{"id":12997,"date":"2023-07-21T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T09:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routerctrl.com\/?p=12997"},"modified":"2023-07-21T14:14:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T14:14:13","slug":"can-a-router-work-without-a-modem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routerctrl.com\/can-a-router-work-without-a-modem\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a Router Work Without a Modem? (Using a Wi-Fi Router Without a Modem)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can a <\/span>Router<\/span><\/a> Work Without a <\/span>Modem<\/span><\/a>? A very interesting question, to which you will of course get an answer<\/span> in this article, but before that let<\/span> us recall some basic<\/span> facts related to <\/span>routers and modems<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>as well as the differences between them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Difference Between a Router and a Modem<\/h2>\n

Although these two devices have been an indispensable part of every household for the past two decades, many surveys show that a large number of people still do not know what a router is, what a modem is, and what the difference is between them. Numerous <\/span>internet users<\/span><\/a> are even convinced that modems and routers are the same things. Below we will remind you what roles these devices play.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Does the Modem Do?<\/h2>\n

The main role of a modem is to <\/span>bring the Internet into your home<\/span><\/a>. How does the modem work? Well, in most cases, the modem connects your household, using a cable (usually <\/span>coaxial<\/span><\/a> or optical), to the ISP of your choice. The modem converts the signals coming from the ISP into the type of signal that will be used by the local devices located in your home. <\/span><\/p>\n

On the back of the modem, there is usually one <\/span>Ethernet port<\/span><\/a> through which it <\/span>connects to the router<\/span><\/a>. Through this Ethernet port, you can also connect your PC or laptop using <\/span>Ethernet cables<\/span><\/a>. In practice, it is most often used to connect to the router.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Modems do not provide a <\/span>Wi-Fi connection<\/span><\/a> unless they have a built-in router. In that case, they are called gateways, Wi-Fi modems, or Wi-Fi gateways. <\/span><\/p>\n

What Does a Router Do?<\/h2>\n

A router is a device that is connected to a modem via an <\/span>Ethernet cable<\/span><\/a>. The main purpose of a router is to <\/span>create and control home Wi-Fi networks<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wi-Fi routers<\/span><\/a> allow a large number of devices in your home to use the Internet wirelessly, unlike a modem that could only provide Internet to one device via a wired connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The router performs the process of <\/span>assigning IP addresses<\/span><\/a> to all your devices on the network.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can a Router Work Without a Modem?<\/h2>\n

The answer to the question “Can a router work without a modem” is yes, but only partially – it can only be used for certain activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

To transfer files or stream between devices on a <\/span>Wi-Fi network<\/span><\/a> or for wireless printing, you can use a router without a modem. <\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s talk about this a little bit. One of the many roles of a router is to direct internet traffic to your network. Now, in case the traffic does not have to leave the network, the Internet is not necessary for it \u2013 the modem is not needed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every device that connects to your home network gets an IP address from your router. The router saves all those <\/span>IP addresses<\/span><\/a> and devices, so it can route traffic sent to and from devices within the network. <\/span><\/p>\n

When one of the devices wants to communicate with another device on the same network, that device sends a request to the router. The router receives, processes, and then forwards the request to the desired device. <\/span><\/p>\n

The router can do that with or without internet access because all devices are on the same network. Since the router assigned IP addresses to all devices, it has information about the location of absolutely every device connected to the network. <\/span><\/p>\n

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