Which device is primarily responsible for navigating a path for packets as they travel across networks?

• A. Routers
• B. Switches
• C. Modems
• D. Bridges

Answer: (A)

Routing determines the path packets take as they move between different networks, and routers perform this navigation. A router looks at each packet’s destination IP address, uses routing tables and protocols to decide the next hop, and forwards the packet toward its final destination across network boundaries. This capability is what lets devices on separate networks communicate, even across wide distances or the Internet.

Within a single local network, switches operate at the data-link layer and forward frames based on MAC addresses, not IP destinations, so they don’t determine routes between networks. Modems provide access to an Internet connection by converting signals for the ISP link but don’t route traffic across multiple networks themselves. Bridges connect different LAN segments at the data-link layer, again using MAC addresses rather than routing IP packets across networks.

So the device whose primary role is guiding packets along the path between networks is the router.