With the Internet becoming a staple to every home and company, regardless of whether they are small or large, a need for extra protection and stability has appeared. That’s why IT engineers have come up with the edge router, and since then, this technology has become the number one must-have device for everyone in this world. So, what is edge router?
Namely, the Edge router serves to transfer data through the most efficient ways and effective paths between a wide area network and a local area network to send and receive data. Its name comes from the fact that it sits on the edge or periphery of a particular network.
In continuation, you can read more in-depth about what is Edge router and every little detail you need to know about it.
What Is Edge Router?
As we all know that technical IT terms can be a little hard to grasp, we tried to explain everything you need to know about what is Edge router most simplistically and clearly. So, let’s begin.
As intermediary devices between internal and external networks, Edge routers operate on the border or external layer of the network. More specifically, Edge routers work at the points where your private network ends and meets the public network.
The main function of the Edge router is to assign labels to outgoing data by using the information that’s been included in the data itself to determine which is the right label to use. After doing so, it attaches the right label to the data before sending it to the network.
On the contrary, when the Edge router receives data, it uses this same methodology to remove any attached labels on it and then directs the data to the proper place where it belongs. By doing these actions, the Edge routers improve the speed with which the data is forwarded through the help of routers.
Read more: What Is a Smart WiFi Router?
Functions and Features of the Edge Router
Security
As an integral part of the firewall, the Edge router’s primary and most important function is to provide fortified security. By containing numerous security controls in the shape of packet inspection and traffic decryption, intrusion detection and prevention, malware and malicious filtration of the URL, and access control and application identification, the Edge router is the ultimate enhancer of Internet security.
Moreover, this router contains cloud security deployments, strong security capabilities for encryption-key storage, and checks for the device’s authenticity.
Lastly, by protecting the edge firewall, the Edge router plays a major role in protecting and preventing the enterprise network from security threats and intrusions by using perimeter security types of services such as network address translation, IPsec, traffic inspection, and security policies.
Dynamic connectivity
Thanks to the fact that the Edge routers are equipped with the standard Ethernet ports, they can adapt to various hardware needs, meaning they can connect through Bluetooth, 5G, and many other wireless protocols.
Advanced network intelligence
Edge routers are also known for their ability to deal with all kinds of viruses and threats that the Internet carries with itself.
By being able to interface with an endless number of networks, systems, and devices, the Edge routers can support various interconnection protocols ranging from IP routing protocols such as BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), IS-IS (Intermediate System to Intermediate System), and OSPF (Open Shortest Path First), to MPLS, IPv4, and IPv6.
Telemetry and data collection
By collecting the data on bytes transmitted or received, Edge routers can manage and support telemetry and network data. This option is available based on a few parameters, such as LAN, application, user, or file type.
In other words, with this collection of information, the Edge routers can show how much data and what types of data are going through the network at any given moment.
Also, the best part of the Edge routers regarding this matter is that they can adjust the network in real-time to prevent any build-up of data and therefore meet the current needs.
Trustworthiness
Edge routers serve as a protection against network intrusion, viruses, and malware while giving you full control and access over the hardware. You have the power to decide what you will let enter your network and what not.
Although the main purpose of the Edge routers is to route data, they come packed with these amazing features to stay as safe as possible when you are online and searching the web.
Remote access
For the remote employees to be able to access the network, the local area services or LAN must be available, and that’s when the Edge router and network edge come to action. With the help of the Edge network, anyone who is, for example, not physically present in the office can connect to the network and do their job efficiently as if they were in the office for real.
Quality of service
As many times WAN and LAN can create bottlenecks and traffic slowdowns because of their different bandwidth levels, Edge routers manage to queue the data and prevent these events from happening. The quality of service, or the QoS strategy, is of significant importance for managing the continuous and uninterrupted flow and queuing of particular data.
Types of Edge Routers
Branch Edge routers
The name of the branch edge routers speaks for itself. Namely, this edge router sits on a ‘branch’ or, more specifically, a more remote location in the WAN network. The branch Edge routers can usually be found in small office setups or smaller businesses where there is not much data they need to deal with. This branch also has the power to prevent the local data from being sent back to the cloud.
Virtual Edge routers
In contrast to the others, the Virtual Edge routers use a form of NVF designing software to do the hardware task. These routers are also used for smaller companies and organizations because they can get easily overwhelmed.
Aggregation Edge routers
Finally, the Aggregation Edge routers’ task is to keep your incoming and outgoing data running as efficiently as possible. These routers are usually utilized for larger organizations and companies that connect thousands upon thousands of users through their devices.
Also read: What Is a Modem Router?
Conclusion
If you were not sure what is Edge Router, we hope that with the help of this article, we have made things much clearer. To better understand this term, we have included some additional essential information, such as the types of Edge routers and functions of the same, so that you get the whole picture about this device and technology.
Lastly, with the knowledge you’ve gained through this article, you can choose the right Edge router that will perfectly meet all your professional needs and requirements.