Routers

The information age has spread its technological roots to the corners of the globe and has as its offspring a fierce and competitive cyber environment. Many products and devices are revolutionizing the marketplace with the increasing dependence on various Wide Area Networks (WANs) or more commonly, the Internet, for all forms of communication.

A router is one of the integral components of a WAN setup. A Router is a device that forwards packets of data on the network. It is located at the connecting point of two or more networks, i.e. the gateways. A Router Connection facilitates file sharing between multiple computer systems. Routers establish connectivity within enterprises, between the Internet and enterprises, and within Internet Service Providers’ (ISPs) networks. Large Enterprises employ large Routers, which interlink ISPs and are used within the ISP. A Multi Router is invariably used by those huge companies that have business continuity as their primary concern. Small Routers connect home office and businesses that are relatively smaller in size.

Router Settings and Connections

A Router Setting comprises the following components: a unique operating system, RAM, NVRAM, flash memory, processors, and multiple network interfaces. Multiple processors are used by high-end Routers, along with Application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) to effectuate extensive parallel processing. Routers operate on the Network Layer of the OSI model (Layer 3). A Router connection may either be wired or wireless. Routing protocols such as Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), or Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) are used to determine the best possible route to forward the network traffic. The Routers that connect large companies and ISPs use the BGP for exchanging routing information.

Types of Router connections vary based on the size of the enterprise and the respective protocol employed. Examples are Enterprise Router, DSL Router, Core Router, Access Router, etc. An Access Router is a device that a Local Area Network (LAN) requires in order to link two or more LANs. As the gateway devices, Access Routers are connected to the LAN.

A Router connection consists of each Access Router connecting a LAN to the Wide Area Network, thereby forwarding network traffic among the users at different locations. Large enterprises invariably have a secure WAN setup with multi WAN connections, Firewall settings, Multi Router, and other devices that enhance speed and reliability. In the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment, cost effective technology solutions with sometimes low-speed connectivity are deployed. For instance, SMEs may use Analog Access Routers (56 Kbps) or ISDN Access Routers (128 Kbps) in the case of Router Connection.

As technology keeps advancing, the concept of ‘wireless’ gains more significance. On those lines, the Wireless Router also emerges with its ability to connect and allow access to the Internet or a computer network without a cable connection. It works on wired LANs, wireless LANs, or a combination of both. A Router Setting for WiFi Networks includes routers linking up with range extenders (aka signal boosters), which escalates the wireless signals’ overall range.

A basic Router setting can be used for forwarding information and managing network traffic. But oftentimes growing use of the Internet for business purposes has magnified the network traffic congestion. In such a scenario, Multi Routers can be useful because they allow end users to combine multiple connections using a Multi Router to transport and forward data between networks, considerably alleviating bandwidth bottlenecking issues by sharing the traffic load over the multiple lines. However, it has its own limitations. Most high-end Router Connections would require BGP, which is quite complex. Advanced technology can be the only substitute for overcoming such constraints. A leading technology solutions provider, FatPipe Networks, holds a prominent place in the marketplace with its unique technology offerings, which provide the highest levels of WAN optimization, reliability, security, and bandwidth management. FatPipe’s patented router clustering technology is the unparalleled substitute to BGP load sharing and line failover.

Router Types

Routers are distinguished based on their connectivity options to particular setups. While large Routers are used for interconnecting ISPs employed within ISPs and applied in huge enterprise networks, small routers are used by small-level businesses and home users. The following are a few of the key types of routers, which are used extensively in Internet connectivity-oriented applications in all arenas of business.

T1 Router

The growing market demand for remote connectivity and bandwidth-intensive applications have resulted in the evolution of advanced technology and technological appliances. A T1 router establishes a connection to a T1 link, which is a digital telephone line. Bandwidth, functionality and performance scalability is possible with using a T1 Router.

Increased bandwidth is the key for high throughput levels, which is crucial for business continuity. A T1 Router performs much work load when compared to other low-end routers, and this characteristic of the T1 router garners a higher price. It is capable of retaining in its memory the routing table of the entire ISP backbone. This is because T1 routers make logical routing decisions based on packet delivery locations at any place in the globe. T1 Routers are more expensive than DSL routers or cable routers. The T1 Router’s unique functionality necessitates much RAM and processor power, and accounts for the high price.

DSL Router

The Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Router is one in which Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) modems — in addition to their regular functions — manage the connection and share the ADSL service with a group of machines. With this functionality, the DSL router is also called as a Residential Gateway. The DSL Router forwards packets of data to the edge of the carrier’s network, which is actually the local area. DSL Routers perform framing through one functional block, while other functional blocks carry out tasks such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Segmentation and Reassembly, bridging and/or IP routing. Ethernet and USB are the user interfaces that are generally used.

Broadband Router

A Broadband Router is a combination of the features of a conventional network switch, a DSL or cable modem, a firewall, and a DHCP server. It enables sharing of Internet connectivity, and supports file sharing and LAN gaming in home networks. Designed particularly for home networking, Broadband Routers adopt the Ethernet standard and require Ethernet cables to be connected to the router, broadband modem, and the systems on the home LAN. Recent improvements brought in wireless routers, which do not need cabling. Reliability, cost, and speed are the major benefits of using these routers. The two major types of broadband routers are ADSL Modem routers and Cable routers. The ADSL Modem and Cable routers are committed to the task of providing a platform to connect the home network with the outside world, thereby facilitating Internet connection sharing on the network.

Finally, there is the programmable router, which in recent times has gained much attention owing to its architecture and application. A programmable router has distributed functionality and has program compatibility. It is possible to selectively route information with a programmable router, thereby making it customized.

Internet technology has mushroomed into all areas of living, and has altered the Modus Operandi of businesses. FatPipe’s wide array of WAN optimization and Internet/WAN reliability and redundancy products caters to a wide clientele with one thing in common: they are dependent on robust WANs to meet their business continuity goals. FatPipe Networks offers elegant, flexible solutions comprising automatic and intelligent Internet/WAN redundancy and dynamic load balancing features. FatPipe’s WARP solution, for example, dynamically load balances across multiple lines and considerably increases WAN efficiency by sharing traffic over the same type or disparate data lines. It also intelligently senses failures to components or services on the WAN and automatically reroutes traffic over the lines automatically. WARP is a clear alternative to BGP programming. Other features include Policy Routing and Quality of Service (QoS) tools for optimized control of data flow in a network.

The business world is constantly requiring advanced technology to meet its business continuity goals, and innovators such as FatPipe constantly aid in that endeavor.