
2. Router Components
To gain a better understanding for the different configurations that will be
performed on Cisco routers, this section provides a brief overview of the
Cisco router hardware architecture.
A router is a network device that forwards network traffic along optimized
paths. Router uses networks protocols (set of network rules, and algorithms)
to connect different network segments. A router allows users in a network
to share a single connection to the Internet or a WAN.
A router can also be viewed as a specialized computer that it is designed to
forward packets very efficiently. Like a computer, a typical router consists of
the following: CPU, Memory, and System Bus, and network interfaces.
(Figure 2).
Figure 2: Hardware Components of a Router
• CPU – The Central Processing Unit performs the computation and
logical operations.
• Memory – A router has several types of memory. These will be
described in detail shortly.
CPU
ROM
RAM
FLASH
Bus
Interface
Interface Interface Interface
S
stem Bus
NVRAM
Network
Controlle
Network
Controlle
Network
Controlle
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