Direct connection
to the internet
would be very
costly and so ISPs
provide a
cost-effective
gateway for people
and organisations
to get onto the
internet. In the UK
there are many
ISPs, with some of
the most popular
ones being BT
(British Telecom),
Virgin Media and
Sky.
A piece of hardware that connects two or
more networks. In relation to the internet,
data from the ISP is sent into the
networknetworks. In relation to the
internet, data from the ISP is sent into the
network and the router then directs the
data packets to the correct destinations.
The router also handles data travelling in
the other direction. Routers can be
described as ‘directors of traffic’ for the
networks.