Needless to say, the first system that functioned the same as a router — ARPANET’s "gateway" — was a massive machine that looked more like a refrigerator than an integral part to building and sustaining an internetwork of computers. Now, the typical home router can be picked up in one hand. Today’s most common routers work on just a few elements to efficiently translate your home's cable or DSL into a wireless or ethernet connection: a computer processor, RAM and flash memory, and ethernet ports. The few materials needed to make a working router means that computer-savvy folks can actually make routers out of an old computer.
What routers have an abundance of are reliable ports through which to feed the Internet connection. All routers have a WAN port, the cabled connection that connects the router to your cable or DSL. Then, there’s a multitude of LAN ports — local area network connections that allow you to wire everything, from your Xbox to your DVR, to the Internet. Looking for the magical wireless device? That’s usually the antenna flanking the modem, operated often at radio frequencies of both 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz to accommodate all devices without interference (thus the term “dual-band” router).
Activating a router usually takes little more than plugging all the necessary cables and powering it all up, but configuration can be done through the router’s available dashboard. In fact, you can log into your router by plugging in your IP (the number assigned to your Internet connection, usually beginning with "192.168") into your browser and logging into the system. However, different routers have different online dashboards, so check your user manual.