Mel,

Ok, hows this? A router is a device that connects two (or more) networks together. It routes all the information coming into it and decides where it needs to go and how it should get there.

In a home computing situation, one network is what your DSL modem is connected to -- in other words, AT&T. Instead of plugging the cable from that modem into a computer, you can plug it into a router. You would also plug a cable from your computer into the router.

So now you have all the AT&T stuff, like the internet, going into the router. The router will then pass it along to your computer. And anything that your computer sends out, such as when you type information into web pages or your email, will first go to the router. The router then will send it along to AT&T, and eventually to its proper destination (the email address on an email you send, etc.).

And with a router, you can have more than computer connected to it. So all the computers in any given home could be connected. Now you have only one internet connection coming in, but a whole bunch of computers can share that one connection. Each computer can be emailing, surfing the web, etc. at the same time and the router will handle the traffic so that each computer gets what it is supposed to get.

With a wireless router, any computer that has the right wireless adapter can connect to the router without any cables at all.

Hope that helps.

rafi