Routers are physical devices used to
connect various wired or wireless networks together in a networking
environment. They handle and filter data traffic, both incoming and outgoing,
depending upon the IP addresses of different machines. Every machine has a
unique IP address for its easy identification.
Routers are available in different
models. Therefore, there can be a difference in the naming convention followed
during the router configuration procedure.
The article here gets you to
understand the standard procedure for installing a router, what are the
problems you may face if the router is not properly installed, and then a brief
on how data actually travels within the configured network.
Installing a Router
Given below is a standard procedure
on how to install a router for setting up a computer network:
·
Select an appropriate place – A
router should be kept at a place where it receives the strongest signal. A weak
signal lower the data transfer efficiency of the router. Ideally, it should be
kept on an open floor or on a table.
·
Plug the router to an electrical
power point and then push the power button on the device to start the router.
·
Connect the Internet modem to the
router to establish an internet connection.
·
After this, connect your computer to
the router using a network cable. Remember, even in a wireless network, a cable
is required to install and connect a router properly to your system to ensure
maximum working efficiency.
·
Once the router is installed, you
need to open the router's administration tool. To do this, you first need to
open your Web browser. Then type the router’s address in the Web address field.
Press Enter to open your installed router’s website. The address is always given in the documents
provided with the router. Remember, you do not need a working Internet
connection to perform this step.
Troubleshooting Router Problems
From the security point of view, it
is very important to keep in mind that if the router is not configured properly
or if the router is faulty, then there isa possibility that you come across a
problem. Some of the common troubleshooting router problems include errors
like:
·
Default gateway is not available
·
Err connection reset
·
Reconnect me
·
DNS server isn’t responding
If you want to learn how to deal
with it
There are many ways that can help
you get rid of these errors. However, if you are experiencing a specific error
and you keen to learn how to deal with it,
here are some basic measures that can be fruitful for all these common errors:
·
Reset the wifi and network adapter
·
Update the drivers of your network
adapter
·
Remove the anti-virus software form
your PC
·
Try and disable the auto login
feature
·
Change the drivers if required
·
Ensure all the cables are securely
attached
·
Reset and reposition the router
How Data Travels Within Networks
Wireless networks involve
transmitting information using radio signals instead of wired cables. The information can flow between
computers or workstations on the same network or different networks.
For your understanding, the process
of transmitting data between multiple networks is briefly discussed here.
The transmission process begins when
a sender performs the computing operation to send data to another machine. The
data gets converted in the form of packets called data packets. These packets
can contain any information ranging from large text files, multimedia files to
a short chat message.
Each packet has three components:
header, trailer, and payload. The header contains basic details about the
origin of information, the length of data travel, the point of destination,
etc. For e.g. the header contains the host number and the network number of
both the sending and receiving computers. Payload refers to the actual
information in the form of a file, an e-mail attachment, etc. that is being
transmitted to another computer. Trailer, also known as footer, contains some
bits of data for error checking.
Now, the information in these
packets starts travelling in the form of radio signals towards the receiving
computer. The packets are sent directly to the computer if both the sending and
receiving computers are within the same network. On the other hand, if the
computers are in different networks, then network devices like routers are used
to filter and direct the data packets to its destination. Routers interconnect
the host or the server of every network. A network can have more than one
router depending upon the complexity of the network. Every router is like a
road map of a particular destination. It has multiple paths in different
directions that help the data to reach the other computer.
With the help of routers, once the
data packet reaches the network of the receiving computer, it retrieves the
host number and the network number, from its header component, to find the IP address of the other computer. The data, in the form of a radio
signal, gets converted back into a format that the computer is capable to
understand. Finally, the information is successfully accessed by the receiving
computer.
Remember, the same process is
followed when there is a single source but multiple destinations. Moreover, the
time taken to complete this process depends upon the size of the data packets.
Larger the packets, greater the time and vice-versa!
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