Home routers are not really "routers"

Had an interesting discussion with a networking guy who said that its kinda false to call home routers "routers" and they should instead be called white boxes. Thinking about this its true because there is no real routing protocols running on a home router such as eigrp or ospf. The only thing they run is NAT which in a pure sense is not actually routing. What do you think?

 

I've heard that before....I agree. I'd just say they are not "pure" Routers.

 

I guess it depends on the definition of the router.

You don’t need those advance routing protocols for a home router, because there is usually only one network behind it. IMO they can still be called routers.

 

they are INDEED routers..but simple ones.

 

I think it is just being overly pedantic. For simplicity sake, they are routers. They don't make the claim to be anything other than consumer routers.

 

routers route traffic from one network to another. and that is what home routers do.

No they will not support RIP, OSPF, BGP, etc. etc. why? because it is un needed as this network is a stub network(meaning one way in and one way out) no point in routing updates if your snub disappears.

 

My network teach says they're brouters as they can only bridge 2 networks which is what they do basically. I say they're mini computers with wireless access points built in that do fun things. In the most basic sense they do route traffic (layer 3) from one network to the other so they are routers, they also do other things like QoS and other higher layer features as well though depending on how godlike yours is...

 

technically, that is more accurate.
but if you say brouters (bridge+router) to
some ordinary guys..he'd be like wth?!!

 

router is not a bridge unless its a router and modem. then its bridging two types of medium.

all you guys need your facts straight

 

You could call them modems with a built in switch (if its an ADSL router).

 

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and smells like a duck, even if only vaguely, then ....

 

nope. it would be a DSL router with a built in switch.

DSL router(also known as a modem and router package) and then the switch is part of the same unit

 

That depends entirely on what software you run on them Aftermarket firmwares like Tomato, DD-WRT and the like will give many routers capabilities meeting and in some cases exceeding those of "enterprise" level hardware.

 

People - I think this is the best answer of this thread - as it is the definite answer.

You have established that "home routers" do accomplish some of the tasks (the key tasks for home use) of a "professional router".

Thus you have a router - even if just a cut down version.

Take a Sony G/TZ and some higly customized Alienware or Gateway laptop (the most powerful you can find at 18" or more).

Both are laptops. the G/TZ can't do Blue Ray and the other possibly can, but still, a laptop. One you can carry easily the other, yes, but not as easily.

So - a home router does the key jobs of a router - i.e. its a router.