If my broadband modem is described as being a gateway, can it act as an ethernet router?

Question

As there is an extra ethernet input at the back...

Answer 1

No you must have a router in order to hook multiple units to your broadband. Your gateway is what the modem uses to connect to the internet!

Answer 2

Depends on the model of the modem. Some include a router, but most do not. If there is an extra ethernet port, connect to it and see what happens. But normally, no.

A gateway is a function. A router is a piece of hardware. Either a cable modem or a router can serve the function of a gateway. But only a router will have additional ethernet ports for attaching multiple computers.

Answer 3

Gateway and Router are often used interchangeably but this isn't technically correct.

Most SOHO routers are actually gateways. Network Address Translation (NAT) gateways to be specific. Their purpose is to connect multiple computers to the internet while hiding your private (non-routable) IP address from the internet AND acting as a firewall to protect your network and all of the machines on it.

A router simply connects different networks together and allows traffic to pass back and forth between the networks. In it's most basic form it does not act as a firewall and will not allow you to use a private IP address to connect to the internet.

Now, many ISPs now provide a piece of hardware that combines the function of modem AND gateway. The external interface hooks to the phone or cable TV network and you hook one or more computers to it. A stand-alone modem does NOT include a gateway, nor does it typically have an IP address -- the public IP address is applied to whatever is connected to it. That could be a PC or a router/gateway device.

So, to answer your question, if you have a broadband modem that includes a built-in gateway you cannot use it as an ethernet router.

On the other hand, if you have a stand-alone router (really a NAT gateway) you MIGHT be able to use it as an ethernet router. Look on the confguration pages and see if if allows you to set it up as a router. The default configuration is NAT Gateway, but some will allow you to use it as an ethernet router without the firewall or NAT features. If you connected it to your modem in that configuration, you'd need to get a block of public IP addresses from your ISP to use on your internal network since as I mentioned earlier, private IP addresses are not routable on the public internet.

Answer 4

If your modem has 2 ethernet ports then that means it is capable of 2 ethernet connection...so yes, that can act as an ethernet router since your broadband modem is capable of distributing the signal to 2 equipment via ethernet cable.

Answer 5

it depends what you mean. If you have one pc on the usb and another on the ethernet, they'll both go on the net but they won't "talk to one another". So in that case it wouldn't act as a router as such.
if you get a splitter for a few bucks and go into it with the two pcs then the splitter goes into the modem ethernet then the two pcs can both go on the net and also talk to one another. If you get a 16 way splitter then you could have up to 16 computers wired up this way. Mine cost me $9 and is a 16 ports splitter. Hope I made sense

Answer 6

"Broadband router" and "cable/dsl router" propose the comparable element, for the reason that cable and dsl are 2 (of many) broadband approaches. d-link makes sturdy products. I somewhat have 2 of their routers sitting maximum surprising next to me (whether I want Linksys, for reasons that have no longer something to do with utilising their routers as routers). in regards to the only modifications i could make to the advice are a million) think of roughly getting a instant router. (you additionally can connect with it by ability of wires, yet you have the alternative of utilising instant.) and 2) shop around. Circuit city isn't undesirable, yet somebody else would have the comparable router for a discount.

Answer 7

Gateway = Router.
You might need to check if the modem/gateway has a switch to handle multiple computers.
Unless, of course, you deal with satellite communication... ;o)

Answer 8

no a router has a intena.

Answer 9

Yes you can do that all you need is a Windows 98 sec edition or latest windows computer and setup internet connection sharing then rest of the machine can also share the connection. Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Connection_Sharing and also have a look at http://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%AF_%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D for pictures