In a network, a router is a device or, in some cases, software in a computer, that determines the next network point to which a packet should be forwarded toward its final destination.The router is connected to at least two networks and decides which way to send each information packet based on its current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected to. IP routers provide a connection between subnets. When a host wishes to send data to a host in another IP subnet the host sends the data to its gateway or router address which then knows how to forward that data packet to the correct network.