Also called a gateway, a router is a machine that connects hosts from one network to another network. For example, if you work in an office environment, the computers within the company can all communicate via the local network created by the administrators. To access the Internet, the computers would have to communicate with a router that would be used to forward network communications to the Internet. Typically when you communicate on a large network (like the Internet), several routers are used before your communication reaches its final destination.