Routers

Routers are the components of the Internet that direct packages of data across various networks. They follow a set of rules to direct packets based upon IP address and port. There are many potential routes data can take to get from one place to another, and frequently routers will direct individual packets on different routes to end up at the same location.

• Lecture

  • Watch on Youtube
  • Watch on the CS50 Video Player
  • Download Lecture
  • Lecture Notes

• Notes

  • Routers

• Supplementary Resources

  • Khan Academy on Packet, Routers, and Reliability

• Thought Questions

  • What parameters do routers use to sort data packets?
  • Why do you think data will seemingly travel farther away than is necessary only to return back to a desired location (i.e. going from Seattle to Los Angeles and then back up to Palo Alto)?
  • Routers allow us to indirectly connect and communicate with other devices on the Internet. Why don’t we connect all of them directly to each other?