Router vs. Modem: What's the Difference?
Read the comparison below, or explore it visually. Create a visual lesson comparing router and modem using available credits or plan allowance.
A router shares one internet connection among all your devices and directs traffic between them, while a modem connects your home to your internet service provider by converting the signal on the incoming line, such as a phone line or cable, into data a computer can use. Many providers supply one combined box that does both jobs, usually with Wi-Fi built in.
At a glance
| Router | Modem | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Shares one connection across many devices | Links the home to the provider's line |
| Connects to | Your phones, laptops and TVs | Phone line, cable or fibre from outside |
| Addressing | Gives devices private IPs, e.g. 192.168.x.x | Does not assign addresses to home devices |
| Wi-Fi | Usually broadcasts the Wi-Fi network | Standalone modems usually have no Wi-Fi |
| Security role | Firewall and NAT shield home devices | Converts signals; little traffic control |
Which should you use?
You need a router whenever more than one device shares a connection, for example a family whose phones, laptop and smart TV all use one broadband line over Wi-Fi.
You need a modem, or on fibre an optical network terminal, wherever the provider's line enters the home; it turns the electrical or light signal on that line into Ethernet data.