What is the primary function of a router compared to a switch?

What is the primary function of a router compared to a switch?

• A. Switch forwards frames within a local network (layer 2)
• B. Router forwards packets between networks (layer 3)
• C. Router translates between different protocols
• D. Switch provides firewall functions

Answer: (B)

The main idea is how devices move traffic between networks versus within a single network. A router is a layer 3 device that forwards IP packets from one network to another by using routing tables to decide the next hop. This is what makes it possible for a device on your local network to reach devices on different networks or the internet. A switch, on the other hand, operates at layer 2 and forwards frames inside the same local network using MAC addresses, keeping the local broadcast domain contained. So the router’s primary function is inter-network routing—connecting different networks and moving packets between them. Translations between different protocols or firewall features are not the core role of a router or switch, respectively, and while they can be present, they’re not the defining purpose described here.

The main idea is how devices move traffic between networks versus within a single network. A router is a layer 3 device that forwards IP packets from one network to another by using routing tables to decide the next hop. This is what makes it possible for a device on your local network to reach devices on different networks or the internet. A switch, on the other hand, operates at layer 2 and forwards frames inside the same local network using MAC addresses, keeping the local broadcast domain contained.

So the router’s primary function is inter-network routing—connecting different networks and moving packets between them. Translations between different protocols or firewall features are not the core role of a router or switch, respectively, and while they can be present, they’re not the defining purpose described here.