Today, when we mention routers, we think of devices that connect us to Wi-Fi. While that’s true, it’s just one of their functions.
Routers connect networks, making them essential as network use grows. Yet, many remain unaware of history of router.
This technology traces back to the telegraph and telephone from the 1850s and 1870s. Let’s explore history of router to boost technological literacy and understand our tools.
What is Router?
Before exploring history of router, understand that routers connect devices to a network.
A router connects multiple devices to a network by assigning each device its own unique IP address. This allows each device to communicate with other devices on the same network and to access data or the internet as needed.
Routers use the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to automatically assign IP addresses to each device that connects to the network. This ensures every device gets a unique address without manual setup.
Besides assigning IP addresses, a router uses Network Address Translation (NAT) to allow multiple devices to share a single external IP address. This process helps connect devices within the network to external networks, such as the internet, while keeping their internal addresses private.
A router is not merely a tool for connecting devices to the internet. It can also serve as a bridge between computer networks without internet access, facilitating the transfer of files or folders.
Types of Routers
Based on how they work, routers are divided into two categories: wired routers and Wi-Fi routers. Wired routers are the most common type. They use Ethernet cables to connect devices and send and receive data.
Wired routers enable multiple devices to exchange data. They offer strong security and are common in offices, especially where there’s no internet.
Wi-Fi routers, common in homes, use wireless technology to assign IP addresses. Devices can then access both Internet and local networks.
The History of Routers
The history of routers is intertwined with the history of other wireless devices. It is closely linked to the history of Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, and so on.
The vast scope of wireless technology’s history means it is connected to modern applications such as GPS. In other words, the history of GPS and routers share the same roots, even though their functions may differ.
When discussing history of router, we refer to the establishment of early device communication networks—dating back to the telegraph and telephone.
The history of these two technologies marks how two devices could connect via sound. Both used electromagnetic waves and electrical currents in cables to transmit messages.
The telegraph, invented by Samuel Morse in the 1850s, used coded sounds, while Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, about 20 years later, transmitted the human voice directly.
Although still rudimentary, these two inventions transformed the notion that messages had to be delivered physically by mail. Instead, we could use the electromagnetic waves present on Earth to send messages.
As technology advanced, scientists conducted extensive research into using electromagnetic waves to transmit data, whether audio or visual.
1. It All Started in a Couple’s Living Room
One of the most significant advancements in router development was made by a married couple, Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack, in 1981. Both worked in different departments at Stanford University.
Their need to connect computers led them to set up a home server or gateway using electromagnetic waves.
As it turned out, their computers could share data using private IP addresses. Building on this discovery, they implemented the same mechanism on the campus where they worked.
2. The first company to develop a router
Lerner and Bosack continued developing their research, aiming to benefit more people.
Finally, in 1984, the two founded a company called cisco Systems. The name “cisco” was taken from the city where they lived: San Francisco, United States.
They had a grand vision: to connect the city of San Francisco using the router technology they had invented.
3. The First Router Product
Just one year after cisco was founded, the company successfully launched its first router product. The product was a network interface card called the Advanced Gateway Server (AGS).
The product targeted computers by Digital Equipment Corporation. Cisco’s router sales flourished from there.
This success prompted Sequoia Capital to invest in the company in 1987. In short, the firm became the majority shareholder in cisco.
Sequoia Capital then oversaw top leadership, appointing John Morgridge as CEO. Lerner and Bosack remained listed as founders.
4. Cisco Changes Its Name
Leadership changes brought shifts. John Morgridge led the company but clashed with Lerner and Bosack.
In 1990, Cisco sold its first shares to the public. Shortly thereafter, Lerner was fired from the company, and Bosack subsequently resigned.
After the founders left, the company changed its name—from “cisco” to “Cisco” by capitalizing the “C.”
5. Routers Evolved Rapidly
Despite disputes among inventors, router sales continued unaffected. In the early 1990s, Cisco grew quickly. In 1993, it launched the 7000 series for enterprise networks and service providers.
In the same year, Cisco began acquiring other companies. One of them was Aironet. From this acquisition, the company introduced its first wireless router, named the Aironet 4800.
This device’s development paralleled the late-1990s and 2000s wireless boom. In 1997, the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard debuted.
In the 2000s, wireless routers became common in homes, adopting 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n standards. Now, many companies make routers.
No matter how this technology evolves, it’s grounded in its early history. Understanding the history of routers enhances technological literacy and shows digital communication standards have deep roots.
An understanding of this wireless technology will be beneficial as technology advances in the future. When would you like to discuss the history of other technologies?
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Muhammad
Hello, my name is Rifqi. I have studied how language can influence human interaction and impact sociocultural aspects. Currently, I work as a corporate content writer at Dimulti Type Approval. Through my writing, I hope to make difficult technical matters or everyday issues easier for you to understand.
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