Routers vs. Modems: What You Need to Get Online

路由器与调制解调器：上网必备知识

To get internet access in your home, you need both a modem and a router. They aren’t interchangeable, and they serve two very different functions. If you think of your home as an island, the modem is the port where the big cargo ships come in from the world wide web, and the router is the warehouse sending out delivery trucks to the devices dotted around your island. 想要在家中上网，你需要同时拥有调制解调器（Modem）和路由器（Router）。它们的功能不可互换，且作用截然不同。如果把你的家比作一座岛屿，调制解调器就是来自万维网的大型货船停靠的港口，而路由器则是将货物通过配送车分发到岛上各个设备的仓库。

But here’s where the confusion can set in: Sometimes they are combined into a single device. So, if you’re setting up a new network or planning to upgrade your home internet connection, knowing the basics of routers, modems, and gateways is crucial. 但令人困惑的地方在于：有时它们会被整合进同一个设备中。因此，如果你正在搭建新网络或计划升级家庭宽带，了解路由器、调制解调器和网关（Gateway）的基础知识至关重要。

What Is a Modem?

什么是调制解调器？

The modem (or Modulator-Demodulator) acts as a translator between your home and your Internet Service Provider (ISP). It translates (or modulates) your outgoing traffic, whether that’s searches or other online actions, and sends them out across the internet and demodulates your incoming traffic, so that the router can route it to your devices. 调制解调器（Modulator-Demodulator，简称 Modem）充当了你的家庭与互联网服务提供商（ISP）之间的翻译官。它负责转换（或调制）你的外发流量（无论是搜索还是其他在线操作），将其发送到互联网上；同时解调传入的流量，以便路由器将其分发给你的设备。

In the early days of the internet, I used to plug an ISP-provided modem into my phone line and connect it directly to the computer I wanted to get online with via Ethernet cable. But that was before the days of Wi-Fi, when you could only get online with the one connected device (it was painfully slow, too). You can still do this with your modern modem if you’re content to have a single device online, but most people will be looking to fill their home with wireless connectivity to connect multiple devices. 在互联网发展的早期，我曾将 ISP 提供的调制解调器插入电话线，并通过以太网线直接连接到电脑上网。但那是 Wi-Fi 普及之前的时代，当时你只能通过那唯一连接的设备上网（而且速度慢得令人痛苦）。如果你满足于仅有一台设备在线，现代调制解调器依然可以这样使用，但大多数人还是希望通过无线连接覆盖全家，以连接多台设备。

Nowadays, your modem is likely a box installed on the wall where your internet connection comes into the house—or at least sitting next to it. A standalone modem is typically smaller than a router, and they are often labeled, but you can also identify them by the incoming cable. If it uses a phone line, it will have a smaller connector (maybe RJ11 or RJ22), cable modems have a round coaxial connection, and optical fiber modems, also known as Optical Network Terminals (ONT), have a thin cable running in. All will have at least one larger Ethernet (RJ45) port to connect to the router. 如今，调制解调器通常是一个安装在入户线墙上的盒子，或者至少放置在入户线附近。独立的调制解调器通常比路由器小，且通常会有标签，你也可以通过接入的线缆来识别它们：如果使用电话线，它会有较小的接口（可能是 RJ11 或 RJ22）；有线电视调制解调器有圆形的同轴电缆接口；光纤调制解调器（也称为光猫，ONT）则接入一根细光纤。所有这些设备至少会有一个较大的以太网（RJ45）端口用于连接路由器。

What Is a Router?

什么是路由器？

Your router broadcasts the incoming traffic from your modem to your devices and routes the outgoing traffic from your devices to your modem. It directs the flow of traffic, creating a Local Area Network (LAN) in your home that devices can connect to via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Whether you are browsing the web on your phone, streaming a movie on the TV, or gaming on your PC, you are relying on the router, and it decides how to portion up your internet connection and divide it between your devices. 路由器负责将调制解调器传入的流量广播到你的设备，并将设备发出的流量路由回调制解调器。它引导流量走向，在你的家中创建一个局域网（LAN），设备可以通过以太网或 Wi-Fi 连接到该网络。无论你是在手机上浏览网页、在电视上观看流媒体电影，还是在电脑上玩游戏，你都在依赖路由器，它决定了如何分配你的互联网连接并将其分发给各个设备。

While your internet speed is set by your ISP, there are ways to make your Wi-Fi faster, and buying a new router is perhaps the most obvious. But good routers don’t just increase potential speeds, they can also improve stability, reduce latency, and improve your security. The latest Wi-Fi 7 standard offers all of these enhancements over previous versions. 虽然你的网速由 ISP 决定，但仍有方法提升 Wi-Fi 速度，购买新路由器或许是最直接的手段。优秀的路由器不仅能提升潜在速度，还能增强稳定性、降低延迟并提高安全性。最新的 Wi-Fi 7 标准在这些方面都比以往版本有显著提升。

Combined Modems and Routers

调制解调器与路由器的组合设备

You can get devices that combine modem and router into one (sometimes called gateways). Most commonly, these combination devices are rented out by ISPs as part of your internet service. Combo devices can be hard to tell apart from routers. Some manufacturers, like Asus, have alternate lines of popular routers that include modems inside (prefixed with DSL), but they are virtually identical to the stand-alone routers. The way to tell them apart is by the incoming cable and ports. Routers generally only have RJ45 Ethernet ports, but combo devices will have an additional, smaller port for the incoming internet connection. 你可以购买将调制解调器和路由器合二为一的设备（有时称为网关）。最常见的情况是，这些组合设备由 ISP 作为互联网服务的一部分租借给你。组合设备有时很难与普通路由器区分开来。一些制造商（如华硕）有包含调制解调器的路由器产品线（通常以 DSL 为前缀），但它们在外观上与独立路由器几乎一模一样。区分它们的方法是查看接入的线缆和端口：路由器通常只有 RJ45 以太网端口，而组合设备会有一个额外的、较小的端口用于接入互联网。

In most cases, it’s better to have separate devices. This generally enables better performance, greater flexibility in router placement, and makes it easier to upgrade your system. It’s also cheaper to replace one or the other if they break down. 在大多数情况下，使用独立设备更好。这通常能带来更好的性能、更灵活的路由器摆放位置，并使系统升级更加容易。此外，如果其中一个损坏，单独更换的成本也更低。

Best Routers

最佳路由器

You have an enormous choice of different routers and mesh systems. Most homes can get by just fine with a single router, ideally centrally placed in the home, somewhere up high and out in the open. For larger homes or houses with problematic construction or interference issues, a mesh system can provide wider coverage. 你有海量的路由器和 Mesh 系统可供选择。大多数家庭只需一台路由器即可满足需求，理想的摆放位置是家中的中心区域、高处且开阔的地方。对于大户型或建筑结构复杂、存在信号干扰的房屋，Mesh 系统可以提供更广泛的覆盖。

Buying a Modem

购买调制解调器

It might be worth buying your own modem, particularly if your ISP charges you rental fees for theirs. While any router or mesh system can be configured to work with your internet connection, in theory, you must check with your ISP to ensure the modem you buy is compatible with their network. 购买自己的调制解调器可能很划算，尤其是当你的 ISP 对其提供的设备收取租金时。虽然任何路由器或 Mesh 系统都可以配置以适配你的网络连接，但理论上，你必须先咨询 ISP，以确保你购买的调制解调器与他们的网络兼容。