switch vs router

[LumbergTech]

Can someone give me a clear explanation about what the difference between a switch and a router is? I keep reading page after page and I can never get a clear idea of how they differ

 

[Rifter]

A Switch connects computers together on a network so they can communicate with each other. It has nothing to do with internet connection sharing.

A Router has 2 sides, one connects to a WAN like your cable/DSL modem but could be any ethernet internet connection and then shares this single IP address to the other side which connects to your LAN. Some routers have 1 WAN and 1 LAN port so you would need to combine your router with a switch to share the connection accross your LAN. Some routers have 1 WAN and a built in switch providing multiple LAN ports.

I hope this has helped.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Home routers and switches, or corporate/ISP?

Do you know the OSI model?

 

[jlazzaro]

switches forward frames on local area networks based upon the source-mac address table. routers route packets to next-hop addresses using (traditionally) destination IP addresses.

most SOHO routers contain a combination router and switch. LAN communication with other computer in your network are strictly switched, since they never leave your network segment (ie 192.168.1.0/24). once you need to communicate with an address outside your segment (ie website on the internet), your computer will forward those packets to the router (aka default gateway) which in turn routes the packets to the service provider and out to the internet.

as disgruntled stated, the OSI model is the basis for these processes.

 

[Nothinman]

A Router has 2 sides, one connects to a WAN like your cable/DSL modem but could be any ethernet internet connection and then shares this single IP address to the other side which connects to your LAN. Some routers have 1 WAN and 1 LAN port so you would need to combine your router with a switch to share the connection accross your LAN. Some routers have 1 WAN and a built in switch providing multiple LAN ports.

What you describe is generally only true on SOHO routers. A router connects two different networks, nothing more. NAT and PAT are available on every router that I've touched however they're not required for a device to be a router.

 

[JackMDS]

Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.aspx?i=48

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Switches are a layer 2 device and facilitate communications on a local network
Routers are a layer 3 device and facilitate communications on different networks


For example, a switch allows you and 4 friends play a network game on a local network, that is your home/office network.
A router would allow that network to speak to the internet or another network somewhere else.


Anything that you buy for you house is typically a 4-5 port switch/router all in one.

 

[spidey07]

routers route
switches switch

 

[James Bond]

See RadiclDreamer's post.