What term describes a device that routes traffic between a local network and the internet?

What term describes a device that routes traffic between a local network and the internet?

• A. Switch
• B. Modem
• C. Access Point
• D. Router

Answer: (D)

Routing traffic between a local network and the internet is the job of a router. A router sits at the edge of the LAN and the wider internet, forwarding packets from your internal devices to the outside and back. It decides where to send each packet based on destination IP addresses and often performs Network Address Translation (NAT) so many devices on the local network can share a single public IP. It may also provide firewall protection and assign IPs to devices via DHCP. A switch stays within the local network, moving data between devices using MAC addresses at the data-link layer; it doesn’t route traffic to different networks or to the internet. A modem connects your network to the internet service provider by modulating signals into a digital form; it doesn’t handle routing between multiple networks. An access point expands wireless coverage for devices on the local network but relies on a router to actually route traffic to and from the internet.

Routing traffic between a local network and the internet is the job of a router. A router sits at the edge of the LAN and the wider internet, forwarding packets from your internal devices to the outside and back. It decides where to send each packet based on destination IP addresses and often performs Network Address Translation (NAT) so many devices on the local network can share a single public IP. It may also provide firewall protection and assign IPs to devices via DHCP.

A switch stays within the local network, moving data between devices using MAC addresses at the data-link layer; it doesn’t route traffic to different networks or to the internet. A modem connects your network to the internet service provider by modulating signals into a digital form; it doesn’t handle routing between multiple networks. An access point expands wireless coverage for devices on the local network but relies on a router to actually route traffic to and from the internet.