A router is a physical device that connects computers, tablets, cell phones, printers and other devices together to form a local network. It physically routes packets of data between devices. You connect devices to a router by a cable or by wifi. Most routers today either have a built in modem which allows the devices to connect you to the internet or the router is connected to a modem that connects to the internet. You actually don't connect your local network directly to the internet. You go through an internet service provider who connects you to the internet. Generally you have to pay them in one way or anther.I'm operating on a Samsung tablet with Hotspot that I get through USCellular. The internet regularly cuts out when the tablet still shows I have a normal strength signal. I tried googling the problem and while a lot of it might as well have been in Chinese, it did say it might be the router.
So what's a router? Is it inside my tablet? Or is their server getting jammed up with a lot of traffic (it happens during after dinner hours, mostly).
A hotspot today is a router type device with a wifi capability that allows devices with wifi capability to connect to the internet. My experience has been that unless you are very close to the hotspot, they can be unreliable and very slow. The best I have found are in coffee shops like Starbucks. Most cellphone companies as well as many cable providers offer hotspots to their customers. I've used some from AT&T and Comcast and found them pretty slow and again not too reliable. Generally, they will allow a certain number of devices to connect to them at one time. Once that number is reached any other devices trying to connect will be ignored. You will still get a wifi signal indication but you won't get any service. As someone once said, it's like entering a small bar with a limited number of seats. When all seats are filled you are still be able to enter the bar but you won't get any service until someone leaves.
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