This article is about the types of network routers and modems found in many homes, known colloquially as "residential gateways".

A residential gateway is a home networking device, used as a gateway

Gateway (telecommunications)

In telecommunications, the term gateway has the following meaning:*In a communications network, a network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses different protocols....

 to connect devices in the home to the Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 or other WAN

Wide area network

A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...

.

It is an umbrella term, used to cover multi-function networking computer appliance

Computer appliance

A computer appliance is generally a separate and discrete hardware device with integrated software , specifically designed to provide a specific computing resource. These devices became known as "appliances" because of their similarity to home appliances, which are generally "closed and sealed" –...

s used in home

Home

A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...

s, which may combine a DSL or cable modem

Cable modem

A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high...

, a firewall

Firewall

Firewall may refer to:* Firewall , a barrier inside a building or vehicle, designed to limit the spread of fire, heat and structural collapse...

, a consumer-grade router, a network switch

Network switch

A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...

 and perhaps also a wireless access point

Wireless access point

In computer networking, a wireless access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or related standards...

. In the past, such functions were provided by separate devices, but by technological convergence, they have often merged into a single device.

Term

The Residential Gateway market(s) evolved differently than early visionaries predicted (see circa 1996 vision documents below). Today there are many different types of home gateway devices.

Multiple devices have been described as "residential gateways," each with a different function. Each type of device allows the connection of a LAN

Local area network

A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...

 (used in the home) to a WAN

Wide area network

A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...

. The WAN can often be the Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 or can merely be a larger LAN of which the home is a part (such as a municipal WAN that provides connectivity to the residences within the municipality). WAN connectivity may be provided through DSL

Digital Subscriber Line

Digital subscriber line is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL originally stood for digital subscriber loop. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ,...

, cable modem

Cable modem

A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high...

, a broadband mobile phone

Mobile phone

A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...

 network, or other connections.

The term "residential gateway" was originally used to distinguish the inexpensive networking devices designated for use in the home from similar devices used in corporate LAN environments (which generally offered a greater array of capabilities). In recent years, however, the less expensive "residential gateways" have gained many of the capabilities of corporate gateways and the distinctions are fewer. Many home LANs now are able to provide most of the functions of small corporate LANs.
Therefore the term "residential gateway" sometimes implies a less expensive, lower capability networking device.

The home gateway tends to have abundant interfaces, powerful functions and a more user-friendly interface. It is a manageable terminal with auto-configuration

Auto-configuration

Auto-configuration is the automatic configuration of devices without manual intervention, without any need for software configuration programs or jumpers. Ideally, auto-configuring devices should just "plug and play"...

, and multi-service perceiving and bearing. The home gateway provides Quality of Service

Quality of service

The quality of service refers to several related aspects of telephony and computer networks that allow the transport of traffic with special requirements...

 to simultaneously support different types of services. As a part of the carrier network, the home gateway supports remote control, detection and configuration.

Since the early 2000s the residential or home gateway has been used by Telecommunications Multiple Service Operators [MSOs] as a termination device for connecting consumer premises to a broadband

Broadband

The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...

 delivery network .

One of the world’s first residential gateway devices was developed for Italian telecommunications service provider Fastweb

Fastweb

FASTWEB S.p.A. is an Italian broadband telecommunications company. It provides voice, Internet, cable television, IPTV and FTTH connection. The cable television and IPTV services were developed by Fastweb themselves as the technology market in 2000 was not mature enough to offer the level of...

 in 2001 as part of the launch of the first commercial triple play

Triple Play

A triple play is a baseball play in which three outs are made as a result of continuous action without any intervening errors between outs.Triple play may also refer to:...

 service. Using its fiber network, Fastweb delivered voice, video and data services to a home gateway device – the first with embedded fiber termination – and enabled them to be distributed around the home via set-top box

Set-top box

A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...

es and routers.

Devices

Multiple devices have been described as "residential gateways":

• Cable modem
  Cable modem
  A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high...
  
  
• DSL modem
• Wireless router
  Wireless router
  A Wireless router is a device that performs the functions of a router but also includes the functions of a wireless access point and a network switch. They are commonly used to allow access to the Internet or a computer network without the need for a cabled connection. It can function in a wired...
  
  
• Network switch
  Network switch
  A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
  
  
• Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) Analog telephony adapter
  Analog telephony adapter
  An analog telephony adapter, or analog telephone adapter, is a device used to connect one or more standard analog telephones to a digital telephone system or a non-standard telephone system....
  
  
• Wireless access point
  Wireless access point
  In computer networking, a wireless access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or related standards...
  
  

or any combination of the above.

Types

A router usually provides:

• Internet protocol
  Internet Protocol
  The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
  
   routing
• Network address translation
  Network address translation
  In computer networking, network address translation is the process of modifying IP address information in IP packet headers while in transit across a traffic routing device....
  
   (NAT)
• DHCP functions
• firewall
  Firewall (computing)
  A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....
  
   functions
• LAN connectivity like a network switch
  Network switch
  A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
  
  

Most routers are self-contained components, using internally-stored firmware. They are generally OS-independent (i.e. can be used with any operating system

Operating system

An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...

).

Wireless router

Wireless router

A Wireless router is a device that performs the functions of a router but also includes the functions of a wireless access point and a network switch. They are commonly used to allow access to the Internet or a computer network without the need for a cabled connection. It can function in a wired...

s perform the same functions as a router, but also allow connectivity for wireless devices with the LAN, or between the wireless router and another wireless router. (The wireless router-wireless router connection can be within the LAN or can be between the LAN and a WAN.)

A modem

Modem

A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...

 (e.g. DSL modem, Cable modem

Cable modem

A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high...

) provides none of the functions of a router. It merely allows Ethernet

Ethernet

Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....

 traffic to be transmitted across telephone lines, cable wires, optical fibers, or wireless radio frequencies. On the receiving end is another modem that re-converts the transmission format back into digital data packets.

This allows network bridging using telephone, cable, optical, and radio connection methods. The modem also provides handshake protocols

Challenge-handshake authentication protocol

In computing, the Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol authenticates a user or network host to an authenticating entity. That entity may be, for example, an Internet service provider. CHAP is specified in RFC 1994....

, so that the devices on each end of the connection are able to recognize each other. However, a modem generally provides few other network functions.

• A USB modem plugs into a single PC and allows a connection of that single PC to a WAN. If properly configured, the PC can also function as the router for a home LAN.
• An internal modem
  Modem
  A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
  
   can be installed on a single PC (e.g. on a PCI card
  Peripheral Component Interconnect
  Conventional PCI is a computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer...
  
  ), also allowing that single PC to connect to a WAN. Again, the PC can be configured to function as a router for a home LAN.

A wireless access point

Wireless access point

In computer networking, a wireless access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or related standards...

 can function in a similar fashion to a modem. It can allow a direct connection from a home LAN to a WAN, if a wireless router or access point is present on the WAN as well.

Features

Beyond basic connectivity and routing, residential gateways can provide addition features, such as:

• Configuration via a web interface
• Dynamic DNS
  Dynamic DNS
  Dynamic DNS or DDNS is a term used for the updating in real time of Internet Domain Name System name servers to keep up to date the active DNS configuration of their configured hostnames, addresses and other information....
  
  

Manufacturers

There are a number of manufacturers of networking devices that have been used as residential gateways:

See also

• Home automation
  Home automation
  Home automation is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and...
  
  
• Home network
  Home network
  A home network or home area network is a residential local area network . It is used for communication between digital devices typically deployed in the home, usually a small number of personal computers and accessories, such as printers and mobile computing devices...
  
  
• Home server
  Home server
  A home server is a server located in a private residence providing services to other devices inside and/or outside the household through a home network and/or the Internet. Such services may include file and/or printer serving, media center serving, web serving, web caching, account authentication...
  
  
• LAN switching
• Technological convergence
  Technological convergence
  Technological convergence is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve towards performing similar tasks. Convergence can refer to previously separate technologies such as voice , data , and video that now share resources and interact with each other synergistically.The rise of...
  
  

External links

• The Residential Gateway (a vision paper published in International Engineering Consortium’s 1996 Annual Review of Communications, p.457)
• IBM's Residential Gateway initiative (circa 1996)
• Home Gateway Initiative, a group of broadband providers proposing specifications for residential gateways
• The Residential Home Gateway on About.com
  About.com
  About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
  
  
• Linux router HOWTO