A router connects to all your home's devices (and links them to each other)—through Ethernet cables or Wi-Fi—and then connects to the modem.

The router forwards traffic to the modem that is destined for the Internet, while keeping internal traffic (computer to computer, computer to printer, etc.) inside the network.

A modem connects your home network to the internet, and a router lets your devices talk to one another and use that internet connection. Most people need both.

Whereas a modem simply establishes a connection between your home network and your ISP, a router helps facilitate communications between your home’s network and the ISP’s network.

Margie Miller keeps losing her Internet connection. Is it the router, the modem, her PC, or something else? You can isolate the problem by trying different configurations. Try these tests: 1) If ...