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Understanding the difference between a router and a modem is crucial when setting up your home network system. While both devices play key roles in providing internet access, they serve distinct functions. A modem connects your home to the internet via your Internet Service Provider or ISP, while a router distributes that connection to multiple devices, including wireless options. Choosing the right setup can be confusing, and while new all-in-one units combine both functions, understanding their limitations is essential. This guide breaks down the key differences, power consumption, and whether you need both devices to keep your network running efficiently.
What Is a Router?
A router is a device used to supply internet to multiple devices. It can be wired or wireless. Wired configurations offer a more secure connection. In wired configurations, the router has multiple ethernet ports, and you connect an ethernet cable from the router to each device. The router uses a local area network (LAN) to send internet to all wired devices.
However, most people nowadays use wireless connections in their homes so they don’t have to run ethernet cables everywhere. Furthermore, most small devices like tablets and smartphones are not designed to accept a wired connection.
This is where wireless models come in. They work similarly by connecting to the modem via an ethernet cable. Then, instead of wires, they use antennas to broadcast signals wirelessly by converting binary code into radio waves. Instead of LANs, they use wireless local area networks (WLANs) to connect multiple wireless devices, including computers, laptops, smartphones, TVs, and tablets.
Other features routers offer are firewall protection, network security, such as hiding devices’ IP addresses from the public Internet, parental controls to restrict access to certain devices, and the ability to connect to a virtual private network (VPN) for additional security and privacy.
What Is a Modem?
The word modem stands for “modulator-demodulator,” a device that uses a physical connection to bring internet to your home from your internet service provider (ISP). Its job is to translate the data from your ISP into a format that your home network devices can use.
There are three types of modem connections. The old dial-up method uses a phone line to connect to an ISP. Broadband connections have mostly replaced this, but some people still use dial-up. A digital subscriber line, or DSL, is similar to dial-up because it also uses a phone line but offers much higher speeds. However, the most common type is the cable modem, which uses a cable TV line. New ultra-high-speed services use a fibre optic cable instead of a traditional copper cable.
Your ISP usually supplies you with a modem you rent or buy. Nowadays, many modems offered by ISPs are all-in-one devices that include a built-in router so that you no longer have to use a separate device to connect multiple devices, especially wirelessly. However, these devices have limited features and offer limited control over security and other settings.
Router vs Modem Key Differences
Ethernet Ports
A modem has few Ethernet ports, while routers have more because they are designed to connect multiple devices to the internet.
IP Address
Modems have a public IP address, while routers have private IP addresses. All-in-one models offer both.
WAN vs LAN and WLAN
Modems use a wide area network (WAN) to bring internet to your home. In contrast, routers use a local area network (LAN) or a wireless local area network (WLAN) to supply all the individual devices in your home with internet. All-in-one models again offer both.
Additional Features
Modems are strictly for connecting the internet to your home, so they lack additional features like firewalls, parental controls, VPNs, and special security settings that routers typically have. All-in-ones often lack these as well.
How Many Watts Does an Average Router Use?
A typical Wi-Fi router uses between 5 and 20 watts or around 6 watts on average. However, the exact amount will depend on the model, its features, and how it’s used.
If you’re off-grid or want internet even during a power outage, using a power station for Wi-Fi is easy. Since Wi-Fi uses few watts, you can use any EcoFlow Portable Power Station. For instance, the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Portable Power Station will work perfectly if you want something dedicated to your router.
Alternatively, if you’d like a whole-home power solution, you need to know how much energy homes use to help you determine what size generator you need. Once you calculate your kWh usage and know how many watts run your house, you can pick one of the larger units like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus with 1024Wh of capacity, which you can expand to 5kWh with additional batteries, a perfect home backup solution. Or, for those looking to go off-grid completely, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Pro starts at 4000W and is expandable up to an amazing 48kWh, plenty enough for almost any home to go off-grid.
How Many Watts Does an Average Modem Use?
Modems use about the same amount of power as routers, in the 5 to 20W range, with about 10W being considered average. Again, it depends on the model, features, and how it’s used. Those all-in-one devices still use the same amount of electricity as a modem, which is something to keep in mind for off-grid locations with limited power.
Do You Need a Modem and a Router?
Since a modem’s purpose is simply to provide the initial access point for your internet in your home, if you want to connect multiple devices, especially smartphones and tablets, wirelessly, you’ll need both.
On the other hand, if your desktop computer is the only connected device in your home, you could theoretically use the modem as a standalone device. However, it would lack wireless access, multiple devices could not use it simultaneously, and you wouldn’t be able to access extra security features like VPNs, parental controls, and others.
Of course, if you get an all-in-one device, sometimes called a gateway, you can use one unit without buying additional equipment. An all-in-one would work just fine for the average household not looking for those extra security settings. However, they are not the answer for everyone.
Potential limitations of the gateways are limited equipment choices, less control over features, the potential for higher latency times and slower speeds, especially for those connected wirelessly, and the potential loss of the entire network if the gateway malfunctions.
If you want more control over your network settings and security, want to connect a variety of wired and wireless devices, or want to enjoy the flexibility of upgrading to newer tech like Wi-Fi 6, you may still want to purchase a separate router to give you those additional options.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need a router if you want to connect multiple devices, especially wireless connections. However, all-in-one devices, sometimes called gateways, allow you to have both functions in a single device, although their settings and features are typically more limited.
Wi-fi comes primarily from the router since they are designed to distribute internet wirelessly throughout the home. Modems are responsible for bringing internet into your home, usually through a wire, although it could also be via wireless broadband. However, all-in-one devices will also offer Wi-Fi.
You can tell which one you have by looking for multiple ethernet ports since modems usually only have one. Also, routers typically have one or more antennas to provide wireless connections. Many devices now supplied by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are all-in-ones that contain both features in one unit.
Final Thoughts
A modem is essential for internet access, while a router enables multiple device connections and adds wireless options and additional security features. While all-in-one gateways combine both, a separate router often provides better performance and security controls. If you plan to power your network during outages or off-grid, portable power stations like the EcoFlow RIVER 3 can work as a dedicated device for your network equipment. Alternatively, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Pro offers more power to run other essential appliances simultaneously.