What does a router do in a network?

A router plays a crucial role in networking by forwarding data packets between different computer networks. It acts as a bridge that connects multiple networks, ensuring that data sent from one network can reach another network effectively. This process involves determining the best path for data to travel, which helps in optimizing network performance and ensuring that messages reach their intended destinations.

By analyzing the destination addresses of the data packets, the router makes routing decisions based on various factors, such as network topology and current traffic conditions. This capability is essential for the functioning of the internet as a whole, as routers enable communication between different networks, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the broader internet.

In contrast, while other options describe various functions and capabilities related to networking devices, they do not accurately capture the primary role of a router, which is focused on inter-network communication and packet forwarding.