Locate My IP

First a router is a device that forwards data packets along networks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP’s network. Routers are located at gateways, the places where two or more networks connect.

Routers use headers and forwarding tables to determine the best path for forwarding the packets, and they use protocols such as ICMP to communicate with each other and configure the best route between any two hosts.

A router essentially will allow you to share your internet connection at home or in the office, by way of network address translation (NAT). They can also be used to help filter out bad traffic with the incorporation of a firewall.

There are many different brands linksys, dlink, netgear, belkin to name a few of the consumer grade routers. Some may come with wireless capabilities in the B, G, and N protocol. Some even come with print servers which allow you to share your printer(s) with other machines on your network.