
DHCP does that for you automatically so that when you plug your XBOX into your router, your friend gets on your wireless network, or you add a new computer, an address is assigned with no human interaction required. This means every time a new computer entered the network you would have to manually assign it an address on the network.


A router manages those multiple connections and ensures that the right packets of information go to the right places. If you have a desktop, a laptop, a media box on your TV, and an iPad, that one IP address clearly isn’t going to cut it. IP sharing: Your ISP assigns you one IP address.A router performs the following functions: The broadband modem provided to you by your ISP is only suited to linking a single computer to the internet and usually does not include any sort of routing or switch functionality. In the diagram below we’ve introduced two elements to the network: a wireless router and a laptop connecting to the network via that wireless connection.Īt the most basic level a router links two networks together, the network within your home (however big or small) and the network outside your home (in this case, the Internet). Let’s introduce a router and highlight the benefits of using one. This user cannot access the internet with a Wi-Fi device (thus no access for smart phones, tablets, or other wireless devices) and they lose out on the benefits of having a router between their computer and the greater internet. It doesn’t get less complicated than this arrangement but there is a price to pay for the ultra-simplicity of the setup. Here is the simplest network configuration available: a computer linked directly to a modem which is in turn linked through a phone line/cable/fiber optic uplink to the individual’s internet service provider. Rather than start off with a glossary of networking terms-and in the process slam you with a technical terms with no easy point of reference-let’s dive right into looking at network diagrams. Therefore, it’s a good idea to run both.Understanding Home Networking Through Network Diagrams
#MODEM VS ROUTER FIREWALLS WINDOWS#
If you already have a router, leaving the Windows firewall enabled provides you with security benefits with no real performance cost.
#MODEM VS ROUTER FIREWALLS SOFTWARE#
Routers and software firewalls overlap in some ways, but each provides unique benefits. It’s important to use at least one type of a firewall – a hardware firewall (such as a router) or a software firewall. This also prevents users from changing them on their computers. If you run a large network, you can easily configure the firewall’s settings from a single device.

However, that worm couldn’t disable your hardware firewall. A hardware firewall sits apart from your computer – if your computer becomes infected with a worm, that worm could disable your software firewall.This feature is easy to use with a third-party firewall, but you can also prevent applications from connecting to the Internet with the Windows firewall. In addition to controlling incoming traffic, a software firewall can prompt you when an application on your computer wants to connect to the Internet and allow you to prevent the application from connecting to the network.

Software firewalls allow you to easily control network access on a per-application basis.If other computers on your network become infected, the software firewall can protect your computer from them. A hardware firewall sits between your computer and the Internet, while a software firewall sits between your computer and the network.(Although this feature may not be present on some routers.) Both can block certain types of outgoing traffic.Both block unsolicited incoming traffic by default, protecting potentially vulnerable network services from the wild Internet.Hardware and software firewalls overlap in some important ways:
