. The switch stores special switching tables. This is the mapping information for the MAC addresses of the nodes to the ports of the gadget. During operation, the device sets the MAC address of the sending host and enters the information in the table.

In other words, any piece of Ethernet, that is, a piece of packet data, has a MAC address. The gadget captures the data about it and carries out the work of a kind of traffic controller, that is, it determines the computer to which information can be sent. Accordingly, data cannot be transferred to other computers. Thus, a network device of this type ensures a direct connection between the sending and receiving laptop computers.

Such a device is not always convenient to use when working with large networks, since the memory of the tables with which it works is limited. At the same time, such devices have a low price and have an excellent speed of operation. Very often they are used in large companies to build networks, since this option is inexpensive.

The principle of operation of the router

A router is a router familiar to many. Such devices have a large amount of memory and actually represent a mini computer. This allows the router to work with traffic up to 1 gigabyte. The advantage is that the router is compatible with all kinds of interface modules. It is worth noting that the device allows you to connect an unlimited number of routes.

Users are not always satisfied with the speed, because the router completely checks all the data, not just the MAC and IP address. Such gadgets have an extended set of functions, for example, they can define various programs that come in as input information. It should be noted that the device operates at the third, more advanced OSI level. The router allows you to connect incompatible by protocol and network architecture. Such modern and convenient devices certainly cost more. At the same time devices perfectly cope with the creation of large networks.

Very often, routers are used for home use. Typically, the gadget gets an IP address from an Internet service provider, and he conducts IP addressing over a local network. Many advanced devices allow the user to experience the advantage of using additional functions. These include built-in protection against dangerous malware, a user-friendly web interface that can be accessed using any computer or laptop, and even the ability to connect a printer.

The difference between the two devices may not be very clear to the average man at first glance. It is worth noting that they can be used for the same functions. At the same time, gadgets differ in their principles of operation, cost, operation speed and other parameters. The router as if “thinks out” the data transmission routes while the switch relays them.