Modems

Modem vs Router: What Each Device Does at Home

Home internet equipment can be confusing because one box may seem to do everything. You connect a phone to Wi-Fi, the phone reaches the internet, and the equipment near the wall quietly handles the rest. When something stops working, labels such as modem, router, and gateway suddenly matter. The simplest distinction is this: a modem or similar access device connects your home to your internet provider’s network, while a router connects your local devices to one another and directs their traffic toward other networks. Wi-Fi is commonly built into the router, but Wi-Fi itself is not the same thing as internet service.