Definition of router
A router is a network device used to connect various lans and wans on the Internet. The router can automatically select and set routes according to channel requirements. Finally, the signal is sent in the best routing sort. The router can be regarded as the hub of the Internet and has been applied in various industries. The painless grade routing products provide key services for the internal connection of backbone network, backbone network interconnection, backbone network and Internet interconnection.
Definition of switches
A switch is an electrical signal forwarding device. Generally, it is connected to two network nodes of a switch to provide an independent electrical signal path. The most common Ethernet switches are voice switches, fibre Channel switches, and so on.
According to the definition, there are differences in how routers and switches implement their functions. The main differences are as follows:
First, the switch works at the relay layer and searches for addresses by MAC address, while the router performs tasks at the network layer and searches for addresses by IP address. Moreover, the switch cannot process TCP/IP protocol and the router can.
2. The switch connects to the Internet through a network cable. Users use their own bandwidth through dial-up, and the independent network will not affect each other. The virtual dial-up function is added to the router. Users who connect to the Internet through the same router use the same network bandwidth. Therefore, the Internet access of users is affected by each other.
Three, the switch can support multiple computers to jointly build LAN, such as the existence of proxy service area can also realize the Internet function, LAN computers can share bandwidth speed. Routers can identify where packets are sent and where they are going but switches can't. Routers can automatically select the best route for users when they use the Internet.
4. The router can be regarded as a small post, just an IP address. In this small post only responsible for a small place of data transceiver, such as personal computer, a single server, so the home network needs to use the router, and the switch can be used as a provincial mail center, can let the address and small place contact. The router realizes special management access network, and the switch realizes distribution.
5. The router has firewall function and can forward data packets of specific IP addresses. Network switches expand the network by increasing the number of interfaces available for sub-networks.