Many Internet service providers are now giving their customers combined devices that function as both a modem and a wireless router. With these devices, you don’t have to buy a router — but you can, if you like.
While separate routers can be more powerful, configurable, and feature-filled, that isn’t necessarily a good thing for everyone. Whether you should get a separate router or not depends on what trade-offs you want to make.
Why ISPs Provide Combined Router/Modem Units
For most people, having a combined router/modem unit is just simpler. The Internet service provider can hand their customer a box and that single box handles connecting to the Internet, creating a Wi-Fi network, and sharing the Internet connection between multiple devices. Customers don’t have to buy their own router and hook it up, and the ISP doesn’t have to field support calls from confused customers who have problems setting up their routers.
Having a combined router/modem also makes some sense. Why split this functionality into two separate boxes that may have difficulty communicating with each other? This just requires more power outlets and potentially more troubleshooting — if you have a problem, you may have to troubleshoot the link between the modem and router to ensure they’re communicating properly.
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ISPs also gain the ability to do other things with their modems, such as providing public Wi-Fi access to their customers via these combined modem/router units.
The main advantage to sticking with your combined modem/router unit is that it’s simpler. If you already have one, you don’t have to buy anything extra or set it up. If the unit was provided by your ISP, you can expect them to troubleshoot it for you. You won’t have to deal with problems that can occur if the devices fail to communicate properly.
How You Could Use Your Own Router
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On many of these combined units, you can disable the router functionality. This will cause the modem to simply pass the connection through to the next device in line. Connect a separate router to your modem with an Ethernet cable via its LAN port and the router will get a public IP address from the modem, sending traffic back and forth and functioning as a standard router.
Even if you can’t disable the router features, you could plug your own router into the LAN port and create a separate Wi-Fi network. The router would receive a local IP from behind the combined router/modem unit, so you’d be using a local network behind another local network, which will cause problems with port-forwarding — but it should work. This isn’t ideal, but it’s definitely possible. You can often disable Wi-Fi on the combined modem/router, which will leave you with only single Wi-Fi network. There are many ways to configure these networking settings.
Why You Might Want to Get Your Own Router
The main advantage to bringing your own router is getting additional hardware and features that your ISP’s router doesn’t provide. For example, let’s say you really want the fastest 802.11ac Wi-Fi and your combined router/modem doesn’t provide it to you. You can purchase your own wireless router with the feature and connect it to your modem via Ethernet. It will then provide fast Wi-Fi access and communicate over the wired Ethernet line with your modem.
You may also want additional features your combined router/modem doesn’t provide. Perhaps you want dynamic DNS so it’s easier to access servers running on your local network from the Internet. Maybe you want quality of service (QoS) features to prioritize your network traffic. Or perhaps you’re a geek who wants to install your own custom router firmware, like OpenWrt, and turn your router into an extremely tweakable little device. OpenWrt is basically a Linux distribution with a package manager for routers, and can be used to run different types of servers and tools on your router — you can’t do this with a locked-down router/modem provided by your ISP.
So, Should You Get a Separate Router?
RELATED:Buy Your Cable Modem Instead of Renting It to Save $120 Per Year
The decision is ultimately up to you and depends on what you want. If you’re happy with your combined router/modem unit and you don’t want any additional features it doesn’t provide, you’ll probably just want to stick with the box your ISP gave you. It’s just easier to set up and use.
On the other hand, if you want the latest wireless hardware or additional features, you can get them by purchasing your own router and connecting it to your modem. You’re trading some simplicity for more power and choice.
If you’re renting that combined router/modem from a cable Internet provider, there’s also another option — you can generally buy your own router to eliminate the router service fee from your monthly cable Internet bills. This doesn’t apply to ADSL, fiber, or satellite connections — just cable.
Image Credit: DeclanTM on Flickr, Kevin Jarrett on Flickr
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If you’ve been on the Internet for a while, you’ve no doubt heard the terms “modem” and “router” thrown around, but might not have taken the time to understand what they are. We’re here to help.
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. When you connect to Wi-Fi, you’re really connecting to your router, which forwards traffic between the internet and your computer. Many internet providers offer a combined modem/router unit that performs both these functions in one device.
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.
What a Router Does
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A router connects multiple networks and routes network traffic between them. It’s really that simple. In the case of your home network, your router has one connection to the Internet and one connection to your private local network. In addition, most routers also contain built-in switches that let you connect multiple wired devices. Many also contain wireless radios that let you connect Wi-Fi devices.
The simple way to think about routers—especially on your home network—is like this. The router sits in between your Internet connection and your local network. 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. In addition, the router offers some protection to your devices over being exposed directly to the Internet. To the Internet, all the traffic coming from your house looks like it’s coming from a single device. The router keeps track of what traffic goes to which actual device on your network.
But you can’t connect directly to the Internet with just a router. Instead, your router must be plugged into a device that can transmit your digital traffic over whatever type of Internet connection you have. And that device is a modem.
What a Modem Does
Your modem serves as a bridge between your local network and the Internet. Historically, the term “modem” is shorthand for modulator-demodulator. 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. Though more modern broadband connections—like cable and satellite—don’t really work the same way, we kept using the term “modem” because it’s a device people were already familiar with and associated with connecting to the Internet.
How a modem attaches to your network depends on the type of connection you have. The modem plugs into whatever type of infrastructure you have—cable, telephone, satellite, or fiber—and gives you a standard Ethernet cable output that you can plug into any router (or a single computer) and get an Internet connection.
Since the modem communicates with your Internet service provider, you’ll need the correct type of modem that will work with your ISP’s infrastructure.
Combined Routers and Modems
Some ISPs offer a modem and router in a single device. That device has the electronics and software in it to provide both functions, acting as a modem that communicates with your ISP and functioning as a router to create a home network. Some ISPs also bundle a phone interface into the same box so you can use their VOIP offerings.
While a combined unit has its attractions—just having one device cluttering up your office being one—there are also disadvantages. Using separate devices offers more flexibility in what you can do with your network and lets you make sure you’re using the best quality devices you can. And using your own devices instead of the ones your ISP provides can save you some money.
Buy Your Own Modem
RELATED:Buy Your Cable Modem Instead of Renting It to Save $120 Per Year
Buying your own modem is an easy way to save money on your Internet bill. Check your monthly bill and you’ll probably see an “Equipment rental” or “Modem rental” fee that’s costing you somewhere between $8 and $15 per month. Rather than renting your modem from your Internet service provider, you can buy your own and hook it up. You can then return the original modem to your ISP and remove that fee from your monthly bill. Yes, it will cost you some money up front. But that typically adds up to somewhere between 6 and 10 months of monthly device rental fees. Keep the devices longer than that and you’re saving money every month.
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Of course, if you have a combined modem/router unit, you’ll also need to buy a home router. That’s not necessarily bad news, though. The router your ISP provides may not have the latest technologies like 802.11ac and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, so you may be better off buying your own router anyway.
Check to see if you’re actually renting your modem and how much you’re spending every month, and then find the best modem for your ISP. The Motorola SURFboard SB6141 is a good bet for most people at around $70. If you’re spending $10 a month on a modem rental, you’ll break even and start saving money after just seven months. That’s hundreds of dollars saved over the life of your modem.
You can use any wireless router you want, but the modem you purchase has to be approved by your ISP to function with their network. In a sense, you can think of your router as a device that’s part of your home network and the modem as a device that’s part of your ISP’s network.
Image Credit: Clive Darra on Flickr, Paul Boxley on Flickr, Sean MacEntee on Flickr
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Can anyone explain the differences between a modem, a wireless access point, and a router?
What functions do they share and which functions uniquely characterize them?
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4 Answers
Modem - Box from your ISP that connects to the internet. It actually connects to the phone line or the coaxial cable or whatever physical line you have. It normally has at least an ethernet connection, sometimes a USB as well.
Difference Between Router And Switch
Router - Box that connects to the modem and allows multiple devices to use that internet connection at the same time. It also lets the devices talk to each other (so you can transfer files in your house or whatever). Can be wired, wireless, or both.
Wireless Access Point - Attaches to a router and allows wifi connections to the network.
JNKJNK
No, the WAP always needs to connect to a router.
Although the original poster has probably moved way beyond this point, I feel compelled to add a clarification for others.
Yes, a router MUST be in the network, just behind the modem or wireless ISP's antenna mounted 'radio.' From there, MY access point connects to the router via a CAT5e cable. I was told that it COULD be connected to the router wirelessly (if it weren't dual-band); but, since mine IS a dual band, I haven't been able to try that, to see if it's true. THAT access point connects to an outdoor antenna, which sends signals to 2 more antennas and access points, which are configured as bridges. When I can find my other 2 AC adapters, I'm TOLD by netgear tech support that I can add an access point to each of my 2 slave bridges (I own 5, WAG302 APs), configured as access points, to get a better and wireless indoor signal. They'll be connected to the slave bridges by CAT5e cables.
Bottom line is that only one router is needed, even though I have multiple access points. The really knowledgable people on these boards, although helpful, sometimes forget what it's like to be brand new to all of this and not to have ANY of the basics yet. (Not any sort of a put down on them. It's just that I'd heard the quoted comment from other sources and bought a second router before I understood what was really meant. I'm sure that there are others who have wound up with a spare router that way, too.)
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Kathy RenbargerKathy Renbarger
A modem converts between broadband and baseband by modulating a signal onto or demodulating a signal extracted from the broadband medium.
![Difference between internet modem and wifi modem Difference between internet modem and wifi modem](/uploads/1/2/3/9/123953554/967694506.jpg)
A wireless access point provides wireless (usually 802.11) connectivity to a wired network.
A router bridges multiple networks, usually implementing NAT to provide a single external interface.
Ignacio Vazquez-AbramsIgnacio Vazquez-Abrams97.7k77 gold badges159159 silver badges216216 bronze badges
Modem: A modem is a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over, for example, telephone or cable lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms.
A wireless access point: A wireless Access Point (AP) connects a group of wireless stations to an adjacent wired (Typically, Ethernet) LAN. An AP is like an Ethernet hub.
router: In packet-switched networks such as the Internet, a router is a device or, in some cases, software in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward its destination. The router is connected to at least two networks and decides which way to send each information packet based on its current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected to. A router is located at any gateway (where one network meets another), including each point-of-presence on the Internet. A router is often included as part of a network switch.
If I want say difference in basic:
1- use modem for connecting your personal PC to internet use cable.
2- use A wireless access point for making private wireless network that connect to your modem by wired.
3- use router to make bigger network(in office or town or ..)
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