General difference between router and switch?

Question

I'm wondering what the main difference is between a router and a switch. I don't really need much in-depth detail. Just a general comparision so that I can decide which one to buy. Currently, all I know is that a router is capable of assigning multiple IP addresses to different computers while a switch only has 1 IP address (actually, is that even correct?).

Thanks!

Answer 1

If you want to connect multiple computers to the Internet then the best thing to do is buy a wired or wireless router. Most routers that you buy for home use have 4 port switches built into them already allowing you to connect up to four computers to the Internet. Most routers have whats called DHCP built into them that handles the assigning of IP addresses so you don't have to manually assign them to each network card of your computers thus making it easier and faster to get each computer setup on the network and able to get Internet access. In a nutshell buy a router.

Answer 2

Buy the router (it is typically also a switch).



A router operates at layer 3 - which allows you to connect 2 different networks (ie your home lan and the Internet).



A switch operates at layer 2 - allowing discussions amongst the computers on your local/home network. Today - many/most switches also support layer 3 (and are therefore capable of connecting different networks). The different ports on the switch can have PC's - each with a different IP address.



The assignment of the IP address (DHCP) is not a function of a router or switch. It is something that vendors have put in home devices to make them easier to use.



Which brings me back to the answer - buy the "router" with the features you need. For instance - do you want multiple PC's each with their own IP - then make sure it has DHCP. Do you want to allow internet traffic into you home network to 1 IP - possibly on 1 port (ie home web server on port 80) - then make sure it supports a DMZ. The most important feature is blocking inbound traffic - so it needs a firewall. Will it need wireless support - probably yes. Just buy one that has the features you want - more than likely called a router - but it will be a Router/switch/dhcp server/firewall/DMZ "home appliance".

Answer 3

A switch (the reasonably priced ones) wont allow you to connect multiple computers to the net. A switch connects devices-to-other devices (defined by ip adresses) but "cannot" act as a gateway to the internet for all the devices connected.



To generalise a switch is a dumber version of the router even though it can be made to work like the router (pricy) and really it's about device to device communication , and the router has the function of a switch with the added benefit of it being a gateway



hope that helps !

Answer 4

A router is capable of acting as a gateway between two networks. In most cases this is between the public Internet and your private LAN at home. It sits on one IP address and accepts incoming or outgoing traffic on behalf of the devices behind it. If the LAN uses private IP addresses that can't be used on the public Internet, then a technique called NAT is used to convert requests from your computer and transmit them to the outside as if they came from the router itself. Several computers (or even more routers) can live behind a router as long as they all have unique IP addresses.



A switch is an intelligent network hub that filters out traffic that it knows your computer is not interested in. The simplest kind of Ethernet switch doesn't have to know anything about IP addresses, it keeps a list of computers attached to each port identified by their MAC addresses, or Ethernet card serial numbers. Smarter switches can be programmed to filter traffic by 'virtual LANs', by IP addresses, or even by the kind of data being transmitted. And at a certain point, the distinction between a router and switch gets blurry because these switches can act as routers. A smart switch can have an IP address of its own if one is needed.

Answer 5

A router, unlike a switch, routes traffic intelligently. A router also supplies IP addresses through DHCP. For your needs, a router is more than likely the best option for home network.

Answer 6

Router routes, Switch switches. So a switch can only have 1 active connection established at once. A router can have multiple active connections. Routers also tend to have built in firewalls where a switch typically does not.

Answer 7

A switch can connect multiple machines together to communicate in a local network. They all need to be in the same IP subnet. They can not get out of this subnet. A router understands how to pass packets from individual machines on one subnet out to another network and return the replies to the correct machines. They do NOT all have modems, nor do they all have login information. Routers built specifically for internet use generally do have login facilities as they need to verify the user to the ISP. They still do not all have modems..

Answer 8

Very simply, switches connect computers together in a LAN, while routers also link a LAN to a WAN (ie the internet!).