Basics of Router and Switch. What they are?

The Router

A Router is a layer 3 network device that moves data between different network segments and can look into a packet header to determine the best path for the packet to travel. Routers can connect network segments that use different protocols. They also allow all users in a network to share a single connection to the Internet or a WAN. It is used to improve network performance by:-

• segmenting the network and creating separate collision & broadcast domains.

• reducing competition for bandwidth.

• Broadcasts are not forwarded to other network segments.

• Increases security by using Access Lists.

The Network Switch

A network switch commonly refers to a Network bridge that processes and routes data at the Data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. Switches that additionally process data at the Network layer (layer 3 and above) are often referred to as Layer 3 switches or Multilayer switches.

Some more facts about switches are:-
• Switches don’t look at IP address information.

• Switches only sends traffic to the devices that are the destination for that traffic, saving bandwidth.

• Each device connected to the switch gets the full bandwidth of the switch port because the switch prevents collisions

• There are many types of switches, managed, unmanaged, chassis-based, and layer 3.