These two devices help power your home internet connection. It helps to know how they function. Here are the details.

You don’t actually have to buy your modem and router separately. Instead, you can buy a modem and router combo unit, often called gateways, which makes the entire process a little bit easier.

A modem and router work in tandem to deliver you an internet connection and then grant access to your various devices.

Any Wi-Fi device in range of that network can use whatever password you've set to connect wirelessly to the router and, through it, to the modem and the web.

While there's no shame in that, having a basic understanding of how your Wi-Fi works at home is still beneficial. A good start is learning the difference between your modem and router.

In order to understand, and fix, your glitchy home WiFi, it's helpful to know what makes it work. So what's the difference between your modem and your router?

The wireless router adds Ethernet switching and a Wi-Fi access point (see wireless router). Modem and Router in One Unit This Xfinity gateway combines the cable modem and wireless router in one unit.

Modem vs. router The essential difference between a modem and a router is that a modem connects you to the internet as a whole while the router manages and routes the internet to your devices.

What’s the difference between a modem and a router? Getting the most out of your internet connection requires the right hardware, and deciding which components are right for your setup can be a ...

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