how to connect wifi router to hathway cable modem

Modems were used to modulate the signals on telephone lines so that digital information could be encoded and transmitted over them and then demodulated-and decoded-on the other end. Historically, the term “modem” is shorthand for modulator-demodulator. Your modem serves as a bridge between your local network and the Internet. Instead, your router must be plugged into a device that can transmit your digital traffic over whatever type of Internet connection you have.

helloijan/Shutterstockīut you can’t connect directly to the Internet with just a router. The router keeps track of what traffic goes to which actual device on your network. To the Internet, all the traffic coming from your house looks like it’s coming from a single device. In addition, the router offers some protection to your devices over being exposed directly to the Internet. It lets you connect multiple devices to the Internet through one physical Internet connection and also lets those devices communicate with one another over the local network. The router sits in between your Internet connection and your local network. The simple way to think about routers-especially on your home network-is like this. Many also contain wireless radios that let you connect Wi-Fi devices. In addition, most routers also contain built-in switches that let you connect multiple wired devices. In the case of your home network, your router has one connection to the Internet and one connection to your private local network. RELATED: What's the Difference Between Private and Public Networks in Windows?Ī router connects multiple networks and routes network traffic between them.

RELATED: Should You Buy a Router If Your ISP Gives You a Combined Router/Modem? What a Router Does So why bother to understand the difference? Because that understanding can lead to better decisions, like buying your own modem so you can stop paying $8-$15 a month to rent one from your ISP.

Many internet providers offer a combined modem/router unit that performs both these functions in one device. When you connect to Wi-Fi, you’re really connecting to your router, which forwards traffic between the internet and your computer. In short, your router creates a network between the computers in your home, while your modem connects that network-and thus the computers on it-to the internet.

How to connect wifi router to hathway cable modem